India’s queen of television Ekta Kapoor is betting that Indian viewers walking away from appointment television will still watch long-running fiction, just on YouTube‘s terms. In an interview with Variety, the Balaji Telefilms Ltd. joint MD, and Gunjan Soni, YouTube’s managing director for India, break down the partnership between the two companies, under which Balaji will launch five original shows spanning 200 episodes exclusively on YouTube. Kapoor will lead the creative vision for the shows and retain ownership of the intellectual property, while YouTube provides global distribution and monetization through advertising and brand deals.
The slate includes “Haq Se” Season 2, “Phir Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno” and “Kehne Ko Humsafar Hai” Season 4, alongside other projects still in development. The shows are produced in 4K, with the slate rolling out over the coming festive season. Kapoor says the shift reflects a broader change in how Indian viewers consume fiction.
It’s really about the power of the content itself.” Asked whether the deal could become a template for other producers to build franchises without surrendering ownership to a broadcaster or streamer, Soni says the model already exists among YouTube’s creator base. She points to podcasting and other genres as examples, adding: “I see no reason why … that shouldn’t happen for the high-quality fiction storytelling that … really what Ekta is known for.” Kapoor describes an underserved segment of Indian viewers who are neither watching broadcast television nor fully served by niche content on paid apps. On whether the shows will be chopped into microdrama-style shorts, Kapoor says that isn’t the plan.
Shorts tied to the shows will function as promotional hooks rather than standalone monetized content. Kapoor says audience data, more than direct feedback, will shape where the shows go. In that, what happens is it’s a direct conversation, it is no longer confined to only the demographic of a broadcast channel, it is far and wide,” Kapoor says.
She adds that data will guide the storytelling more than comments will: “I feel more than just comments, viewer habit is what data tells you …, and from thereon, it’s what you understand of it to build your storyline.” On competing with Netflix, Prime Video and JioHotstar for viewing time and talent, Soni positions YouTube as a collaborator rather than a rival streamer. Kapoor, asked where India’s next breakout entertainment franchises will emerge, declines to bet on a single format.
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