Are microdramas the next big thing?

What do Sasural Murder Ka, Gumshuda Billionaire and Arabpati ka Badla have in common? They're all microdramas, a new digital storytelling sensation that has spawned a multi-billion dollar industry.

- Suchin Mehrotra

What do Sasural Murder Ka, Gumshuda Billionaire and Arabpati ka Badla have in common? They're all microdramas, a new digital storytelling sensation that has spawned a multi-billion dollar industry. These are addictive, professionally-produced, vertically-shot series designed for mobile viewing, with each title comprising of 50-100 episodes of around a minute each—roughly the length of a feature film.

The format first emerged in China in 2018 and has grown increasingly popular over the last few years in other global markets. One report by Bloomberg states that China now churns out more than 5,000 microdrama series a year. The rapidly expanding industry earned close to $7 billion last year, surpassing China's theatrical box office. Individual shows can generate millions of dollars through a mix of advertising and a pay-per-view model on dedicated microdrama apps such as WeTV, Mango TV, Douyin and Youku.

Snacky, cheap to produce and with often tacky, low production value, the majority of these shows tend to be frothy love stories, family dramas and soap operas with fantasy elements. On popular American microdrama apps like Reel Short and DramaBox, you can filter by genres such as reunion, playing dumb, redemption, hidden identity, one-night stand, vampire, toxic, immortal, second chance, underdog rise, strong female lead and innocent damsel. DramaBox even has a genre called "small potato", which I was too scared to click on.