Shekhar Kapur on expanding market of microdramas: Scale and AI, a compelling business vision
Mumbai, June 28
Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who is known for his insightful social media posts, has shed light on the expanding market of micro-dramas.
On Sunday, the filmmaker took to his X, formerly Twitter, and penned a long note, as he spoke about the market size of micro-dramas.
He wrote, "The whole world suddenly is talking about microdramas. They should. In China, the current value is almost $150 billion by the end of 2026. That is nearly twice the annual box office of their films at a fraction of the cost. The Indian microdrama market is valued at $ 1.5 Billion, to give it context, Indian theatrical Box office is also $ 1.5 Billion for 2026 ! But do not expect a Mughal-E-Azam, a Sholay, Mr. India, or a Masoom to arise from a MicroDrama. For that's not the business , MicroDrama is a business of scale .. which is why the rush to invest and grab a massive market share comes first from technology companies and existing platforms (sic)".
He further mentioned, "AI now offers huge opportunities for scaling production more efficiently and economically. But Story Telling? Scale plus AI may be a compelling business vision .. but does story telling lend itself to scale? That remains to be seen. I've been evolving the script of Masoom 2 for years now .. and am finally ready to shoot .. So Masoom is no Microdrama .. For Microdrama still needs to define itself .. is it a great business idea ? Yes. Will Great Stories come out of it ? Time will tell (sic)".
Earlier, the filmmaker who is presently busy with his highly anticipated sequel, 'Masoom The Next Generation', expressed his excitement as Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman recorded a track for his next. It must be noted that the singer and composer is also co-producing the movie.
Shekhar took to his official X and treated the users with a picture of Rahman and lyricist Sohaila Kapur hard at work in the recording studio.
Spilling his excitement, he wrote the caption, "Always exciting to watch him in a state of ecstasy as he is composing. A R Rahman and Sohaila Kapur (lyrics) at a recording for songs for Masoom-the Next Generation.. Rahman is also Co Producing the film (sic)".
In May, Shekhar and Rahman announced their collaboration on 'Masoom: The New Generation'. For those who do not know, these two had previously joined forces on many projects, such as 'Kapur's Elizabeth - The Golden age', and the musical theatre productions 'Bombay Dreams and Why? The musical', along with others.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I think microdramas are the perfect format for our generation - we're always scrolling, always busy. But Shekhar ji is right to question if great storytelling can come from them. Some of the best Indian micro-content I've seen is on YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, but most are just formulaic drama for views. AI might help with production, but it can't replace a good writer's soul. Just hope we don't lose the magic of films like "Masoom" to this chase for scale. 😌
As someone who works in digital media, I see the microdrama trend exploding in India. Our tier-2 and tier-3 cities have massive appetite for short, engaging stories in regional languages. But Shekhar's caution about storytelling is valid - we're seeing a lot of recycled content. The AI part is promising for post-production and dubbing, but the writing needs to evolve. Let's hope Indian creators strike a balance between business and art. 🙏
Excited for Masoom The Next Generation! A.R. Rahman and Shekhar Kapur together again - that's a dream team. On the microdrama point, I think we should embrace this format for what it is: quick entertainment, not cinema. It's like comparing chai to fine wine - both have their place. The business potential is huge, but let's not pretend every microdrama will be a masterpiece. Time will tell, as Shekhar said. 🎶✨
Shekhar Kapur is proving he's not just a visionary filmmaker but also a sharp business mind. The microdrama market in India is indeed undervalued compared to China - our mobile-first population is a goldmine. However, I worry about the rush to AI-driven production potentially creating homogenized content. Let's not let algorithms dictate our stories. The human touch is what made films like "Sholay" and "
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