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Mint
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Inside JioStar's bet on bold stories, Gen Z, and the future of Indian entertainment
Mumbai: In a world of 15-second videos and fractured attention spans, getting an audience to commit to a three-hour film is, in the words of JioStar Entertainment's Alok Jain, 'a big ask.' But rather than chase scale for its own sake, India's newest content powerhouse is betting on something more enduring: bold, emotionally resonant storytelling—and its youngest viewers. At the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) 2025 in Bali, Jain, who heads entertainment at JioStar, and Krishnan Kutty, the firm's head of cluster, Entertainment (South), laid out a vision for India's next phase of content growth—one that places creators, not platforms, at the centre of a rapidly evolving media ecosystem. 'In a country as creatively diverse as India, it's no longer just about scaling content. It's about resetting the creative ecosystem,' Jain said during a fireside chat with Media Partners Asia's Vivek Couto. 'Our role is not to act as gatekeepers but as collaborators.' And bold, in JioStar's vocabulary, doesn't mean flashy sets or big budgets. It means challenging societal norms, amplifying underrepresented voices, and telling stories that resonate deeply across India's varied but emotionally unified audience. As Kutty put it, 'We're not in California. Our job is to take the audience along with us, even as we challenge convention.' The executives emphasized that today's creators aren't bound by traditional formats or distribution mediums. From short-form video to long-form streaming dramas, from social-first storytelling to network television, creators are increasingly moving seamlessly across platforms. JioStar, they said, is working to build structures that support this creative mobility. 'We're building mechanisms that allow creators to evolve with their voice and cross over across mediums,' Jain noted. Backed by the heft of Reliance's media infrastructure, JioStar boasts a massive distribution footprint—over 800 million viewers on television and another 400 million streaming users on JioHotstar. That reach is now being aligned with a strategy that emphasizes flexibility, emotional depth, and regional storytelling. According to Kutty, India's digital video landscape now comprises between 500–600 million users, each consuming four to five hours of content daily. That diversity, he added, is not a constraint—but a creative edge. 'Every state, every region is a source of new perspectives and storytelling potential,' he said. 'A small state like Kerala, for example, creates stories that travel across the country—80% of Malayalam content consumption on our platform comes from outside the state.' JioStar's model is rooted in the belief that while formats, languages, and geographies may differ, emotional resonance binds Indian audiences. Jain pointed to Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar, a 19-episode digital drama featuring a debut director and cast, as a recent breakout success. 'It worked because the story worked. We must go back to first principles—not just to innovate in stories but also in formats,' he said, adding that the company is exploring micro-dramas, non-fiction formats, and other experimental structures. Kutty noted that bold storytelling today means addressing social complexity within the Indian context—not relying on spectacle. He cited a recent show featuring a flawed, short-tempered protagonist grappling with post-Covid identity issues. The series has since climbed to the top of the platform's charts and is being adapted in multiple Indian languages. Looking ahead, JioStar is placing a deliberate bet on India's youth. While acknowledging that MTV has led the way in Gen Z programming in recent years, Kutty said the broader industry has failed to cater to this cohort adequately. 'For the South, we are committed to increasing our Gen Z programming volume by 7 to 10 times,' he said. Jain agreed, but added that chasing youth audiences must also be economically viable. 'If the industry is to run sustainably, we must drive innovation profitably—and focusing on youth is central to that.' The executives were candid about the broader economic challenges facing India's content industry. Streaming, Kutty said, is locked in a 'broken model.' 'We've escalated prices and seen production costs spike, but consumer demand hasn't kept pace. Producers have become B2B players—serving platforms, not viewers. That disconnect needs to be addressed.' Jain expressed similar concerns about theatrical content. 'People won't go to theatres unless the content is exceptional. Watching a film is a three-hour commitment in an era of 15-second entertainment. That's a big ask,' he said. 'Theatres need to evolve—through pricing, experience, and value delivery.' Despite structural headwinds, both executives remained optimistic about the long-term outlook for Indian content. With a young population, 22 official languages, and what Jain called an 'openness to change,' India remains a high-potential market for both domestic and global media players. 'Authentic storytelling, powered by local emotion but built to scale—that's what we believe will carry Indian content forward,' said Jain. 'And we have barely scratched the surface.'
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
JioStar's Alok Jain, Krishnan Kutty call for creative, commercial reset in Indian entertainment
JioStar Entertainment leaders Alok Jain and Krishnan Kutty have called for a reset of the Indian entertainment industry's business model, emphasizing the need for profitability and a sharper focus on youth to ensure long-term sustainability. Speaking at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) 2025 in Bali, hosted by Media Partners Asia (MPA), Jain, President – Entertainment at JioStar, and Kutty, Head of Cluster, Entertainment – South, shared their views during a session titled 'Inside the Next Wave of Indian Storytelling', moderated by MPA Co-Founder Vivek Couto. Jain underlined the need to rebuild the creative ecosystem. 'In a country as creatively diverse as India, it's no longer about scaling content. It's about resetting the creative ecosystem,' he said. 'If the industry is to run in a sustainable manner, we must drive content profitably, and focusing on youth is a big part of that.' He added that JioStar is committed to ensuring creators are not confined by platforms, formats, or legacy structures. 'Our role is not to act as gatekeepers, but as collaborators. That's how we grow the ecosystem and expand its impact.' Kutty spoke about how the definition of bold content has evolved over time. 'What was considered bold five or six years ago is not what's considered bold now. Today, boldness is about pushing societal norms, asking deeper questions, and doing it within the Indian context. We're not in California. We're in India, and we need to be rooted in our cultural values.' Addressing changing audience expectations, Jain said, 'If the story isn't great, they won't watch, regardless of who stars in it.' He cited the success of 'Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar', a show with a debut director and cast, to illustrate how strong storytelling can drive engagement. 'Innovation isn't a tactic for us. It's the baseline.' On attracting Gen Z audiences, Kutty pointed to a gap in current programming. 'Broadcasters and streamers have not done enough for Gen Z. In the South, we are committed to increasing our programming volume for that audience by seven to ten times.' He also highlighted India's regional diversity as a creative strength. 'Every region offers a wealth of stories. Eighty percent of Malayalam content consumption on JioHotstar comes from outside Kerala. Great stories truly transcend borders.' Kutty expanded on the vast scale of India's digital video market. 'India has 500 to 600 million users consuming four to five hours of content daily across all formats. The real challenge isn't what to do, but what not to do. There's significant headroom for both subscription and ad growth.' JioStar, he added, is backing stories rooted in universal human themes. 'Identity, aspiration, family, and justice. These are the kinds of narratives that connect deeply and scale widely.' Kutty also raised concerns about the current streaming economics. 'Producers have become B2B entities, creating for platforms instead of consumers. That has led to a disconnect. Unless the model is reset, I believe it's deeply broken.' Turning to the theatrical business, Jain spoke about shifting audience behavior. 'Every industry goes through phases of change, and the theatrical space is no different. We've been in a difficult period where people aren't coming to theatres unless the movie is really, really good.' He continued, 'Creators need to tell more authentic stories, and theatre owners must reinvent, whether through pricing, experience, or value delivery. Watching a film today means a three-hour commitment, and that's a big ask. Theatrical viewing needs to feel like an experience, not just a screening.' Jain also commented on the scale of India's content ecosystem. 'TV and digital coexist, with 800 million viewers on the JioStar network and 400 million on JioHotstar.' With more than 320,000 hours of content across multiple languages, Jain said the common thread is human emotion and shared experience. 'That emotional truth is what allows Indian content to scale and even travel globally.'
