Agent Raghav, Fear Files and Santoshi Maa are among television properties entering India’s growing microdrama space as entertainment companies adapt established IP for short, vertical, mobile-first episodes.
Vaishnavi Gavankar
September 27, 2026 / 21:44 IST
Fear Files
Popular television shows such as Agent Raghav, Fear Files and Santoshi Maa are finding a new life on smartphones, as entertainment companies increasingly turn their existing television libraries into short-form microdramas designed for mobile audiences.
According to a report by Exchange4media, established entertainment companies are beginning to view older television properties as valuable intellectual property that can be adapted for the vertical-video generation instead of remaining limited to reruns and archival libraries.
ZEE has licensed titles including Agent Raghav, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Santoshi Maa and Fear Files to Story TV for short-form adaptations. Applause Entertainment has also entered into an alliance involving the adaptation of Hello Mini.
The move could create an entirely new life cycle for television shows that originally ran for hundreds of episodes. Instead of simply rerunning them, companies can repackage or reinterpret familiar stories as mobile-first episodes built around quick hooks, dramatic turns and cliffhangers.
The growing interest in microdramas extends beyond adapting existing television shows.
Yash Raj Films has invested in Rusk Media to develop original animation and vertical-microdrama intellectual properties. EPIC Studios and Rusk are also working on a slate covering genres including mythology, mystery, thrillers, drama and romance.
EPIC Managing Director Aditya Pittie told Exchange4media that the company’s initial slate of 50 series is expected to expand to more than 250 titles by the middle of next year.
Production economics are also helping fuel experimentation with the format. According to the report, some vertical-drama production models can cost approximately Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 per episode. The relatively lower production cost allows companies to experiment with more stories and concepts than would typically be possible with large-scale OTT productions.
The format also offers companies an opportunity to introduce familiar television properties to younger viewers who may never have watched their original runs.
Crime shows could be adapted into fast-moving episodes ending with cliffhangers, while supernatural shows could lend themselves to short-form vertical horror. Characters from long-running television soaps could similarly be repackaged for a new generation of mobile-first viewers.
The opportunity may eventually work in the opposite direction as well. While established television IP can be transformed into microdramas, a successful microdrama character or storyline could potentially be expanded into a television show, OTT series or even a film.
With entertainment companies exploring both their existing libraries and original short-form properties, India’s microdrama boom is increasingly becoming an IP play rather than simply another short-video trend.ente
Vaishnavi Gavankar is a senior entertainment journalist with over 8 years of experience covering Bollywood, Television, OTT platforms, and regional cinema.
first published: Sep 27, 2026 09:44 pm
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