Doomscrolling with microdramas: A low-down on the new-wave of entertainment

Contrary to the streaming space ruled by the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and JioHotstar, the desi microdrama space is owned by home-grown apps such as Bullet (also available via OTplay Premium).

Microdramas

Watch, scroll, repeat… in other words, doomscrolling got a dramatic upgrade with the arrival of microdramas, short series that are equivalent to snackable online content. The ever-increasing reel-consumption and doomscrolling have kind of made it a given that microdramas are here to stay and could very well dictate the rules of digital entertainment in India, following the giant markets of China, which sparked the wave and is riding high as well. But contrary to the streaming space ruled by the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar, the desi microdrama space is being owned by home-grown microdrama apps such as Kuku FM and Bullet (also available via OTplay Premium) that have managed to earn a dedicated fanbase. From the basic definition to the apps available in India, here’s a low-down on microdramas.

What is the microdrama format?

Microdramas are vertical-format series with short-duration episodes that promise new-age entertainment. Akin to YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels that are usually standalone videos, the microdramas have an entire narrative chopped up into numerous episodes. Though the episode duration could be as short as 1 minute or up to a maximum of 2 minutes, the number of episodes could run up to 60-80 or even 100.

Why are microdramas popular?

The made-for-mobile content is gaining popularity for the short yet engaging content, perfectly tailor-made for a reel-consuming audience who are devoting more and more time on smartphones. Though short in duration, the snackable dramas will conclude with a cliffhanger, ensuring that the users will scroll on to the next episode and are most likely to finish off the entire series in one go. Microdramas are also released on YouTube and Instagram, and comments seek to know when the next episode will be out, showing user interest. Microdramas have a bigger fanbase in smaller cities of Patna and Kota, as per a report on Financial Express.

Which are the platforms in India where you can watch microdramas

The platforms in India where you can watch microdramas include Bullet, Chai Shots, Quick TV, Moj, ReelSaga, Pocket TV, Flick TV and Kuku FM. There are also ReelShort, FlickReels and DramaBox.

These apps work on different pay models. There is subscription-based viewing as offered by Chai Shots, which currently has Telugu content. On the other hand, apps like Drama Box give two options - the regular monthly/yearly membership plans, or the user can opt for the ‘coin’ system, where they need to earn rewards, either by purchasing or watching the required number of ads. In this format, initial episodes will be offered for free, and the user will have to pay to watch the subsequent episodes.

Popular microdramas

Some of the popular English microdramas are Spark Me Tenderly (DramaShort), You Belong With Me (Reel Short), Billionaire CEO’s Secret Obsession (ReelShort), and My Sugar-Coated Mafia Boss (Reel Short).

On the other hand, Rickshaw Rome, Ishq Kills and Divorce Retreat (available on Bullet via OTTplay Premium), Rented Husband (Kuku FM), My Homeless Billionaire Husband (Kuku FM), Phir Se Restart (Pocket TV) and Death Clock (Story TV) are some of the regional microdramas across platforms. There are also the microseries released on Instagram, such as the Kannada title, In Between the Lines.

How are microdramas made

Chai Shots, the latest micro app which was launched in November 2025, has an in-house content team who makes the video and also works with aspiring writers/directors for creating the videos. The app has the backing of Telugu star Rana Daggubati, who is an angel investor. Positioning themselves as the first regional short series OTT app, Chai Shots has close to 80 videos in Telugu, and promises to expand to other south Indian languages soon. “There is a market for microdramas in Telugu but we are still in the experimental phase,” said an official with Chai Shots.

Kannada actress Teju Belawadi, who has featured in microdramas such as In Between the Lines, spells out how different the process of making is. Teju says, “First of all, the way it is shot. You don’t have a lot of equipment; it is shot on an iPhone. The team is also really small. They planned a four-day schedule and they planned every single detail of the shoot.”

“Online content-wise, the reception has been really good - I didn’t expect this much,” replied the actress who has appeared in Kannada movies such as Laughing Buddha.

And on the most important question of remuneration, Teju did not mince words. “The series paid a lot better than most Kannada films did, so not a concern,” she said.

Are major streaming platforms diving into microdramas

Most of the microdrama apps are home-grown apps or foreign apps. Amazon MX Player was the first major OTT player to take the plunge and joined the reel race with MX Fatafat, which also offers 2-minute mini series. These offer Hindi series and also dubbed Chinese videos in reel format such as Hidden Redemption. It is not a standalone app, but MX Fatafat is part of MX Player and the content is free to stream.

Zee has entered into a strategic equity partnership with Bullet. The Bullet app offers microseries, across genres, in as many as seven languages, including all four south languages, Hindi, Bengali and Marathi. There are also K-drama and Mandarin drama series dubbed in Hindi and available on the platform. All Bullet series are also available for OTTplay Premium subscribers as well.

One of the major streaming platforms, JioHotstar, is also looking to invest in other digital formats. Speaking on a condition of anonymity, an official told OTTplay, “We are going to experiment with a lot of formats. Not just regular series, long-running series are the new trend. One of the main reasons for that is the Tamil hit series Heartbeats -with Anumol. It has moved into Season 2.”

But when asked specifically about microdramas, the reply was more cautious. “We initially planned to start microdramas immediately. But there has been a delay due to some reasons,” he added.

Tamil director Pushkar, who has co-created series such as Suzhal: The Vortex for Prime Video with Gayathri, also remarks that there is a lot of push for making long-format series among OTT platforms, but did not buy into the idea of microdramas becoming an immediate streaming revolution, at least in India.

Also read: Kennedy to Eesha: 5 New OTT releases to watch in Indian languages

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