Blogs Posted on 2024-08-04

Arunabh Kumar, The face behind TVF

The Viral Fever, the story behind the most succesful Indian Online Platform!

In the early 2010s, India’s entertainment landscape was dominated by traditional television channels and formulaic Bollywood movies. Content was largely catered to the masses, with little room for experimentation or fresh perspectives. But amidst this crowded space, one man saw a gap—a gap that would soon become the launchpad for a digital revolution. That man was Arunabh Kumar, and his creation, The Viral Fever (TVF), would go on to change the way Indians consumed content forever.

Arunabh Kumar, an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, wasn’t your typical engineer. After graduating, he found himself working in the corporate world, but his true passion lay elsewhere. Kumar was a storyteller at heart, with a deep love for films and a keen understanding of the pulse of India’s youth. He realized that there was a growing audience in India—young, urban, and internet-savvy—who were craving content that resonated with their experiences but found little to satisfy their tastes in mainstream media.

In 2010, armed with his vision and a desire to create something truly original, Arunabh left his job at Red Chillies Entertainment, where he had worked as an assistant director, to start his own venture. The idea was simple yet revolutionary: to create content that was relatable, fresh, and free from the constraints of traditional media. And so, The Viral Fever (TVF) was born.

TVF started as a YouTube channel, with Arunabh and his small team of like-minded creators producing sketches, parodies, and short films. Their first major success came in 2012 with the release of "Rowdies," a spoof of the popular reality show "Roadies." The video quickly went viral, racking up millions of views and putting TVF on the map. But this was just the beginning.

Arunabh realized that the future of entertainment was online, and TVF needed to move beyond just sketches and parodies. He envisioned a platform that could produce web series with the same production quality as television shows, but with stories that reflected the lives and aspirations of India’s youth. 

In 2014, TVF released its first web series, "Permanent Roommates," a quirky and relatable take on modern relationships. The show was an instant hit, resonating with viewers who saw their own lives mirrored on screen. It was a groundbreaking moment for Indian digital content, proving that there was a massive audience for original, web-based storytelling.

Following the success of "Permanent Roommates," TVF went on to create a string of successful web series, each more popular than the last. Shows like "Pitchers," which followed the journey of four friends trying to start a startup, and "Tripling," a road-trip drama about three siblings, became cultural phenomena, earning TVF a dedicated fan base and cementing its status as a pioneer of Indian digital entertainment.

At the heart of TVF’s success was its commitment to authenticity and relatability. Arunabh and his team understood their audience intimately, crafting stories that were not only entertaining but also deeply rooted in the realities of young Indians. They tackled themes like entrepreneurship, relationships, and the struggles of adulthood with humor and heart, creating a new genre of content that was uniquely Indian.

As TVF grew, so did its influence. The platform became a launchpad for new talent, giving writers, directors, and actors a space to experiment and thrive outside the traditional Bollywood system. TVF’s success also paved the way for a new wave of digital content creators in India, inspiring countless others to tell their stories online.

But the journey wasn’t without its challenges. As TVF expanded, it faced increasing competition from other digital platforms and the pressures of scaling up. There were also controversies, including allegations against Arunabh Kumar in 2017, which led to him stepping down as CEO. Despite these hurdles, TVF continued to innovate, with the company expanding its content slate and launching its own streaming platform, TVFPlay.

Today, The Viral Fever is not just a content creator; it’s a brand synonymous with quality digital storytelling. It has become a symbol of how one man’s vision, combined with the power of the internet, can disrupt an entire industry. Arunabh Kumar’s journey from an engineer to a pioneer of Indian digital entertainment is a testament to the power of following one’s passion and the impact that a single idea can have on millions. TVF’s story is the story of a generation—bold, unapologetic, and ready to create its own path.

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