Strong and fresh ideas work on any platform: Ishika Shahi

Creator Ishika Shahi, known for shows like Jabb Zodiacs Met and Heer Sharma Gayi, believes that platform matters less than the strength of the story. She said, “The gap in storytelling that I tried to fill with my first show was that we took a very trending topic—zodiac signs. Everybody wants to know what their zodiac is going to do… And to get so many zodiac personalities and make them interact with each other felt very interesting. It was something new… It wasn’t like a normal rom-com.”

“For me, the concept has to be very unique. Even today, I feel like on any platform, if the concept is strong and different, it works,” she added. On OTT, she noted, “There are so many platforms you can put your content on. But discoverability is still a challenge… So while it’s easier to enter, it’s also more competitive.” She added, “You can still be authentic in your storytelling… even if I know what works, I can still decide how I want to tell the story—whether I want a narrator or break the fourth wall.”

On Heer Sharma Gayi, she shared, “We had this vision of a girl who is authentic, reckless, spontaneous, and unapologetic… while also understanding that feel-good content works well. So you kind of balance both.” Emphasising emotional depth, she said, “If your characters feel real and authentic, the audience will relate… that’s what helps the story go beyond just being viral.”

On Gen Z portrayal, she added, “Gen Z is actually very self-aware… We analyze everything… So I feel like that deeper layer is sometimes missing in how Gen Z is shown.”