In February this 12 months, Kuku FM launched Kuku TV, a brand new vertical devoted to micro-dramas — short-form TV reveals with episodes lasting only a couple of minutes, shot completely in vertical format for smartphone shoppers. The platform encompasses a huge catalogue of dubbed micro-dramas from world wide, alongside unique in-house Hindi productions with titles corresponding to Rented Husband, Revenge of My Fake Boyfriend, and Gumshuda Waris (The Missing Heir).
Micro-dramas have emerged as a major pattern on this planet of streaming since their inception about six years in the past. According to a 2025 examine by Omdia, Asia’s high 5 micro-drama apps, as an illustration, reached a cumulative MAU (month-to-month energetic customers) whole of 150 million.
Today, most main streaming platforms have micro-drama tasks within the pipeline, with smaller gamers like Kuku — and their American predecessors corresponding to DramaBox and ReelShort — becoming a member of the fray. With consideration spans shrinking within the age of countless scrolling, it’s simple to see why studio executives are putting huge bets on this radically condensed storytelling format.
Data-driven dramas
How did creators and producers uncover the potential of micro-dramas? It all started with information. After the preliminary streaming growth between 2013 and 2016, platforms took a step again to analyse huge quantities of viewer information collected through the years. They requested: what are folks watching throughout the day, at night time, throughout commutes, or simply earlier than bedtime? At what precise second had been viewers tuning out? How lengthy do typical binge-watching periods final? What’s the utmost episode size earlier than viewership begins to drop? This treasure trove of information allowed streamers to return to sure ‘organic’ conclusions about our collective viewing habits, paving the way in which for the present wave of micro-dramas.
In Hollywood, this enterprise mannequin gave rise to Quibi (2018-2020), a startup that has since grow to be a cautionary story within the streaming trade. Quibi skilled exponential subscriber progress in its first 12 months, specializing in high-quality short-form content material designed for on-the-go consumption — the title itself derived from “quick bites.” In 2018, its founders raised over a billion {dollars} from trade giants corresponding to Disney, WarnerMedia, and Sony. The service launched amidst a lot fanfare, with unique programming that included Most Dangerous Game by Nick Santora (creator of Amazon’s hit Reacher) and the horror anthology 50 States of Fright, that includes famend actors like Rory Culkin and Rachel Brosnahan in standalone episodes underneath 10 minutes.
However, Quibi’s rise was short-lived. The firm expanded too quickly and not using a clear technique for sustainable income technology. It quickly folded, and in 2021, its whole content material library was acquired by the streaming platform Roku.
TikTok did it first
Like any disruption to a longtime ecosystem, micro-dramas include each advantages and disadvantages. On the constructive aspect, they provide a useful crash course for rising actors, administrators, and crew members. They study to shoot shortly and effectively — usually on shoestring budgets — since elaborate units aren’t vital when even the couch the character sits on is barely seen. The fee at which smartphone cameras have superior has helped the micro-drama thrive. Editing additionally turns into particularly essential on this format, offering younger editors with a singular alternative to hone their abilities.
However, the downsides are equally obvious. Aside from a couple of notable exceptions, many micro-dramas undergo from amateurish execution. The performing is excessive, the enhancing is frenetic to the purpose of being a seizure-risk, and the general tone generally resembles adults making an attempt to observe cartoons with a straight face.
It’s a disgrace as a result of the beginner Indian productions that predated (and undoubtedly influenced) immediately’s micro-dramas had been usually much more imaginative, each in storytelling and efficiency. Several western creators have even acknowledged the affect of these early Indian TikToks, identified for his or her brevity and fast-paced thrillers. In my view, these movies (now defunct for the reason that app is banned in India) had been superior in virtually each strategy to the professionally produced mini-dramas at the moment circulating.
If the likes of Amazon and Netflix are certainly trying to make micro-dramas a component of their libraries, I really feel like they’d do higher (particularly exterior of the metros) if the merchandise are a bit tough across the edges, a bit ‘amateurish’ on goal. After all, it’s not simply the brevity that makes these two-minute dramas and thrillers work; it’s additionally the DIY ethos of all of it. Unfortunately, that side is usually the primary to exit of the window as soon as company behemoths enter the image.
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