Prasar Bharati launches new OTT platform - WAVES - at 55th IFFI

Waves, the OTT platform of India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, was launched at the opening ceremony of the 55^th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa yesterday (November 20, 2024) by Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. Secretary I&B Sanjay Jaju, among other dignitaries, was also present on the occasion.

With the aim to cater to the growing demand for digital streaming services, Waves seeks to revive nostalgia while embracing modern digital trends by offering a rich mix of classic content and contemporary programming. With a library featuring timeless shows like ‘Ramayan’, ‘Mahabharat’, ‘Shaktimaan’, and ‘Hum Log’, the platform appeals to audiences looking for cultural and emotional connections with India’s past.

Additionally, it offers news, documentaries, and regional content, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity and diversity. By leveraging its decades-long legacy and national trust, Doordarshan’s OTT platform bridges the gap between traditional television and modern streaming, reaching tech-savvy youth and older generations alike.

Waves makes its entry as a large aggregator OTT, with inclusive India stories embracing Indian culture with an international outlook, in 12+ languages – Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese. It will be spread across 10+ genres of infotainment. It will provide video-on-demand, free-to-play gaming, Radio streaming, Live TV streaming, 65 live channels, several App-in-App integrations for video and gaming content, and online shopping through Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) supported e-commerce platform. 

As a conscious step to unlock the potential of young creators in the creative economy, Waves also offers its platform to content creators, including National Creator Awardees like Kamiya Jani, RJ Raunac, Shraddha Sharma and others. Waves has opened its portal to student graduation films of film and media colleges like FTII, Annapurna, and AAFT.

New Films and shows on Waves to be screened at IFFI

Aligning with the focus of 55^th IFFI on young filmmakers, Waves will screen ‘Roll No.52’, a student grad film from Annapurna Film and Media Studio by Nagarjuna and Amala Akkineni.

‘Fauji 2.0’, a modern adaptation of the iconic 1980s Shah Rukh Khan show ‘Fauji’, ‘Kicking Balls’ by Oscar winner Guneet Monga Kapoor, ‘Jackson Halt’ a crime thriller, and ‘Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge’ themed on mobile toilets, will be screened on Waves.

Waves includes live events like the Prabhu Shriram Lalla Aarti LIVE from Ayodhya and the monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The upcoming US Premier League Cricket Tournament will be carried live on Waves from November 22, 2024. Waves will also launch a Cyber Security awareness campaign with Daily Video messages in partnership with CDAC, MeitY. This campaign is backed by programmes such as ‘Cyber Crime ki Duniya’ (a fictionalized series) and ‘Cyber Alert’ (by DD News features).

Other films and shows on Waves include fantasy action super hero ‘Monkey King: The Hero is Back’, the national award winning ‘Fouja’, ‘Armaan’, Vipul Shah’s thriller show ‘Bhed Bharam’, family drama ‘Thode Door Thode Paas’ featuring Pankaj Kapoor, Kailash Kher’s music reality show ‘Bharat ka Amrit Kalash’, ‘Sarpanch’, ‘BeCubed’ by Hotmail Founder Sabeer Bhatia, women-centric shows and films such as ‘Corporate Sarpanch’, ‘Dashmi’, ‘Kariathi’, and ‘Jaanki’. Waves also carries a selection of popular animation programs, including ‘Doggy Adventure’, ‘Chota Bheem’, ‘Tenaliram’, ‘Akbar Birbal’, and games like ‘Krishna Jump’, ‘Fruit Chef’, ‘Ram the Yodha’, Cricket Premier League tournament.

Expanding the repertoire of content formats, language, genre and reach on Waves are Live channels, including Doordarshan, Akashvani, and private channels across multiple categories such as news, general entertainment, music, devotional, sports.

Central Government Ministries and states are also joining hands with Prasar Bharati to co-develop and contribute varied content such as docudramas, dramatized or fictionalized shows, reality shows with entertainment value, as an effective vehicle for meaningful messages. Some content includes a documentary on the 75^th anniversary of the Supreme Court of India, the NFDC archives titled ‘Cinemas of India’, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s rare archival content like historical photos, journals and publications. The Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, IGNCA, Ministry of Culture and India Post have also contributed informative and entertaining programming to Waves.

The Digital Experience of Waves fuses Indian ethos with modern look and feel, user-friendly interface, cross-platform compatibility, personalized profiles and curated playlists add value to the streaming experience.

This launch signifies a major leap forward not only for Prasar Bharati, but the digital media and OTT audiences, as it offers a complete infotainment ecosystem.

Also Read: Prasar Bharati OTT onboards 44 TV channels amid industry objections