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Vijay Koshy, President of Content at TVF, talks to us about TVF consistently producing resonating content for the youth while staying true to its brand values.
If there's anything proven in these last few months in the OTT space, it's that TVF has successfully cemented its dominance over content that resonates with people, especially the youth. Since their advent almost fourteen years ago with spooks and content on YouTube, their focus has been on attracting young adult audiences that felt a lack of representation for themselves back in the day. With realistic stories and humour as their armour, they quickly rose to fame and became a beacon of change on whom the youth heavily relied. And now a time has come where TVF, with shows like Panchayat and Gullak, have branched out and are reaching surmount-ous heights, yet it still doesn't forget its YA audience that craves a Kota Factory, Aspirants or Half CA. So, to understand how the minds behind producing such content work, we had an insightful interaction with the president of content at TVF, aka The Viral Fever, Vijay Koshy, who spoke to us about how the coming-of-age theme and the struggle of the youth became a well-known subject for TVF to explore while commenting on the brand's past, present and future.
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Also Read: After 7 months, here's what we noticed in OTT shows of 2024 so far!
Here's what he had to say!
Humour, realism, and youth seem to be the brand of The Viral Fever. How did this come to be?
At TVF, our journey began with the idea of creating content that resonated with the youth. We noticed a gap in the market where the experiences, challenges, and humour of young Indians weren't being authentically represented. Our goal was to tell stories that reflected this demographic's reality— both entertaining and relatable. The humour in our shows is derived from everyday situations, and realism comes from staying true to the characters and settings. This blend naturally appeals to the youth as they see themselves in these stories.
I remember our first big hit—a spoof video on Rowdies about 13 years ago—that went viral and set the tone for our approach. Humour became our tool to make even serious topics more approachable. We’ve always aimed to lighten the mood while staying true to realism and youthful perspectives, targeting the 25-30 age group. Arunabh Kumar’s initial pitch to MTV didn’t pan out, which led him and a group of friends to start TVF. This freedom allowed us to experiment with content and connect with our audience through shows like Rowdies, Permanent Roommates, Pitchers, and Panchayat. Our core mission has always been to make people laugh and resonate with our content.
Would you agree that TVF's running theme for almost every show is 'coming of age'? If so, how do you manage to successfully integrate this theme even in shows like Panchayat and Gullak?
Yes, the 'coming of age' theme is indeed central to our storytelling. However, coming of age doesn't just refer to the transition from adolescence to adulthood—it’s about growth, learning, and facing challenges at any stage of life. We always explore various journeys, whether it’s a father-son relationship, romantic dynamics, or personal growth. For instance, Panchayat depicts a young man balancing his competitive exam preparations with new responsibilities in a village, highlighting personal development. Similarly, Gullak focuses on a middle-class family navigating everyday struggles and growth, capturing small yet significant moments akin to the memories we gather from visits to our grandparents’ homes. TVF creates authentic and relatable content that resonates across different contexts by observing real-life situations and integrating these perspectives into our storylines.
When you started with Pitchers and Permanent Roommates, did you think they would garner such a response? From then to now, what has changed in telling the stories of the youth?
When we began with Pitchers and Permanent Roommates, we were hopeful but didn’t fully anticipate the immense response they would receive. These shows struck a chord because they were relatable, fresh, and filled with humour reflecting real life. Back then, we had a story to tell based on real-life observations and relationships, staying true to our brand of authentic storytelling. Over the years, our understanding of the audience has evolved, allowing us to include diverse aspects of youth life—such as professional struggles, romantic relationships, and societal pressures. The way content is consumed has dramatically changed with the rise of platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, leading to shorter attention spans and an overload of content. Despite these shifts, we’ve remained committed to our core values of relatability and authenticity, adapting our storytelling process while staying true to our roots.
In fact, these relatable stories have shown that viewers develop a deep connection with such IPs when we continue to create further seasons and build them into memorable legacies. In 2024, Panchayat Season 3 is the most-watched show in India with 28.2 million views, followed by Kota Factory Season 3 with 15.7 million views, and Gullak Season 4 with 12.3 million views, according to Ormax’s report for the past six months. This reflects the enduring appeal of our storytelling. Furthermore, these relatable stories also proved that viewers love and only fall more in love with Such IPs if, as creators, we keep coming up with further seasons and build them into memorable legacies. In India, 15-16 shows in the 4th season, out of which TVF has 10 shows with 4 seasons showcasing the love of such IPs.
TVF's shows and characters are not only representative but also relatable. I wanted to understand the process behind making shows like Kota Factory or Aspirants that the youth relates to.
When we set out to make shows, our primary goal was to ensure they were relatable and authentic. We constantly questioned whether the content would resonate with the audience and whether we were truly authentic in our storytelling. This approach led us to create stories that weren’t previously told, like those in Kota Factory and Aspirants. We paid close attention to audience feedback, highlighting a demand for shows on topics like UPSC and competitive exams. This real-time input helped us craft strong, relatable, and authentic stories.
The key to our success is authenticity. For shows like Kota Factory and Aspirants, we immerse ourselves deeply in the worlds we depict, conducting thorough research and engaging with people who have experienced those challenges firsthand. We focus on the smallest details to ensure our portrayal is accurate and relatable. By keeping dialogues, settings, and characters grounded, we enhance the believability of our shows, making them resonate strongly with our audience.
As seen in Industry, Half CA, Sapne vs. Everyone, or Cubicles, another common theme for TVF is its focus on the professional and educational struggles of youth. How did this become a focal point?
Youth today are deeply focused on their careers and education, which are significant parts of their lives filled with challenges, uncertainties, and emotional ups and downs—ideal for storytelling. TVF aims to capture these struggles and provide a sense of camaraderie, creating content that offers both entertainment and inspiration. Our audience consists of all age groups, with a notable portion of professionals and individuals preparing for various competitive exams who engage deeply with content related to their experiences. Having navigated these phases ourselves, we relate to our audience’s journey. Our Founder, Arunabh, has always believed that a large team of professionals from all fields also runs the world. He believes that all professionals must be glorified and given their due, as every job holds dignity and respect when done honestly and with a genuine will to solve problems. For example, Half CA is a great illustration of this belief. The audience demanded content on Chartered Accounting, and we believe we created Half CA that resonated well with them. TVF was started by a group of engineers, but the storytelling team includes individuals from diverse backgrounds, including medicine, engineering, and science.
TVF's line-up of content like Flames, Hostel Daze, College Romance, and others largely focus on youth and keep releasing consistently. How do you manage to maintain the relevance and timelessness of such shows?
Maintaining relevance and timelessness in TVF’s content line-up, like Flames, Hostel Daze, College Romance, and others, largely focuses on youth and keeps releasing consistently. We stay connected to our audience by constantly engaging with them, understanding their evolving preferences, and adapting our content accordingly. The timelessness of our shows is achieved by focusing on universal themes like friendship, love, and self-discovery—experiences that resonate across generations. Additionally, we ensure that our writing, direction, and production are top-notch, maintaining a high quality that keeps our content engaging and relevant. This approach reflects the challenges and emotions faced by our viewers and ensures that our storytelling remains impactful and relatable.
TVF has branched out from YouTube to collaborate with OTT platforms, providing a wider audience reach. How do you still manage to maintain integrity and authentic storytelling?
Collaboration with OTT platforms has allowed us to reach a broader audience without compromising our storytelling values. We maintain creative control over our content, ensuring that the essence of TVF remains intact. We always focus on telling stories that matter and work with partners who respect our vision. This has enabled us to maintain the integrity and authenticity that our audience expects from us, regardless of the platform. Additionally, our OTT platform partners have always supported and championed our stories with complete faith in our storytelling, and we are very grateful to them for taking our stories to bigger heights.
The journey from YouTube to OTT began six years ago with shows like Gullak and Tripling, marking a significant milestone for TVF. However, our commitment to YouTube remains unwavering. We will continue to create content on YouTube because the platform provides real-time audience feedback, which is crucial for our creative process. This feedback, along with valuable insights and data, has shaped nearly 20 shows, with 17 of them—including Pitchers, Permanent Roommates, Kota Factory, Flames, and Sapne vs. Everyone—debuting their first seasons on YouTube. Our approach to content creation is meticulous, involving multiple rounds of refinement and extensive research, much like the careful marination of food. We focus on location-based ads and maintaining a strong narrative foundation, ensuring that every project meets our high standards while preserving the authenticity for which TVF is known.
Yeh Meri Family, Tripling, and even Very Parivarik ventured into family-oriented shows. Will we see a shift in the future, or will TVF's YA content brand remain the same?
While youth content remains central to our brand, we always explore new horizons. Shows like Yeh Meri Family and Tripling allowed us to experiment with family dynamics, which resonated well with audiences. Our core focus will continue to be on creating authentic and inspirational content that connects with our viewers. However, we are open to experimenting with new genres, including sci-fi and horror, while maintaining our commitment to community-oriented storytelling.
Our content is designed to be consumed across three generations, making it suitable for family viewing. We primarily target the 18 to 45 age group, but our shows are also watched by younger viewers who might not initially know the brand but keep coming back. We aim to expand our creative boundaries while staying true to the values that define TVF, ensuring that our storytelling remains engaging and relevant for a broad audience.
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