There are few things less enduring than a soap opera. We all know them. We might know them in English through shows like One Tree Hill (2003–2012) or Dawson’s Creek (1998–2003); in Hindi, through any of the programming on channels like Zee TV and Star Plus; or in Thai, known as lakorn, and featuring dramatic twists that you could never predict.
But nowadays, TV is a thing of the past. Our attention spans have dwindled, and most streaming shows are only 10 episodes long. We do not have the energy for 22 episodes, multiple seasons, and so many new characters that you are bound to forget a couple.
Still, there are many things that are signature to soap operas that we miss. The crazy, dramatic plotlines, for one. What other show would introduce a surprise half-sibling between old flames whose children are seeing each other? (Okay, that particular plot is from Gossip Girl (2007–2012). You caught us.)
With the rise of Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok videos, it is no surprise that our love for television has bled into these dimensions as well, all 9:16 pixels of them. In the past two years, a new phenomenon has caught on, a ‘reel’ bombshell entering the mainstream villa. She goes by… the micro-drama.
Since its conception, the format has slowly made its way to the Western world, prompting similar business models through companies like ReelShort and CandyJar.
On any given day, the most popular titles on the homepages of the apps go something like this: “The Vampire Prince’s Bride,” “Fated to Find You,” and “The Double Life of a Billionaire Heiress.”
In a world where mainstream film and television often seem geared towards the male gaze, these micro-dramas are unafraid to put romance and fantasy at the forefront, gaining massive popularity and a consumer base that skews female, averaging between the ages of 30 and 60.
A fledgling industry born in the early years of COVID-19, the micro-drama industry is projected to achieve USD 26 billion by 2030.
It is no secret that Indians love their dramatic soaps. Indian serialised television is no stranger to endless episodes. (Take Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (2009–) with over 5,200 episodes, for example.)
So, micro-dramas entering India’s zeitgeist seems almost inevitable. The vertical soaps first entered the Indian market with dubbed episodes of Chinese and Korean shows found on YouTube and Instagram.
The success of these shows prompted the production of localised stories, created by homegrown startup platforms that first breadcrumbed episodes on vertical social media platforms before fully launching their own apps.
Today, micro-dramas are dominating India’s entertainment sector, with industry giants such as Kuku TV, Story TV, and JioHotstar’s dedicated vertical platform, Tadka, taking mobile video consumption by storm.
What is interesting about the Indian micro-drama market is that where the market in China and the USA is predominantly women, the micro-drama space in India leans heavily into male fantasies.
The recently trending theme of “humiliation arcs” proves this. In a humiliation arc, the hero, usually the male lead, is embarrassed by the villain, almost always the woman.
Despite this, or perhaps in spite of it, the micro-drama industry in India is projected to achieve USD 4.5 billion.
Curious to dive into all the outrageous tropes that somehow manage to hook viewers within a short time frame of 20 seconds?
We took the liberty in rounding up some of the buzziest themes in today’s micro-drama world for your viewing pleasure.
Viewer discretion is advised.
Trigger warning: Adult content and scenes that may evoke recoiling and mild embarrassment ahead.
Boyfriend Ka Trial Version (A Trial Version of a Boyfriend), available on JioHotstar Tadka. Faking It With The Hockey Captain, found on DramaBox.
Fight Dirty, available for streaming on CandyJar. Lessons in Love And Hate, watchable on the Shorts app.
Every Sunday, I Run to You, running on DramaWave. Daisy Tucker and Mr. NYC, await you on ReelShort.
Revenge of the Loyal Husband, available for binging on KukuTV. 30 Days Till I Marry My Husband’s Nemesis, now scrolling on ReelShort.