We have an exciting slate planned for this year: Ridhima Lulla, Eros Now

Ridhima Lulla, COO, Eros Now
Ridhima Lulla, COO, Eros Now

Eros Now has launched a brand-new web show under its short format catalogue – ‘Eros Now Quickie’. The concept of the show reflects the new normal of the lockdown, where many couples are willing to take wedding vows on the planned date over postponing it, they are not hesitant to try the new idea of virtual wedding.

‘The Viral Wedding’ features actors Shreya Dhanwanthary and Amol Parashar in the lead. It is produced by the recipients of the Filmfare Award, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K., who have built a credible reputation with films and shows like ‘Shor In The City’, ‘Stree’, and ‘The Family Man’, among various others.

In this interaction with Adgully, Ridhima Lulla, COO, Eros Now, talks about the premise of the show, how Eros Now brand is innovating during the lockdown period and whether such stories will become part of the ‘new normal’ in on-demand entertainment.

What is the premise of ‘The Viral Wedding’? How much time did it take to create the short format series?

‘A Viral Wedding’ is one of Eros Now’s most recently released innovative quickies. It was our first quickie to be conceptualised, created, and executed during this lockdown. Being helmed by the super talented and quirky Raj & DK, written/ directed by the bright star Shreya Dhanwanthary, there was honestly little room for many challenges with a determined talent powerhouse packed team. Shreya has brought to life a relatable scenario in a very original, charming manner that will have a huge emotional connect with people all over the world.

The story was conceptualised and written during the early days of the lockdown, the preparation for the shoot took three to four days. All actors had to do detailed rehearsals, which were then shared for the final shoot. Each of the actors shot within the confines of their homes and from different cities as well. The filming was done in 8-9 days in the first week of April. While the post-production; editing and music, etc., were all completed by the end of April.

Where did the idea come from to create such a series? What drew you to the initial premise?

As a premium OTT platform and a studio house, we are continuously looking at creating content which is entertaining, unique and relatable. During this unprecedented time of lockdown, we wanted to connect with our audience ensuring 100% safety, and that is how we launched one of the innovative Eros Now Quickies. The series is the brainchild of Raj & DK, who created Stree, Family Man and have collaborated with us for ‘Go Goa Gone’. There is a trust and belief in the team, concept, and the show. The show is written and directed by Shreya Dhanwanthary, who also stars in the series; she has beautifully captured and put together an original scenario in an appealing manner, which the viewers can easily relate to across the globe.

The concept for ‘The Viral Wedding’ is a consequence of the situation that has emerged out of the lockdown. Are you working on more creative concepts in the context of the new scenario?

We have many exciting originals and films coming up in the next few months, some highly anticipated content like ‘Flesh’, created by Siddharth Anand and starring Swara Bhaskar, and some surrounding our iconic IP such as ‘Metro Park’ and ‘Date Gone Wrong’! With our recent announcement of becoming a global studio, we have an exciting slate planned for this year.

It has been a while since you launched Eros Now Quickie. What kind of traction do you see with this type of content? Does it help you get onboard new registered users on the platform?

Eros Now Quickie has witnessed immense traction across the globe. The short format content, which launched in late-2018, appeals to viewers who are looking to consume snackable content on the go. Some of Eros Now Quickies such as ‘The Investigation’, ‘My name is Sheela’, ‘Tumse Na Ho Payega’ and now ‘The Viral Wedding’, have seen significant traction amongst the viewers and gained positive response, which makes us believe that this is a platform which is working with the audience at large.

You have overcome production challenges by going for short format series with a unique concept. Still, were there challenges that you had to overcome?

With regard to shooting ‘A Viral Wedding’, we did overcome production challenges, but apart from that, making sure each scene looked realistic and in sync with the storyline. There were a few scenes that we had to reshoot to compliment the audio, video, reactions, and lights. In a typical scenario, we usually sit as a team and discuss and brainstorm in each other’s presence, but considering things have changed, we did face a few challenges but overcame them together as a team.

This type of series is something one usually expects from creators like TVF. Do you feel it will have an impact on the ‘premium’ equity of the Eros Now brand?

The dynamics of content creation keeps changing, and as content creators, we need to evolve ourselves continuously and look for opportunities that will connect with the audience in today’s time and age. Hence, you will notice that our content strategy has always been evolving from direct-to-digital movie, to original series and short-format content to now getting English series on the platform through Eros Now Prime, which will be coming soon on the platform. We are constantly looking at strengthening our content catalogue and creating content that will connect with the audience across the globe. Also, given the current scenario, audiences are consuming content is also changing and thus as content creators, we need to move the needle and go beyond the usual offering to appeal to a mass audience.

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