OTT platform aha turns 3, here’s how the streamer upped the game in the regional digital space

When the streaming arena in the regional circuit was yet to gain steam and there were very few takers for OTT content in the country, leading producer Allu Aravind had the foresight to carve his niche in the digital space with aha. From producing reality shows to web series to originals and acquiring blockbuster feature films, the streamer’s stunning growth has truly surprised industry experts over the years.

aha, which took off on February 8, 2020, completes its third anniversary today. The biggest credit that the platform can take is its ability to create a market for non-fiction shows in Telugu and Tamil streaming markets. Talk shows like All is Well, Sam Jam, Tamasha with Harsha, Unstoppable with NBK turned out to be trendsetters in the OTT space while Telugu Indian Idol, Dance Ikon, Comedy Stock Exchange unearthed many promising music, dance and comedy talents.

Aha Bhojanambu, Chef Mantra managed to capture the imagination of culinary enthusiasts. The who's who of the industry, like Balakrishna, Samantha, Anil Ravipudi, Nithya Menen, Sreerama Chandra, S Thaman, Lakshmi Manchu have associated with these shows. From Mastis to Locked to Kudi Yedamaithe to Kotha Poradu to Anya’s Tutorial, aha put together many pathbreaking web shows featuring top names in the industry, from Amala Paul to Regina Cassandra, Satyadev Kancharana, to name a few. 

Senapathi, Mail, Super Over, Bhamakalapam, Colour Photo, Bloody Mary and Bhanumathi & Ramakrishna were among the many direct-to-OTT releases on aha that garnered popularity. DJ Tillu, Bheemla Nayak, Krack, 18 Pages, Khaidi, Love Story were some of their most popular feature film acquisitions.With the aha kids segment, the platform reached out to the younger lot with animation originals like Bala Bharatham, Christmas Thatha and Maha Ganesha.

Leading banners like Vyjayanthi Movies, Sithara Entertainments, Mythri Movie Makers have teamed up with aha to create original content. They’ve also come up with a web serial Mister Pellam to keep viewers hooked to the platform while dubbing Korean dramas into Telugu as well. With aha Gold, they’ve enhanced the streaming experience of their subscribers. The streaming platform, which entered the Tamil market in 2022, is set to come up with a show to celebrate female entrepreneurs titled Nenu Super Woman this year. 

A key factor behind aha’s growth can be attributed to the platform’s quest to understand the ever-changing tastes of viewers and its courage to take risks. Some risks paid off and some didn’t, but 3 years into its inception, aha has proved that it’s here to stay, adapt and reinvent.