ZEE's Microdrama Rush: TV IPs Get a New Lease on Life with 90-Second Episodes

India's entertainment industry is witnessing a significant shift as established TV properties are being adapted into short-form, vertical-video episodes. ZEE has licensed titles such as Agent Raghav. Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, and Santoshi Maa to Story TV for short-form adaptations.

Meanwhile, Applause Entertainment is also developing original animation and vertical-microdrama IP, further solidifying the trend of repackaging television IP for the vertical-video generation.

EPIC Studios is poised for a major expansion, with Managing Director Aditya Pittie predicting a significant surge in its slate of series. Currently, the studio has 50 titles in the works. However, Pittie expects this number to more than quadruple to over 250 by mid-next year.

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The economics of vertical-drama production, which can cost between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 50,000 per episode, are driving this growth.

This enables studios to test a wider range of concepts than traditionally possible with premium OTT series. This shift towards short-form adaptations also opens up a new life cycle for television IP. This allows for repackage, re-edit, or reinterpret familiar stories into shorter, mobile-first episodes designed around hooks, rapid twists, and cliffhangers.

The trend could prove especially interesting for television nostalgia. With crime shows being compressed into fast-paced cliffhanger-driven episodes. Supernatural properties being rebuilt as vertical horror, and popular soap characters being introduced to an entirely new Gen Z audience.

Yash Raj Films has strategically invested in Rusk Media to develop original animation and vertical-microdrama IP. Further expanding the slate of EPIC Studios. EPIC Studios and Rusk are also developing a slate spanning mythology.

Mystery, thrillers, drama, and romance, providing a diverse range of content for the vertical-video generation.

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More importantly, the movement may eventually work both ways, with an old TV show becoming a microdrama. Meanwhile, a breakout microdrama character or story potentially graduating into television, OTT, or even films. As established entertainment companies increasingly look at existing television properties as valuable intellectual property, the boundaries between traditional television and short-form vertical content are becoming increasingly blurred.

This shift towards short-form adaptations and the repackaging of television IP for the vertical-video generation is driven by the growing demand for mobile-first content and the economics of vertical-drama production. With the rise of platforms like Hello Mini.

This has entered into an alliance involving the adaptation of Hello Mini. The trend is expected to continue, providing new opportunities for creators and audiences alike.