AI-Powered 'Mahabharata' Series for Indian Gen Z: A Revolutionary Approach to Storytelling

Vijay Subramaniam, group CEO of Collective Artists Network, is creating "Historyverse," a micro-drama adaptation of the "Mahabharata" tailored for social media consumption. The AI-led series will comprise over 600 episodes, each lasting three to four minutes, to resonate with Gen Z's shorter attention spans. Subramaniam aims to marry ancient Indian stories with contemporary technologies to capture the attention of India's youth population. The series will be released on social media platforms like Instagram, making traditional content "scroll-worthy."

Vijay Subramaniam, group CEO of Collective Artists Network (CAN), is set to launch "Historyverse," an innovative micro-drama adaptation of the "Mahabharata" tailored for social media consumption. This AI-led series will comprise over 600 episodes, each lasting three to four minutes, to resonate with Gen Z's shorter attention spans. Subramaniam aims to blend ancient Indian stories with contemporary technologies, capturing the attention of India's youth population. The series will be released on platforms like Instagram, making traditional content "scroll-worthy."

The project aligns with broader industry trends, as seen in the AI-generated Ramayana trailer and the AI-native social feed introduced by Character.AI [1]. Character.AI's move positions the platform as a new kind of social media built around synthetic personalities rather than real ones, tapping into the growing trend of co-creation with AI [2]. This development hints at a future where users engage primarily with dynamic, evolving semi-intelligent digital bots rather than other human users, potentially reshaping the landscape of social media and digital interaction [2].

The series also reflects Gen Z's preferences for emotionally resonant, interactive, and visually engaging news formats. According to a Google-Kantar report, Gen Z values credible, relatable, and visually rich news, with social media and video platforms driving most content discovery [3]. The report finds that 96% of Gen Z news readers are digital natives, and 65% discover news incidentally while scrolling. Social media (91%) and video platforms (88%) are the leading news sources.

Subramaniam's approach to adapt ancient Indian epics for social media consumption is a strategic move to capture the attention of a digitally native audience. By leveraging AI technology, CAN is set to create engaging content that is both emotionally resonant and visually appealing, aligning with Gen Z's preferences for immersive and personally relevant news experiences.

The success of "Historyverse" could have significant implications for the entertainment industry, demonstrating the potential of AI-driven content to capture and engage younger audiences. As the project gains traction, it could pave the way for more AI-generated content, reshaping the dynamics of content creation and consumption in the digital age.

References:
[1] https://www.facebook.com/100070321032485/posts/an-ai-generated-video-reimagining-the-mahabharata-with-a-hollywood-cast-has-capt/811092331244794/
[2] https://theoutpost.ai/news-story/character-ai-introduces-ai-powered-social-feed-blending-ai-interaction-with-social-media-18613/
[3] https://www.business-standard.com/industry/news/gen-z-prefers-emotionally-resonant-visually-engaging-news-formats-125080801038_1.html