In the age of infinite scrolling and thumb-stopping drama, Hyderabad-based Chai Bisket cracked the code for regional storytelling and turned it into a full-blown digital empire. What began in 2015 as a YouTube experiment is now driving a new wave of entertainment with Chai Shots, a bite-sized OTT platform tailor-made for mobile screens and micro moods.
From YouTube to Microdrama Moguls
Founders Sharath Chandra and Anurag Reddy didn’t exactly follow the corporate script. After his MBA, Sharath launched First Show, a pioneering digital film marketing agency that went on to work with 200+ movies. Anurag, an NMIMS grad with a marketing bent and electronics background, joined forces with him to create Chai Bisket, a space where regional creators could break through the noise.
And break through they did.
Today, Chai Bisket has pulled in over 2 billion views and counts 50 million monthly video plays, becoming a content comfort zone for Telugu audiences.
Why Chai Shots Hit Different?
In 2025, Chai Bisket raised a cool $5 million in seed funding from InfoEdge Ventures and General Catalyst to launch Chai Shots, a platform where stories are as short as your average elevator ride.
Designed for moments when you’re waiting for your Uber or avoiding eye contact in a queue, Chai Shots delivers high-drama fiction in under two minutes. Each episode is packed with emotional stakes, quick resolutions, and cliffhangers that make you whisper, “just one more.
And no, this isn’t some lazy repackaging of old content. Their shows are original, rooted in local language and culture, and crafted with a Gen Z sensibility that prizes authenticity over gloss.
The Gen Z Formula: Quick Payoff, Real Feels
Let’s face it: Gen Z isn’t sitting through 60-minute soap operas unless Zendaya is crying. What keeps them hooked are stories that:
– Get to the emotional punchline fast
– Deliver dopamine in two swipes
– Leave you craving the next episode before your break ends
Chai Shots blends TikTok’s pacing with Netflix’s polish, minus the binge fatigue.
And they’re skipping the whole subscription fatigue thing, too. Instead, monetization comes through:
– Microtransactions (as bite-sized as the content)
– Brand sponsorships baked into the story
– Creator tools and analytics for the storytelling-savvy
Building the Chai Bisket Universe
What started with videos is now a full-stack ecosystem touching every corner of digital content. Here’s the extended universe behind the scenes:
- Chai Bisket Films: They’ve backed sleeper hits like Major, Writer Padmabhushan, Mem Famous, and Boys Hostel, showing that indie Telugu cinema is alive, kicking, and emotional AF.
- First Show: Still one of India’s top agencies for digital film promotion, they’ve launched campaigns for over 200 films and are now expanding into Tamil, Kannada, and more.
- Mutiny Talent: A creator agency that connects brands with local influencers, from village content kings to urban trendsetters.
- Studio Panchatantra: Think documentary-style brand storytelling with actual depth. They help brands turn emotion into loyalty and virality into love.
Who’s Backing the Drama?
The investor lineup reads like a roll call of India’s startup elite:
- Actor and entrepreneur Rana Daggubati
- Swiggy co-founders Sri Harsha Majety and Nandan Reddy
- RedBus founder Phanindra Sama
- Darwinbox, PhysicsWallah, Rapido, Virgio, basically, startup royalty.
Their $5M investment wasn’t just capital, it was validation for storytelling that’s fast, regional, and rooted.
What’s Brewing Next?
This isn’t just a launch, it’s a movement. Coming soon:
– Language expansion into Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada
– New monetization tools for creators to earn beyond likes
– Vertical dramas and swipeable interactive formats
– Brand collabs that make two-minute stories go viral for the right reasons
All of it built on the same formula: fast drama, deep emotions, and storytelling that feels like scrolling through your own life.
Final Sip: Big Feels in Small Time
Chai Bisket proves that drama doesn’t need a blockbuster budget or 90 minutes to make you feel something. Sometimes, all it takes is two minutes, a clever twist, and a character that feels like your cousin after a breakup.
Whether you’re commuting or waiting for your biryani to arrive, Chai Shots is ready with stories that’ll make you laugh, cry, or overthink your last WhatsApp text.
Grab your phone. Sip some drama.
That’s storytelling done right. ☕📲
Follow their Story: Chai Bisket
