upGrad presents Khud Ke Liye – an anthology of real-life alumni stories

upGrad - Asia’s higher EdTech major,takes its original content game a notch higher; presents a multi-starrer anthology, Khud Ke Liye. Directed by 3 unconventional filmmakers Rahul Nangia, Smrutika Panigrahi, and Pranjal Vaid, the three independent films Pehchaan, Saahas, and Koshish, bring out the real-life journeys of upGrad alumni. The films portray how the alumni built rewarding careers for themselves after being subjected to career stagnancy.

Conceptualized & written by The Glitch’s digital first division- Flux, the series emphasizes on the fact that the absence of LifeLongLearning in the era of constant evolution adds tremendous pressure on working professionals without having them realise it. This jeopardizes their professional growth and mental well-being in the long run.

Excited with the launch, Ankit Khirwal, Head of Marketing, upGrad said, “upGrad is all about presenting education in modern ways for driving maximum career outcomes and what could be more interesting than a celebrity-studded audio-video representation of the narrative. We have created a set of original content pieces that replicate the lives of millions out there and have a potential of reigniting their career ambitions which may have been lost due to certain societal limitations or challenges. The fresh on-screen drama that revolves around ordinary professionals is presented through an out-of-the box approach to shatter stereotypes which are associated with education at large.” 

Now streaming on upGrad’s YouTube channel and SonyLIV, the 3 films, directed by 3 different directors Pranjal Vaid, Smrutika Panigrahi & Rahul Nangia, narrate unique stories of individuals from different stages of their manicured lives. It has an ensemble star cast including Priya Bapat, Sharib Hashmi, Tanmay Dhanania, Alam Khan, Jihaan Hodar, Maya Sarao, Joy Sengupta, and Shiwangi Peswani enacting slice of life characters, who are stuck in situational monotony and are trying to gather courage to break through. 

“We are committed to making quality and affordable higher education a reality for millions and therefore, our strategic partnership with India’s leading OTT player SonyLIV to tap into the right set of audience is another step forward in that direction,” Ankit added.

 Speaking to us about the scale of the project, Varun Anchan, Associate VP, Content Strategy and Business said, “While the world competes to break formats, score big on innovations, and run behind short video-led engagements, we wanted to do something a little less conventional. Leveraging the roots of branded content, we tried to bring back long format storytelling through this content series. With upGrad, we saw a mutual respect for long form and thus entered OTT with #KhudKeLiye.”

Speaking on the association, Ranjana Mangla, Head- Ad Sales Revenue, SonyLIV said, “At SonyLIV, we believe in offering unique and relevant entertainment to our viewers. The upGrad original ‘Khud Ke Liye’ hence is the perfect fit. We are excited to bring this thought-provoking anthology for our diversified audience.”

 Tathagata Ray, Creative Director at Flux, leaves us with a creative viewpoint on the film “We wanted to depict the most ordinary of lives, with their self-consciousness erupting from an uncomfortable incident or series of events, which leads them to choose higher education. We wanted to make the characters brave but at the same time relatable and vulnerable, to appeal to the potential audience and consumers.”

Two other production houses were contracted besides Flux @The Glitch to create these films over a period of just 3 weeks - Melting Clock and Upward Fall Films.

upGrad YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Jn4_RetiGQmWwoW2eZzDX0cLgrLYCQS

SonyLiv:

https://www.sonyliv.com/shows/upgrad-khud-ke-liye-1500003056