.jpg)
With tightly packed story arcs, cliffhangers, and high drama compressed into just 60 seconds, the micro drama format is fast becoming a top choice for brands creating content on Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and even OTT platforms exploring micro-episodic storytelling.
Each episode ends on a suspenseful beat, encouraging viewers to binge-watch the next few clips—an experience not unlike scrolling through Reels. The characters are instantly relatable and the settings hyper-local, allowing creators to capitalize on trends and memes almost in real-time. Part of the format’s success lies in the emotional payoff delivered in seconds.
Creators are also now forming content rooms with writers, DOPs, and even costume stylists to shoot soap operas that look sleek despite their short run-time.
Regional OTT platforms like Hoichoi have already begun experimenting. Soumya Mukherjee, COO Hoichoi told e4m, "Even on Instagram, we’re seeing audiences lean into episodic formats with surprising consistency. When storytelling is rooted in character and culture, viewers return—just like bingeing on OTT. Our partnership with Sunrise Spices started with Hoichoi Minis but grew into full-fledged IPs like Bhojonbilashi and the anthology Swadkahon. Episodic formats helped the brand stay culturally present across OTT, digital, and even on-ground."
"FMCG, F&B, and telecom brands are leaning into hyperlocal stories. Bengali, Tamil, and Marathi content is helping them build daily cultural relevance with regional audiences," he said.
According to ShareChat, 81% of Indian users now actively watch short-form videos daily, while 47% of purchase decisions are influenced by this content.
Half of these users spend more than 30 minutes daily on such videos, and 29% surpass the 60-minute mark—a telling sign of how deep the engagement runs. Most significantly, 77% of young Indians prefer short-form content over other formats, making this a strategic goldmine for both creators and marketers.
Production: fast, cheap, and binge-worthy
For producers, these quick-hit formats are a logistical dream. Manoj Shroff, Executive Producer at Equinox Films (Known for iconic Hyperdent ad), explained, “Everybody is a little confused about what to do with audiences. OTT platforms are worried—people are coming to them in a very chosen manner. So now they want to do what television did in our childhood: bring back shorter formats, like 23 or 24 minutes. But people don’t even have time for that.”
Instead, what makes micro-series even more attractive is the low barrier to entry. “From what I’ve seen, it’s not at all expensive,” said Shroff. “Influencers already have cameras, mics, basic sound, and lighting. They shoot in a day, maybe 30 episodes, and release them one by one. It’s very cheap right now. But the minute someone adds quality and infuses money, it’ll become a big deal.”
According to Shroff, creators with large followings act like digital multiplexes. “If you have 5 million followers, you’re a big deal. You’re like PVR. You can charge ?800 for popcorn if you want. It depends on what your reach is.”
He believes the format is ripe for brand monetization. “These guys won’t charge as much as YouTube or other platforms. So you create a market. Tell the advertiser, ‘I’ll make a whole series with your product for Rs 1 lakh or Rs 5 lakh.” That’s nothing for a brand. Especially if you’re talking D2C or even mid-sized brands—they’ll bite.”
Shroff sees massive potential in everyday products. “Fashion brands, FMCG brands—shampoos, soaps, men’s grooming. These are perfect for it. Even health insurance can come in. But cars, scooters, watches—those are higher ticket items and might demand better production quality.”
Amazon’s bet on ‘Fatafat’ entertainment
Earlier this year, two major industry players—Snapchat and Amazon—entered the vertical video space with hyper-short dramas. While Amazon-owned MX Player unveiled MX Fatafat in February, Sharechat launched Quick TV in March. Apps for two-minute-long mini web-series, marking the industry’s pivot to ultra-compact, episodic formats. The goal? Capture audiences on-the-go and unlock new brand integration avenues across mobile-first and OTT ecosystems.
Aruna Daryanani, Head of Marketing at Amazon MX Player told exchange4media, “This is something we’re experimenting with. These are shorter duration series where the storyline is split into one, two minutes each. We’re very, very confident it’s going to drive a lot of adoption, given how much short format is now being consumed across various apps.” The initiative was first announced at Amazon’s Stream Next event in January.
Daryanani remains cautiously optimistic about brand collaborations. “It’s too early to really say anything. But see, brands are excited. A lot of brands like to innovate, experiment. Honestly, it’s open to any brand. I always say it’s about finding your right audience fitment — whether that’s age group, gender, or even shopping signals we are able to provide.”
She sees MX Fatafat not as a competitor to Instagram but as a complementary layer of mobile entertainment. “It is super entertaining. There are storylines which will keep you really hooked,” she noted. “It’s not about either or — it’s genuinely about customer preferences. Whether it’s before work, after dinner, or just before sleeping… if they want to binge something, that is how we are seeing it.”
MX Fatafat’s early strategy leans heavily into crowd-pulling genres like drama and fantasy. “Right now, we have started with entertainment because that’s where Amazon MX Player has a very strong understanding of what users are watching,” Daryanani added. “It’s just on its way of launching, so you’ll be seeing it over the next couple of days.”
Zee5 and SonyLIV have already begun creating short micro-dramas within their main apps, opting not to launch separate sub-apps.
Scroll-first design fuels discovery
Even platforms like ReelShort depend on writers to inject emotion into micro-dramas. Shreya Badola, Creative Account Director at Wit & Chai Group, commented on growing AI content. She said, “AI’s great at the boring stuff—scheduling, formatting scripts, spitting out trend analysis. But when it comes to making people laugh, cry, or binge until 3 AM? That’s still all human.”
“The sweet spot belongs to people like Alan Chikin Chow—screenwriting grads who also understand viral video. It’s not just filmmaking. It’s audience psychology, community building, and content strategy rolled into one,” she added.
Gautam Madhavan, Founder of Xley.ai—which helps creators script, shoot, and monetize vertical series—explained, “In India, Indonesia, the Middle East, and Latin America, audiences are hooked to short series on platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Moj.”
“Even in scroll mode, the episodic format thrives—auto-play and recommendation engines keep viewers engaged. People binge 3–5 episodes at once, and cliffhangers fuel community conversations,” he said. “Most importantly, brands blend seamlessly into the narrative—no force-fit ads, just native storytelling that works.”
China’s Duanju shows what’s possible
While India is just warming up to micro-dramas, China is already leagues ahead. Known as “Duanju,” these vertical-screen short dramas have exploded in popularity and now dominate streaming charts globally. Apps like ReelShort and DramaBox, backed by Chinese companies, have even outpaced Netflix in some U.S. seasons. According to Appfigures, three China-backed micro-drama apps clocked 30 million downloads and $71 million in revenue globally in Q1 2024.
These series typically feature between 55–100 episodes, with the initial few offered for free. To unlock the rest, users pay small in-app fees. This model merges monetization with addictive storytelling, a formula that could soon replicate in India.
In an attention-fragmented, mobile-dominated world, serialized vertical dramas offer high engagement with minimal friction. And as brands, creators, and platforms continue to experiment, one thing is clear: the age of the one-minute soap opera has officially arrived.
.jpg)
