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Tag: Dice Media

  • Atrangii hires veteran producer to spearhead content blitz

    Atrangii hires veteran producer to spearhead content blitz

    MUMBAI: Atrangii and Hari Om OTT have recruited  Vidyuth Bhandary as executive vice-president for content and studios, as the streaming platforms gear up for an aggressive expansion push.

    The appointment brings nearly three decades of media muscle to the homegrown platforms. Bhandary previously ran studios at Dice Media, where he masterminded OTT content development and production. His cv spans heavyweight roles at Times Internet/MX Media, FremantleMedia, Star India and Big FM, with credits including top-rated international format shows and blockbuster Indian streaming content.

    In his new perch, Bhandary will commandeer content teams across both platforms whilst heading up their newly-minted studio division. His brief includes turbo-charging Atrangii’s fiction and non-fiction pipeline and crafting devotional stories for Hari Om. The studio arm will churn out original intellectual property for third-party OTT services, television and films.

    “We’re in a phase of aggressive growth, expanding our footprint and cementing our leadership,” said Vibhu Agarwal, founder of both platforms. “Vidyuth’s appointment is a key step—his experience will help strengthen our in-house content engine and accelerate our plans to build a world-class studio ecosystem.”
    The hire signals Atrangii’s intent to muscle in on India’s crowded streaming battleground. Bhandary pledged to forge fresh content partnerships whilst building “a multi-year roadmap” for both domestic and international markets.

    “My goal is to help build a strong in-house content slate, while also developing a full-fledged studio setup,” he said. “I look forward to expanding into new markets, genres and achieving the vision set by the management.”
    The move underscores how Indian streaming services are doubling down on original content to differentiate themselves in an increasingly saturated market.

  • Saregama snaps up more of Pocket Aces, goes all in on youth initiative

    Saregama snaps up more of Pocket Aces, goes all in on youth initiative

    MUMBAI: Saregama has snapped up a further 36.63 per cent of Pocket Aces for a cool Rs 127.47 crore. This latest splurge, a second tranche if you will, pushes Saregama’s ownership to a dominant 90.37 per cent, leaving little room for anyone else at the digital buffet.

    The deal, finalised on 29 March  2025, sees Saregama hoovering up a veritable smorgasbord of shares, from equity to an array of convertible preference shares. Pocket Aces, boasting a digital empire of 175 million followers across its FilterCopy, Dice Media, Nutshell and Gobble channels, and a talent roster of over 215 influencers via Clout, is now firmly under Saregama’s wing. The company declared this to the BSE through a regulatory filing on Saturday. 

    Pocket Aces, with a back catalogue of over 35,000 content pieces, from digital originals  to those ubiquitous reels, is a digital goldmine for Saregama, keen to woo the 18-35 demographic.

    Pocket Aces’ financials reveal a turnover of Rs 8859.17 lakhs for FY 24, a slight dip from the previous year’s Rs 10267.93 lakhs, but Saregama is betting on synergies, not just spreadsheets. The acquisition, which includes a related party transaction with a Pocket Aces director – all done “at arm’s length”, naturally – is being touted as a strategic masterstroke.

    “This isn’t just about owning content; it’s about owning the conversation,” an industry observer chirped, with the knowledge that  Pocket Aces’ vast network can be used by Saregama to turbocharge its music library.

    With influencers, long-form content, and snackable reels all under one roof, Saregama is clearly aiming to be the king of the digital jungle.

  • Dice Media kicks off ‘Arranged Patch Up’ season two

    Dice Media kicks off ‘Arranged Patch Up’ season two

    Mumbai — Dice Media announced the return of ‘Arranged Patch Up’ with season two, presented by Ikea India in association with Peter England. The web series, which explores the lives of modern Indian couples navigating the ups and downs of arranged relationships, released its first episode on 26 October 2024. Featuring Ankush Bahuguna, (India’s first male beauty creator to attend the Cannes Film Festival), and ‘Munjiya’ fame Bhagyashree Limaye in lead roles, this new season promises to captivate audiences with a delightful mix of humour, romance, and emotional depth.

    Season two picks up with Aditya (Ankush Bahuguna) and Prajakta (Bhagyashree Limaye) freshly engaged and in the midst of planning their wedding. While Aditya envisions a grand celebration, Prajakta prefers an intimate gathering, setting the stage for contrasting perspectives.

    With Ikea India as the presenting sponsor and Peter England as an associate sponsor, the show beautifully blends modern-day relationship struggles with the charm of everyday life. Its engaging characters and compelling plot offer a fresh, relatable take on contemporary romance that will resonate with viewers.

    Pocket Aces D2C business head, Viswhanath Shetty commented on working on Arranged Patch Up, “Season 2 of Arranged Patch Up is a perfect example of our Flywheel strategy in action. We started by testing the concept in short-form content, followed by a mini-series on FilterCopy, and now we’re bringing the full series to life on Dice Media. This evolution highlights our ability to take relatable, audience-driven ideas and scale them into comprehensive narratives that resonate across platforms. We’re thrilled to kick off our partnership with the iconic global brand IKEA India, which aligns beautifully with the show’s themes of modern relationships and everyday living. We’re also excited to deepen our long-standing relationship with Peter England, with whom we’ve previously collaborated on engaging formats, including music videos and sketches on FilterCopy. Together, these partnerships enable us to create authentic, impactful stories that both entertain and resonate with viewers.”

    Ikea India country integrated manager Jayendra Gupta commented on working with Pocket Aces, “We are thrilled to be part of this series that resonates with modern couples and their journey toward creating a home and life together. At IKEA, we are passionate about life at home, with a vision to enhance everyday life for many people. This collaboration beautifully embodies our dedication to supporting those meaningful, everyday moments—bringing warmth, togetherness, and joyful memories into the heart of the home. We hope to inspire young couples to design spaces that celebrate their unique journeys, making their homes a true reflection of who they are.”

    Peter England brand COO Anil S Kumar said, “We are excited to be part of Arranged Patch Up Season 2, a series that beautifully captures the essence of modern relationships. At Peter England, we celebrate individuality and the personal journeys of our customers, and this collaboration allows us to align with a story that mirrors those values.”

    The first episode of season two premiered on 26 October across Dice Media’s YouTube channel and social media platforms, ensuring that audiences can dive into the latest chapter of this delightful series.

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  • Saregama acquires majority stake in Pocket Aces

    Saregama acquires majority stake in Pocket Aces

    Mumbai: A new chapter in Saregama’s growth story commences with a majority acquisition in a fast-growing digital entertainment company Pocket Aces Pictures Pvt Ltd, that owns direct relationships with over 95M younger digital-first customers across Instagram, YouTube, etc. Saregama will acquire 51.8 per cent shares for Rs  174 crores with a clear path to further acquire another 41 per cent stake in the next 15 months at pre-agreed multiples. The transaction is an all-cash deal.

    This acquisition will further strengthen Saregama’s strategic ambiton to take leadership position in new music across all Indian languages.  

    Pocket Aces, a youth-focussed digital content creator and publisher, boasts of an IP catalog of over 3000  content pieces ranging across web series, sketches, music videos and reels on its channels FilterCopy, Nutshell and Gobble, and releases over 30 new pieces of content every day. The company’s talent management arm, Clout, manages over 100 digital influencers, and its long-form studio, Dice Media, has created relatable youth-centric web series across OTT platforms such as Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon.

    Pocket Aces’ revenue from operations was Rs 104 cr in FY23. Revenue has grown by 34 per cent CAGR over the last 4 years and is expected to grow even faster in future.

    Acquiring Pocket Aces will add on a whole new dimension of IP and a distribution network of over 95 million followers, which Saregama will leverage to further popularize its music library among the 18-35 audience segment. It will also create synergies across the artiste & influencer management and long-format video creation businesses of the two companies.

    Saregama vice chairperson Avarna Jain said, “This acquisition signifies the confluence of tradition and innovation. While we have always been leaders in the realm of music and media, this partnership with Pocket  Aces will add new dimensions to our business as we tap into the burgeoning young digital audiences.”

     

  • Dice Media partners with JTBC Studios to remake ‘Something In The Rain’

    Dice Media partners with JTBC Studios to remake ‘Something In The Rain’

    Mumbai: Pocket Aces’s long-form studio Dice Media has joined hands with South Korean production house JTBC Studios. Dice Media will remake the award-winning series “Something In The Rain” that will be co-produced by JTBC Studios, making their entry project in India.

    JTBC Studios is a pioneer of the K-drama content industry that encompasses all value chains in the content business by discovering the source IP, producing content and distributing it worldwide.

    “The ever-growing fandom for K-dramas makes this collaboration very exciting, and given Dice Media’s expertise in the relationship and family drama genres, they are the perfect partner to remake these shows,” said the statement.

    Originally broadcasted through JTBC’s Television network in 2018, “Something In The Rain” has won hearts worldwide along with being awarded ‘Excellence in Korean Drama’ at Seoul International Drama Awards in 2018 and ‘Best Drama Series’ at Asian Television Awards in 2019. The story is a bold yet heart-warming narrative around issues that plague both Korean and Indian cultures, seen from the lens of a girl in her mid-30s and a boy in his mid-20s who try to make their taboo relationship work amongst the backdrop of conservative families, workplace harassment, and socio-economic differences.

    “We are excited to present our successful TV series ‘Something In The Rain’ to Indian audiences through a remake,” said JTBC Studios CEO Jung Kyung-Moon. “We expect this collaboration to bring a significant opportunity for JTBC Studios to make the first step into the dynamic Indian content market. We also hope that Pocket Aces’ production expertise will be able to make an excellent result, with JTBC Studios’ proven IP. We believe the partnership between JTBC Studios and Pocket Aces will deliver a wonderful experience to the Indian audience.”

    “The key for a successful remake is maintaining the soul of the story and characters while localising plot points and motivations,” said Pocket Aces co-founder and CEO Aditi Shrivastava. “Korea and India have very similar hearts – the societal and familial structures are quite alike. This makes the content ripe for adaptation. We look forward to working with the JTBC Studios team and are extremely excited to co-produce their highly successful shows here in India. What we share in common is that both JTBC Studios and Pocket Aces truly care about the creatives and about localising the content in the right manner. With our expertise in relationship/family/workplace dramas, and our methodology of using audience insights for development, I am confident that we will be able to do this effectively. ‘Something In The Rain’ is my personal favourite K-drama, and I look forward to making one of India’s most sought-after franchises.”

    Dice Media is bringing other proven IPs to India including the remake of an Emmy-award-winning US show and a French show. They are also working on adapting a few successful books. 

  • Dice Media releases final season of ‘What the Folks!’

    Dice Media releases final season of ‘What the Folks!’

    Mumbai: After a three-year long hiatus, Pocket Aces’ long-form storytelling channel Dice Media has released the fourth and final season of web show – “What The Folks!” (WTF4). The previous seasons of WTF have garnered a reach of over 80 million on YouTube, the platform said.

    Presented by toothsi and co-powered by Sugar Cosmetics, the fourth season will also see participation from complementing partners like Manyavar, Tru Hair and skinnsi.

    WTF4 focuses on the Sharma family that is seen hustling between two major life decisions of marriage and parenthood that its members are about to take. Elaborating the rationale behind the brand integrations, the official statement read, “With wedding bells in full swing, the invisible aligners by toothsi and makeup range by SUGAR Cosmetics seamlessly support the storyline. These new-age brands have taken to content integrations to establish long-term recall value among relevant audiences. Manyavar has already created a presence for itself the Indian wedding-wear segment, not just for the bride and groom but for every other family member too.”

    toothsi head of marketing Shuchita Wadhwa said, “The show is targeted at our country’s youth. It is an amazing match for a youth-oriented brand like toothsi and skinnsi, leading clinical beauty platforms. A wedding signifies the start of a new and most important chapter in life, one in which lifelong memories are formed. Through ‘What The Folks! S4’, we strive to be a part of these important occasions and to help people feel more confident which comes across through the characters in the show.”

    “We are super stoked to have partnered with Dice Media for ‘What the Folks! Season 4’. This season’s focus on a wedding syncs well with the launch of our Sugar Bride IP. Anita’s sister will be seen as a Sugar Bride, using the Bridal Box for her wedding look. Her friends and Anita will be a part of the Bride Tribe. This seamless integration will help us build a strong connection with the show’s viewers and we are certain that it will take us a step further in instilling customer recall for SUGAR Cosmetics as ‘the brand’ for every bride, for their bridal trousseaus and for their bridesmaids,” added Sugar Cosmetics co-founder and COO Kaushik Mukherjee.

    “It has been a beautiful journey over the past four seasons of ‘What the Folks!’ and we are very proud to see how the show has struck the right chords with its fan base making the whole journey truly worthwhile for us and our partners,” commented Pocket Aces AVP sales and brand solutions Sheveeta Hedge.

    “We are glad to have built synergies with exciting and new-age brand partners like toothsi & Sugar in the season finale of ‘WTF!’ and are certain that they will benefit hugely from this collaboration. With the show coming to an end, there is a feeling of void but I am confident that our Dice audience will have more stimulating content to look forward to this year,” she added.

  • Vidyuth Bhandary named studio head of Dice Media

    Vidyuth Bhandary named studio head of Dice Media

    Mumbai: Strengthening its key leadership team further, Pocket Aces, a homegrown digital media entertainment company has announced the elevation of Vidyuth Bhandary to the studio head, Dice Media.

    Bhandary joined Pocket Aces in 2020 as vice president, content production and design, where he spearheaded and scaled up the company’s in-house production and post-production capabilities. In his new capacity, he will lead the expansion of Dice Media, drive strategy, P&L and OTT relationships, said the company in a statement.

    The natural progression to this larger role is a credit to his strategic leadership, successfully scaling up Pocket Aces’ content production and post-production capabilities, it added.

    “We are scaling up Dice Media to become one of the most highly acclaimed long-form studios in the country. We are working on shows across OTT platforms, genres, languages and formats – you will see Hindi dramas, regional language shows, audio shows, and very soon – movies coming from us,” said Pocket Aces co-founder and CEO Aditi Srivastav. “I am excited to see Vidyuth take up the Studio Head role and work with our excellent team to spearhead Dice Media into this next phase of growth.”

    With over two decades of deep experience in media & entertainment, Bhandary has held key leadership roles with some of the largest media conglomerates like Star India, The Times Group, Fremantlemedia Asia, Turner International India, Reliance Entertainment, and MX Player.

    “Having successfully established ourselves in the young adult segment with differentiated & unique offerings, we at Dice Media are now focused on developing larger shows with leading OTT platforms, across genres, languages, formats and borders,” stated Vidyuth Bhandary. “In parallel, we will work closely with international content companies to deliver on our promise of solving boredom by bringing the most-watched content across the world to our viewers.

  • 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.

  • Pocket Aces partners up with Tinder & Pure Me for Firsts Season 3

    Pocket Aces partners up with Tinder & Pure Me for Firsts Season 3

    MUMBAI: Pocket Aces is back with a new season of the hit Instagram series, Firsts. Presented by Tinder and PureMe, Firsts Season 3 explores a same-sex romantic relationship between two young women, who match on the dating app and experience an exhilarating journey of understanding love, life, and more together. A heart-warming story that blossoms during the lockdown, this season is a tale of acceptance, and coming together to celebrate the beauty of love, which has no labels.

    Firsts Season 3 stars the talented young actors Shreya Gupto and Himika Bose, who play the role of the protagonists – Ritu Chatterjee and Lavanya Vijaya, respectively – both in their early twenties. Their first match on Tinder leads to a whirlwind online romance, which sees them decide to move in together, after a mere month of knowing each other. Worlds collide when the carefree Lavanya, and the slightly uptight Ritu explore their many ‘firsts’ as a same-sex couple. Being as different as chalk and cheese, their story is both entertaining and relatable for couples across the board.

    The series and its production team is a beautiful representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. One of the protagonists identifies as queer, while the other is bisexual. Drawing from real-life experiences, the story is penned by Sulagna Chatterjee who identifies as queer, and is directed by the talented Bharat Misra. Over the course of the 20 one-minute episodes, Firsts Season 3 showcases how couples from the queer community cope with and navigate being in a live-in relationship in a largely heterosexual society.

    Read more news on Pocket Aces

    From their first confession, and first gift, to the first fight, and first feelings of uncertainty, the show captures the sensitivities of a newfound relationship, especially among those breaking stereotypes in society.

    The series, which was shot in the midst of the Covid2019 pandemic, promotes the importance of wearing masks to check the spread of the virus by seamlessly weaving in PureMe’s range of linen masks into the episodes. The partnership is the first of its kind for PureMe and the brands’ message “Be Different” was visibly highlighted throughout the show.

    PureMe co-founder Arti Yadav said, “Being our first ever digital partnership, we felt it was the right opportunity to not only showcase our range of cute and trendy masks, but also reinforce their importance. We were also drawn towards the beautiful message of love, and breaking stereotypes, which is what ‘Be Different’ is all about. Having said that, we feel extremely thrilled to have begun this journey with Dice Media and look forward to more such mutually rewarding partnerships.”

    Kunal Langer, AVP client acquisition & growth, Pocket Aces said, “Firsts as a property is an extremely unique and a disruptive format for story-telling that we at Pocket Aces introduced earlier this year. So far with all the 3 seasons, brands have shown immense interest in the format as the concept is new and highly relatable in nature. ”

    Langer said they zeroed in and decided to focus on a topic that content creators have shied away from, and through this season of Firsts, tried to normalise the conversations around queer relationships.

    “Amidst these unprecedented times, we have tried to weave in how dating and romantic relationships are transforming and the sole objective behind this season was very different from its predecessors. In addition, over the last few months, we have consistently pushed our boundaries with different takes on relationships, and this has encouraged us to continue bringing out more such content with different themes. I am exhilarated to have partners like Tinder and PureMe as they bring in their unique identities which called for the perfect fit for this season’s concept,” he adds.

  • Dice Media’s hit series ‘Firsts’ returns with lockdown-special Season 2 in partnership with Bumble and Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk

    Dice Media’s hit series ‘Firsts’ returns with lockdown-special Season 2 in partnership with Bumble and Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk

    Even while under the COVID-19 lockdown, India’s leading digital media entertainment company Pocket Aces is continuing to find innovative ways to create new content to keep its audiences constantly engaged and away from boredom. Pocket Aces has returned with the second season of its successful series ‘Firsts’ on its long-form channel Dice Media. Conceptualized, written, and  executed by the cast and crew completely from their respective homes, Firsts Season 2 unfurls the unusual love story of a couple that meets online in the middle of  the COVID-19 lockdown.

    The season stars popular digital actors and real-life couple Kriti Vij (What The Folks, Baked, Love Travel Repeat) and Pranay Manchanda (Baked, Love Travel Repeat, Official CEOgiri). The series is written by Dice Media’s  Pranav Tonsekar (Firsts S1, What The Folks) and directed by Pranay Manchanda himself.

    The season unveils the story of Tanya and Aman who, while stuck in quarantine, meet on Bumble, the dating platform where women make the first move. Bumble has come on board as the “Empower By Partner”. As the country stays home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the content partnership beautifully highlights how even during these tough times you can ‘Stay Far, Get Close’ and create safe, equal and meaningful connections virtually. Seamlessly in line with the brand’s value proposition, the protagonist Tanya (Kriti Vij) makes ‘the first move’ and the couple forges a special connection. They move from Bumble chat messages to voice calls and then video calls, get to know each other better, hit it off and soon experience all the ‘firsts’ of dating, but virtually.

    Over the course of 24, one-minute episodes, Firsts beautifully captures the sensitivities and insecurities of a new found virtual relationship. We see the two be vulnerable, go through the ups and downs of long periods of isolation, trying out new things together, consoling each other through their lows and most anxious moments, and finally meeting after the lockdown ends. Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk, as the “Associate Partner”, seamlessly finds its way into these everyday magical moments of romance, taking the brand theme of ‘Say It With Silk’ ahead.

    Commenting on the launch, Aditi Shrivastava, Co-founder of Pocket Aces, said, “If there is one thing that keeps people going in life, it is real meaningful bonds and companionships. This is even more true in this unprecedented pandemic, where the nationwide lockdown has jolted people emotionally. At Pocket Aces, our 220-member team has been hard at work not only trying to find innovative ways to entertain audiences, but also empathize with their mindsets during this time. It is from such a thought that this lockdown-concept for Firsts S2 was born. Content is even more important in these times to keep people un-bored, and we wanted to showcase one such story, proving that it is possible to meet new people and develop beautiful bonds even during this period of uncertainty. We are excited to have Bumble on board as their #StayFarGetClose campaign fits perfectly with what we aim to convey through the series, making the partnership an organic and seamless one. We are also delighted to welcome back Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk, who also partnered with us on Firsts Season 1, to the franchise – how can any love story be complete without saying it with Silk! ”

    Commenting on the partnership, Priti Joshi, Vice President of Strategy at Bumble, said, "During this period of social distancing we are seeing the dating app experience transition to an in-app dating experience. This partnership with Season 2 of Firsts beautifully highlights our message to users that on Bumble you can stay connected even when physically apart. We believe that it is possible to forge safe, equal and healthy connections virtually, and we are so excited to see this come to life in the 24 upcoming episodes of Firsts.”

    Karthik Nagarajan, Chief Content Officer, Wavemaker India, said, “We are thrilled with the success of Season 1 of Firsts and delighted to continue Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk's association with Firsts in Season 2. While we are all caught up in an unique global crisis, the situation doesn’t deter digital entertainment creators and brands from creating innovative and creative storytelling campaigns. Congratulations to team Dice Media for coming up with this season despite several constraints, and team Mondelez for recognizing the opportunity and continuing with this unique digital association. Here's to another successful partnership!”

    Firsts Season 1 received an overwhelming response from the audience earlier this year with over 32 million views. Catch the one minute episodes of Firsts S2 on Dice Media’s Instagram page.