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Tag: Aha

  • Dice Media forays into regional content with the launch of Telugu show

    Dice Media forays into regional content with the launch of Telugu show

    Mumbai: Pocket Aces’ long-form storytelling channel Dice Media is set to bring in the festivities a little early as it announces its foray into regional content with the launch of its first Telugu series “Alludu Garu.” The five-episodic series will be a weekly release starting 29 October on the Telugu streaming platform aha.

    “Alludu Garu” is a remake of Dice Media’s super hit family drama “What The Folks!” that has seen three successful seasons. It is a coming-of-age story that revolves around the struggles of a newly married son-in-law Ajay (Abhijeeth Poondla) who is forced to stay alone with his over-caring in-laws in a conservative household for a few weeks.

    “We are extremely excited to foray into regional content and expand our reach even deeper with the country. Telugu was a good first language to begin with since the audience is larger and there is a definite content and talent gap,” stated Pocket Aces co-founder and CEO Aditi Shrivastava. “Recreating one of the successful titles with regional talent not only demonstrates the extended value of our IP, but also the relevance of the content throughout India. You will soon see more Telugu as well as Tamil originals from Dice Media.”

    The series also stars veteran actor and director Y Kasi Vishwanath and popular Telugu film actress Dhanya Balakrishna. It is directed by Jayanth Gali, best known for his film “Love Life Pakodi” and co-produced by popular regional digital company Tamada Media. Well-known creators ChaiBisket have written the show.

    “What The Folks! is one of our most loved series franchises and we are happy to be able to recreate its magic for our Telugu audiences. The story’s universal appeal made for a very seamless adaptation and talented creators such as our co-producers Tamada Media, ChaiBisket have helped ensure we capture all the regional flavours and nuances in our storytelling,” said Pocket Aces showrunner Sarjita Jain.

  • aha’s new web series ‘Alludu Garu’ to premiere on 29 Oct

    aha’s new web series ‘Alludu Garu’ to premiere on 29 Oct

    Mumbai: Telugu streaming platform aha has announced a new web series “Alludu Garu” that is slated to release on 29 October.

    The series stars Abhijeet Poondla, Dhanya Balakrishna, Y Kasi Viswanath, Sudha, and Shalini Kondepudi in key roles. The show is directed by Jayanth Gali (known for “Love Life” and “Pakodi”) and produced by Tamada Media. Bru is the presenting sponsor for the show.

    “Alludu Garu” is a coming-of-age story that revolves around a newly-married couple Ajay and Amulya. It focuses on the plight of Ajay, who is forced to stay with his clingy in-laws Ashok, Nalini in a conservative household. Despite his initial reluctance, Ajay tries hard to meet their expectations and fit into the family, keeping his contrasting world views aside. While his struggles will tickle your funny bones without a doubt, you are sure to empathise with his plight.

    “aha has made it a habit to deliver one hit show after the other in multiple genres, from ‘Tharagathi Gadhi Daati’ to ‘Kudi Yedamaithe’ to ‘The Baker and The Beauty’. We’re sure ‘Alludu Garu’ will be an equally promising addition to our diverse content library of Telugu web originals and movies,” said aha CEO Ajit Thakur. “The show has the potential to strike a chord with audiences across all age groups, for it’s a relevant take on relationships within a middle-class household in a lighter vein. We’re happy to collaborate with Bru and are hopeful to continue our wonderful association in the future. “

    “Being a regional OTT player, we are the one-stop shop for fulfilling all entertainment needs with the convenience of local language connect. Accordingly, our partnership with brands allows us to create more engaging formats. We are delighted to partner with Bru in this,” said aha head – non-subscription revenue Nitin Burman. “As our roadmap is to find unique stories of the Telugu land that are relatable to the constantly progressing audience and fans, we look forward to continuing our associations.”

  • aha to premiere ‘Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu’ on 17 Sept

    aha to premiere ‘Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu’ on 17 Sept

    Mumbai: Telugu OTT platform aha has announced the global premiere of the romantic drama “Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu” on 17 September.

    Directed by S Darshan, the film stars Sushanth and Meenakshii Chaudhary in the lead with a supporting cast comprising Abhinav Gomatam, Priyadarshi, Ravi Varma, Harish Koyalagundla, and Venkat. 

    The cinematography and editing of the film were done by M Sukumar and Garry BG, respectively.

    The film earned critical acclaim and opened to a good response at the theatres for its novel premise.

  • aha announces new web series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’

    aha announces new web series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’

    Mumbai: Telugu OTT platform aha in association with Keshet International has announced the latest web series “The Baker and the Beauty”, slated for the 10 September release.

    The show is an adaptation of the globally acclaimed Israeli series by the same name. “The Baker and the Beauty offers a realistic picture of the conflicts, aspirations of people across Telugu middle-class households and in the crème de la crème of the society,” said aha in a statement.

    The drama revolves around the unlikely romance between a middle-class youngster Vijay, who manages his parents’ small-time bakery and a film star Aira Vasireddy, a loner at heart.

    Starring Santosh Shobhan, Tina Shilparaj, Vishnu Priya, Sai Swetha and Venkat, the ten-episode show marks the first collaboration between aha and Annapurna Studios. The trailer of the show was unveiled amid the cast and crew in Hyderabad.

    “With nearly 11 million app downloads and an audience numbering 45 million across the globe, aha has set new standards for top-class content in the Telugu digital space in less than two years,”  said My Home Group, director, Meghana Jupally. “The success of genre-bending shows like Kudi Yedamaithe and Tharagathi Gadhi Daati recently, speaks for itself. I am sure The Baker and the Beauty would leave audiences spellbound as well.”

    “I feel privileged to be part of a memorable show like The Baker and the Beauty and equally humbled to associate with aha for a web show. This show kick-started my career as a lead actor and also reinstated my love for the craft and storytelling,” said lead actor Santosh Shobhan. “I resonated with the concerns, confusions, and sentiments of a middle-class boy like Vijay. The show will have something for everyone to identify with, and there can be no better occasion than a festival like Vinayaka Chavithi for families to come together and enjoy the show.”

    aha has premiered films and series including “Krack”, “11th Hour”, “Zombie Reddy”, “Chaavu Kaburu Challaga”, “Naandhi”, “In the Name of God”, “Needa”, “Kala”, “aha Bhojanambu”, “One”, “Super Deluxe”, “Chathur Mukham”, “Kudi Yedamaithe” and “Tharagathi Gadhi Daati” this year.

  • aha forays into kids content, first animated show set for 10 Sept launch

    aha forays into kids content, first animated show set for 10 Sept launch

    Mumbai: Telugu language video streaming service aha has announced a partnership with Green Gold Animation to foray into kids content. The partnership will see aha launch six animated originals in the next 12 months and acquire 100 hours of content from the animation company.

    aha plans to launch its first animated original “Maha Ganesha” on 10 September coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi. The show will feature in a separate ‘kids’ section under the aha brand and will be followed by more releases on Children’s Day, Christmas, and so forth. This is the first original animated production that will be in the Telugu language, said the platform in a statement.

    The first season of “Maha Ganesha” will have eight episodes. aha kids content will be available to existing subscribers at no additional cost. To attract new viewers, it will stream its first episodes for free so that kids can sample its content.

    “This generation of kids have grown up with Marvel and DC superheroes. We want to bring back the stories that our grandmothers used to tell us, produced by one of the best animation companies in the world – Green Gold Animation,” said aha, chief executive officer, Ajit Thakur.

    “We believe kids are an important member of the family and that we should prepare a separate pipeline of content. Our tagline ‘Our Stories Our Values’ came from aha’s positioning which is 100 per cent local,” he added.

    Thakur believes that launching kids content on the platform will increase the stickiness with existing subscribers as well as bring news subscribers to the OTT platform. “If a family believes that our content is good for their kids, they will pay a premium for it,” he said.

    “When we started conceptualising a kids’ original, I thought nothing better than to launch a show on Ganesha because he is the remover of obstacles,” said Green Gold Animation, chief executive officer, Rajiv Chilaka. “Maha Ganesha will feature various stories from the life of Ganesh – the story of his birth, why he cursed the moon, the rivalry between him and his brother. These stories will be told over a span of eight episodes. When you do puja on Ganesh Chaturthi, you will find these stories locally in books. I feel today’s kids’ attention span is different from previous generations, so what if we told them these stories in animation. Hence, we came up with this idea.”

    Speaking about kids content on TV, Chilaka said, “The advertising monetisation of kids content on TV has not matched the viewership. There are very few brands that target kids. But in the SVOD ecosystem that’s a very different thing. We’re competing with TV and other entertainment platforms. The OTT medium allows much more flexibility in viewership.”

    Currently, aha has no plans to dub its animated content into other South languages.

  • Telugu OTT Aha fosters female entrepreneurs with ‘Women In Focus’ initiative

    Telugu OTT Aha fosters female entrepreneurs with ‘Women In Focus’ initiative

    KOLKATA: Taking a leaf out of their upcoming women-centric original web series 11th Hour, Telugu OTT platform Aha has partnered with We Hub – India’s first state-led incubator for women entrepreneurs backed by the government in Telangana – to kickstart aha X We Hub: Women In Focus initiative that aims to promote and foster women entrepreneurship by setting up a revolving fund.

    This fund will give aspiring young women entrepreneurs a chance to have their ideas heard and an opportunity to build their very own successful and sustainable businesses. The first recipient of the inaugural financial aid through this initiative is Sortizy, a holistic one stop solution for kitchen management founded by Surbhi Guha and Sagthi Prakash.

    Launching the initiative with their latest original, both the organisations will extend the collaboration for upcoming aha originals as well.

    Through 11th Hour, starring prominent actress Tamannaah Bhatia in her digital debut, Aha will be showcasing the story of a dynamic CEO, Aratrika Reddy. The show will follow Aratrika’s journey as she fights tooth and nail to save her company from an impending financial ruin overnight.

    The show, inspired by Upendra Namburi’s book 8 Hours, is already making waves on social media platforms with its trailer. It is produced and written by Pradeep Uppalapati under Introupe Films banner and is directed by Praveen Sattaru. The cast includes actors such as Arun Adith, Vamsi Krishna, Roshni Prakash, Priya Banerjee, Abhijeeth Poondla, Shatru, Madhusudhan Rao, Jayaprakash, Pavithra Lokesh, Srikanth Iyengar, and Anirudh Balaji.

    Aha promoter Meghana Rao Jupally said, “Out with the old and in with new is what this partnership between aha and We Hub signifies. Through the aha X We Hub: Women In Focus initiative, we will be able change the light in which society sees women entrepreneurs and give these young women the platform to succeed in their own merit. With the same thought in mind, at aha we want to continue to tell stories that inspire young women and our future slate will be a testimony to that.”

    We Hub CEO Deepthi Ravula said, “The social conditioning of our society has always led many to believe that women cannot be good at business. However, that is far from the reality. Even today where we have various women at top positions of global conglomerates, many young aspiring women entrepreneurs are facing a tough time in getting funding for their idea. To overcome such obstacles, We Hub, India’s first state led incubator for women was conceptualised by the government of Telangana in 2018. To provide a conducive ecosystem we partner with like-minded and leading industry players such as aha to provide financial aids to the brilliant women entrepreneurs. We are excited to have formed this association with Aha and look forward to building a new start-up ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.”

  • #Throwback2020: The rise of hyperlocal OTT platforms

    #Throwback2020: The rise of hyperlocal OTT platforms

    KOLKATA: A number of pure play language-specific over-the-top (OTT) platforms entered the streaming space across the country throughout the year, with deep-pocket big streamers also expanding into major regional languages. Notably, the new platforms have been launched not only in major regional markets but in long-tail ones too.

    Of all the new entrants, Aha has emerged as the most eye-catching. The Telugu OTT entered the market in early 2020 but with the onset of the pandemic, it had to push back some of its plans. It is owned by Arha Media and Broadcasting Pvt Ltd, a joint venture by Geetha Arts and My Home Group, one of the largest construction groups in south India. During its official launch in November, the promoters vouched that they would pump a high amount of money into the platform.

    While it is targeting 50 million Telugu speaking internet users who are already consuming online videos, the huge appetite for language content has helped it to five million downloads and 18 million unique visitors in a few months. Aha has fixed a price point of Rs 365 per year, a cheaper and more affordable price point compared to bigger players.

    A dedicated Malayalam OTT platform also entered the landscape this year. Studio Mojo, the team behind India’s first OTT platform iStream.com, launched the independent OTT platform Koode in September. Koode was born with the vision to help Malayalis across the world discover content they love. Along with creating premium content, the service aims to focus on curating content from other social media platforms too.

    However, unlike other niche platforms, Koode has not adopted a subscription-based business model. Based on the learnings from iStream.com, Studio Mojo has kept the content free for users. Going forward, it will have branded content and pay-per-view model as its revenue stream.

    South Indian languages, Bengali, Marathi have always been at the forefront of media and entertainment revolutions. Surprisingly, few OTT platforms catered to or made a mark in long-tail markets. Hoping to buck this trend is CityShor.TV, another language-specific OTT platform that debuted in the Gujarati market.

    Although the quantity of content offered by CityShor.TV is not at par with services like Aha or Hoichoi, it has promised to bring at least one original each month for its users. Initially in a bid to lure viewers, the platform is running a promotional offer of Rs 100 in December for its yearly subscription plan, to be hiked by Rs 50 each month till February.

    Another OTT platform which is ready to hit the market very soon is Planet Marathi. The Marathi service, which looks to cater a target audience of 100 million globally, will offer a wide range of content including films, theatre, TV shows, and infotainment. Further, it will also stream content like karaoke songs, recipes, yoga, health, and live-fitness videos. Singapore-based Vistas Media Capital recently announced its plans to invest up to $5 million in Planet Marathi.

    In addition to that, a second Marathi OTT Letsflix is all set to enter the arena.

    It may seem like these new entrants have a minimal audience but the next wave of OTT growth is coming from the hinterlands of India. The annual media and entertainment report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) states that 35-40 per cent of the consumption on streaming services happens in local languages. Even the hours of original content in vernacular languages have gone up by 3X in 2020 from 2018. No doubt, this year has registered the rise of the regional OTTs, and it’s only onwards and upwards for these platforms from here on.

  • Telugu OTT platform Aha announces content slate for 2021

    Telugu OTT platform Aha announces content slate for 2021

    KOLKATA: After a grand Diwali event with Allu Arjun in November, Telugu OTT platform Aha continues with its orange wave of entertainment by bringing forth its 2021 programming line-up featuring 52 originals.

    Helmed by the finest filmmakers from the Telugu industry, the content slate will range from blockbuster movies, original web shows, talk shows, and docudramas across multiple genres, targeting global Telugu-speaking from various demographics. Through this, Aha, currently with 7 million app downloads, will serve its strong user base of over 20 million with one of the most innovative and diverse Telugu content libraries in the country.

    Previosuly, Aha brought in superstar Allu Arjun on board as its brand ambassador, along with esteemed directors Sukumar, Harish Shankar, Surender Reddy, Vamshi Paidipally, Nandini Reddy, Praveen Sattaru, Dr Sailesh, Pawan Kumar,VenuUdugula, Sudheer Varma, Sagar Chandra, Ranga Yali, Vidya Sagar, Uday Gurrala, Pranav Pingle Reddy and Pallavi Gangireddy amongst others, to team up with eminent actors from the industry. Furthermore, the platform also recently launched the massive talk show Sam Jam hosted by star actor Samantha Akkineni, The Viral Fever (TVF)'s original web series Permanent Roommates’ Telugu remake CommitMental, Maa Vintha Gaadha Vinuma, Anaganaga O Athidhi as its festive offering this Diwali, which opened to a huge response from audience and critics alike.

    Coming soon are some of the most-awaited projects like 11th Hour which features actress Tamannaah Bhatia making her debut in the OTT space; well-known producer Swapna Dutt’s Kambalapalli Kathalu, Baahubali producers Arka Media’s Anya’s Tutorial, Sooper Over, Maidanam, Maze, Beyond Textbook, Kudi Yedamaithe, In the Name of God, Thodelu, Rudraveena and Qubool Hai, amongst others.

    Aha promoter Ramu Rao Jupally said, “In a short span of time, aha has grown to be recognised as a gamechanger in the Telugu entertainment industry. Today, the OTT industry is one of the fastest-growing markets which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.6 percent for the next four years as per the PwC report. With over 50 million Telugu content consumers across both Telugu states, we believe the market potential is huge. We are confident that the line-up featuring the biggest names in the industry will offer our audiences to enjoy through relatable and entertaining content.”

    Going from strength to strength, Aha is counted amongst the fastest-growing OTT platforms in India. On the back of offerings that can be enjoyed by one and all, Aha will ensure that its content in the coming year keeps viewers entertained.

  • New Telugu OTT platform Aha bullish on its growth and expansion

    New Telugu OTT platform Aha bullish on its growth and expansion

    KOLKATA: In the sea of moody blues and ebony blacks, the orange OTT platform Aha stands out – but that alone is not enough for the fledgling brand. It is gearing up to win over audiences that are already spoiled for choice in a market saturated with streaming services. With its sights set on the Telugu regional space for now, Aha’s promoters are very bullish on its expansion plans and promise to offer local yet premium content.

    The platform entered the market in early 2020 but due to unprecedented Covid2019 crisis it had to push back some of its plans. With production resuming in September, Aha is back on track to lure one of the largest entertainment markets in India. From the beginning, it has opted for a subscription plan priced at Rs 365 per year. While the company has no plans to make the streaming service ad-based in near future, it might not overlook advertising revenue from other sources like branded content.

    It is not easy to sustain in a cash-burning business that demands huge investment but does not offer immediate profit. However, Aha management has emphasised that they will not compromise on content quality and user experience. Although the production cost may not reach the level of Hindi shows, the company claimed it is pumping money into the venture, without divulging any number.

    The market for the newly launched platform is as big as 50 million Telugu speaking internet users who are already consuming online videos, shared Aha promoter Ramu Rao Jupally. As for paying propensity, CEO Ajit Thakur said that they believe this entire market will be ready to pay in future, but 25 per cent – that’s around 12 million users – are already willing to shell out cash for premium content. Aha is owned by Arha Media & Broadcasting Private Ltd, a joint venture by Geetha Arts and My Home Group.

    The management is excited with the initial growth –  Aha has garnered five million downloads and 18 million unique visitors within a few months of the launch. Moreover, the platform has already clocked 2X subscribers compared to the target set initially.

    But in the end, content is king. Rao stated that they already have 52 shows lined up for the next one year. They plan to release five shows during the Diwali season. While production was halted during the Covid2019 crisis, the platform still offered one fresh show every week to prevent subscriber churn. Initially, they had opted for acquisition aggressively, but going forward the ratio of original and acquired will be 70:30.

    At the moment, major international and domestic players are gradually increasing investment in the regional markets which could increase the competition for the new entrant. However, Thakur appeared confident while delineating Aha’s frequency, volume of content, sharply curated content including films, best creative minds working for the platform would talk in their favour.

    “On the distribution strategy, we have been a bit conservative. We have positioned ourselves wherever the audience has touch points like LG, Sony, Roku, Firestick, Samsung. But we have not pursued aggressive partnerships with other aggregators yet. Once we do that, our organic growth will get affected. We want to test the potential of how far we can get an audience on our own. So we are available across all platforms but we have not really pursued aggregators’ strategy.”

    As for tie-ups with broadband providers, Aha has sealed the deal with ACR Fibernet only, “because we were able to do it on equal terms,” added Thakur.

    The road to profitability is a long and winding one for an OTT platform due to the high cost required for content, marketing, and product. However, Rao is optimistic Aha would be able to break even within three-four years post debut, though it’s still early days to make a definite projection.

  • Telugu OTT platform Aha to recreate TVF’s Permanent Roommates

    Telugu OTT platform Aha to recreate TVF’s Permanent Roommates

    KOLKATA: Aha, a Telugu OTT streaming platform brings a pleasant festive surprise for its viewers. In a first of its kind association, the Telugu streaming platform has joined hands with The Viral Fever, popularly known as TVF to recreate the magic of its widely appreciated series, Permanent Roommates. As a part of this association, Aha will remake the show as CommitMental for its Telugu speaking audience. All set to premiere on 13 November, the series is directed by Pavan Sadineni, an acclaimed film director in the Telugu Movie industry and will feature Punarnavi Bhupalam and Udbhav Raghunandan in the lead roles.

    In a pool of numerous love stories, which might feel unrealistic at times, Permanent Roommates stands out with its engaging slice-of-life narration. The remake of India’s first web series, tailor-made for the digital audience, Permanent Roommates had become a trendsetter in no time. aha through its remake, named CommitMental aims to replicate the same success in the regional segment. With CommitMental, Aha seeks to expand its content bouquet by introducing a youth-centric show to build resonance and relatability amongst its audiences.

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    Aha is amongst the fastest emerging homegrown OTT platforms in the regional entertainment category. Keeping the audience at its core, the OTT platform hosts a wide-array of content ranging from web series- fictional and non-fictional, exclusive movie premiers, animated content for kids and many more. This association also marks TVF's entry into the regional entertainment space after catering to the Hindi speaking audience across the country.

    Aha promoter Allu Aravind said, “We have always believed that great content must reach audiences, irrespective of any geographical or language barriers. We are glad to associate with a platform such as TVF for their popular show Permanent Roommates. Youth being our primary audience, this is a strategic alliance with an aim to connect with the viewers by bringing the kind of show which is entertaining and extremely relatable.”

    TVF founder Arunabh Kumar said, “Permanent Roommates was India’s first web-show and it gives immense joy as it now also becomes the first Indian web series to be recreated in another language. We would like to extend our gratitude to aha for deciding to recreate the show and bringing it to the Telugu-speaking audience. We are proud to partner with Aravind Sir and have new avenues for TVF to tell great stories beyond Hindi speaking markets and explore a new region.”

    Launched in February 2020, aha is capturing the Telugu masses swiftly with its diverse content and has become one of the top-grossing apps in the market in just few months of its launch.  A complete family entertainer, aha is gradually becoming the first choice for the Telugu speaking audience across the world.