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Double Tap Films launches as India’s first data-backed microdrama studio
New venture leverages Pratilipi’s massive storytelling ecosystem to create mobile-first dramas.
MUMBAI: Double Tap Films has just tapped into India’s insatiable appetite for stories this time, with data as its secret weapon and the mobile screen as its stage. India’s first data-backed microdrama studio, Double Tap Films, officially launched, marking a fresh chapter in the country’s fast-growing short-form entertainment space. Built at the intersection of indigenous IP and mobile-first consumption, the studio produces complete, vertical-first dramatic narratives powered by real audience intelligence from Pratilipi, India’s largest Indian-language storytelling platform.
Pratilipi’s vast ecosystem home to over 2 million authors whose stories are read more than 800 million times each month gives Double Tap Films a unique competitive edge. Before a single frame is shot, the studio already knows which stories spark emotional dependency and drive binge behaviour. It describes its model as a “format lab to franchise pipeline”, using the microdrama format as a high-signal testing ground for IP that can scale across OTT, gaming, and international markets.
Pratilipi co-founder & CEO Ranjeet Pratap Singh said, “India has always been a country of storytellers. What has changed is the screen. The mobile phone is now the primary relationship that hundreds of millions of Indians have with narrative forms. Double Tap Films exists to define what great storytelling looks like within it. We are building a new cinematic language for the mobile era, rooted in stories that India already loves.”
Pratilipi & Double Tap Films vice president for IP & Key Partnerships Sharlton Menezes added, “India has already crossed 250 million cumulative downloads of micro-drama apps. Double Tap Films is built to power this surge. Every frame is designed for maximum emotional impact per second – mobile-first, story-first, and audience-obsessed.”
The studio’s debut slate spans multiple languages and genres, including Avnika Ki Shaadi, Apavitra, Aag Se Takkar, Raavan, Boss Bahu, CEO Se Romeo, 2:47AM, Nishithini, and Naduve. The content is available on platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, MX, Zupee, Fatafat, Reelies, Story TV, Vertical TV, Hungama OTT, KLIP, and DramaWave.
Double Tap Films produces microdramas in Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, and Gujarati, with plans for further language expansion through 2026. The Indian microdrama market is among the fastest-growing segments in the country’s entertainment economy, with projections estimating it could exceed $1 billion by 2030.
In a country that consumes stories by the billion, Double Tap Films is betting that the smartest way to tell them is to let the audience data write the first draft. With Pratilipi’s massive validated IP pipeline and a clear focus on “Zabardast Entertainment”, the studio is aiming to turn mobile microdramas into India’s next big screen success story.
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Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
