Actor Meer Ali is thoroughly enjoying his stint on the vertical medium. Presently shooting for his third back-to-back microdrama concept for Story TV, Meer has been exploring a variety of roles. After working on concepts for Rahul Tewary Productions and Creators Retina Entertainment, he is now shooting for a Story Square Productions series. The upcoming series addresses varied problems in the life of a woman, including domestic violence and manipulation, and also stars Anupamaa actress Sheersha Tiwari and Neetha Shetty.
For Meer, this experimental phase is proving to be highly creatively satisfying. Speaking about the high-octane energy required for this new format, Meer shares, “Verticals are catchy, fast-paced, and addictive. You tend to get hooked on it once you start watching it for the first few minutes. The storytelling is incredibly fast and pacy.”
The styling is very different for the vertical medium when compared to traditional television.
Comparing the format to cricket, he adds, “The vertical medium is a little hectic when compared to all other mediums. Film is like a test match, TV is like a normal one-dayer, and the vertical medium is like a T20 match. If you are good at memorising fast and working at the speed of a rocket, it will benefit you. For actors who have the hunger to perform and experiment, this is a phenomenal space that will make them strong performers.”
Beyond the fast workflow, Meer is highly impressed with the level of production value and creative freedom being offered behind the camera.
“Personally, I am enjoying doing this because I love being in front of the camera all the time and getting to experiment,” he says. “The styling is very different for the vertical medium when compared to traditional television. They come up with a great deal of costumes; there are no limitations or reservations. The outfits are very stylish to watch. It is surprising to see stylists coming up with such refreshing, good ideas that we have not typically seen on TV.”
Meer also views the rise of structured microdramas as a positive shift for the audience’s digital habits, offering a narrative-driven alternative to standard social media feeds. “I am happy that verticals are drawing the attention of the audience. Otherwise, the youth used to spend a lot of time watching worthless content being offered on social media in the form of reels, which was damaging society. Now, at least, the audience is watching something meaningful instead of spending hours over nonsensical reels.”
