Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 9,500+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
Desi grassroots dramas help OTTs cut production costs, boost returns
Mint New Delhi
|June 04, 2025
The trend may have started in April 2020, but has spread as makers take shows to small, remote parts
Much like the wave that took over Bollywood around the early 2010s, when movie plotlines shifted to small towns, original shows on video-streaming platforms too are being set in tier-two and tier-three locations.
The trend may have started with shows such as Panchayat in April 2020. Now, it has spread as makers take shows to small, remote parts of the country, whether it is Punjab in Kohrra or the northeast in the latest season of Paatal Lok, cashing in on local dialects and talent.
While the common perception is that OTT is an upmarket, metro phenomenon with limited viewership in smaller towns, executives said that in the effort to widen audience reach, writers and makers are setting stories in the hinterland, which makes it cost-effective to put together and allows for new faces and real locations. Even metro audiences increasingly seek rooted stories from beyond the cities.
This story is from the June 04, 2025 edition of Mint New Delhi.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Mint New Delhi
Mint New Delhi
War on spam call menace stalls on who takes blame
Blocking an unknown number or reporting a suspicious text message may feel like a small win against the spam menace.
3 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
Pricey variants after GST cuts? Govt keeps watch for mischief
The Centre is going all out to stop companies from sidestepping the cuts in goods and services tax rates.
3 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
Will GST rate cuts revive key FMCG growth metric?
GST rate cuts have made household items from soaps and shampoos to snacks cheaper. Along with festive buying and an above-normal monsoon, packaged consumer goods companies anticipate lower prices to boost volume growth, especially in rural areas. Mint explains:
2 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
How Nvidia is backstopping America's AI boom
Nvidia’s move to invest $100 billion into Open AI to help finance a historic data center build-out has helped reset market expectations about the startup’s shaky finances. It's a familiar play by the chip giant.
3 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
Forced exit at Tata Sons bares split at Tata Trusts
Vijay Singh’s ouster from Tata Sons follows some trustees feeling lack of transparency
4 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
DO TAX CUTS REALLY BOOST THE ECONOMY?
Tax cuts are to fiscal policy what rate cuts are to monetary policy-both are tools to stimulate economic growth. This has been a bumper year for tax cuts: in February the Union Budget raised the exemption limit for income tax, and in August GST rates were cut across a swathe of goods and services.
3 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
Bear mark over IT signals more pain for investors
MUMBAI Investors in Indian IT companies saw their combined wealth plunge by over ₹trillion over the last two days. The pain may not be over yet.
2 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
Motorbike firms prep for quieter, electric future
Makers of electric motorcycles worldwide are touting stealth and instant power to convert those who swear by the rumble of a V-twin or the thump of a single-cylinder internal combustion engine.
3 mins
September 24, 2025
Mint New Delhi
IT's middle order takes US hit; big cos hold ground
Shares of smaller IT companies reeled on Monday despite their reassurances about the H-1B visa impact, while their large-cap peers that remain tight-lipped closed with smaller losses, signalling market belief that the latter may navigate the crisis better.
3 mins
September 23, 2025
Mint New Delhi
Startups, VCs rush to digitize India's mutual fund sellers
Startups are rushing to build technology for India's swelling army of mutual fund distributors (MFDs), a segment that is rising alongside the nation's roaring asset management industry.
2 mins
September 23, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size