India’s first made-for-mobile episodes have clocked up 300,000 minutes since their launch on June 27, but in their audio, rather than video version. Idea Cellular, which was first to market with the 4th screen narratives reports initial positive response to the new trial packs being offered to customers but believes it is premature to judge the success of the videosodes, Akbar Birbal Remixed, which are already available on its GPRS WAP portal and in a sound-only format over its voice portal.

If it catches on, the 90-episode comedy series conceived and produced by Rajshri Media, will offer a contemporary twist to the familiar fables in a “snackable” 3-minute video format for Idea’s value-added customers.

Rather than the court of the Mughal emperor, these episodes are reprised in the bylanes of Bhendi Bazaar, featuring an endearing chauthi fail don, Akbar Anna and his razor-witted sidekick, Birbal Bhaiya.

While Idea Cellular’s 31 million subscribers constitute a bigger base than an entire Western nation’s, the percentage of those subscribing to GPRS runs in the single digits and those actually utilizing their GPRS account are a comparatively miniscule proportion of that. Thus, each video episode is re-scripted into an audio version punctuated by a narrator who will provide sync with sound effects where no visual cues are available.

An exclusivity period with Idea covers 90 days, at the rate of 1 episode a day. Idea subscribers will be charged Rs. 15 per episode, or in packages of Rs. 50 per week and Rs. 150 per month. The audio version is available at Re. 1.99 per episode. The learnings from the 3-month exercise will apply to new episodes and new concepts altogether.

“It’s early days yet,” says Pradeep Shrivastava, chief marketing officer for Idea Cellular, which is venturing cautiously into the marketing of the series. “While below-the-line marketing to existing customers is easy enough, to market this wider, we have to be cautious about permission marketing rules,” he says. He highlights instead the concept to development of the series which he is confident provides greater value than Krishi Darshan or Chitrahaar on the small screen.

Equally bullish about the Indian public’s appetite for entertainment on the move is the show’s producer, Rajshri. “Early on we realised we needed new entertainment touchpoints, especially to cater to the younger, mobile generation,” says Rajat Barjatya, managing director of Rajshri Media and scion of Tarachand Barjatya, the founder of the Rajshri Productions, which is associated with titles like Vivaah, Hum Saath Saath Hain and Maine Pyar Kiya.

At the knee of his grandfather, and at the dining table of the joint family of three generations, he learnt the film trade inside out and from ground up.