The Viral Fever, founded by Arunabh Kumar, marks 14 years of shaping India’s digital entertainment with authentic shows like Permanent Roommates, Pitchers, Kota Factory, Panchayat, and Gullak.
Fourteen years ago, a small group of young creators began putting out relatable sketches on YouTube, capturing everyday Indian experiences with humour and honesty. What started as a digital experiment soon evolved into a storytelling revolution. Today, The Viral Fever (TVF), founded by Arunabh Kumar, has completed 14 years of shaping India’s digital entertainment space — growing from viral internet content creators to one of the country’s most influential and successful production houses.
The Beginning: A Voice for India’s Youth
TVF entered the content space at a time when digital entertainment in India was still in its early stages. Founded by Arunabh Kumar with the vision of creating content that reflected the realities of young India, the platform quickly gained popularity through its sharp and relatable YouTube sketches.
From engineering culture and workplace struggles to relationships and middle-class life, TVF’s content felt authentic and refreshingly real. The strong connection it built with India’s internet generation soon became the foundation of its storytelling philosophy — real stories about real people.
Pioneering India’s Web Series Culture
A defining moment in TVF’s journey came with Permanent Roommates, India’s first successful web series. At a time when long-format digital storytelling was still new to Indian audiences, the show’s honest portrayal of modern relationships and urban life set a new benchmark for online content.
Its success not only established TVF as a pioneer in digital storytelling but also laid the groundwork for India’s web series culture and the OTT boom that followed.
Building on this momentum, TVF continued to push creative boundaries with shows like Pitchers, which captured the spirit of India’s startup ecosystem, and Kota Factory, which offered a deeply authentic look into the lives of IIT aspirants. With each project, the studio strengthened its reputation for rooted and relatable storytelling.
Stories Rooted in Everyday India
Over the years, TVF has built a diverse storytelling universe reflecting different facets of Indian life. From the simplicity of rural India in Panchayat to the warmth of middle-class family life in Gullak, and from the emotional journey of UPSC aspirants in Aspirants to youth-driven narratives across multiple shows, TVF has consistently focused on authenticity.
Rather than relying on spectacle, the studio’s strength has been its ability to find extraordinary stories in ordinary lives — a quality that has helped its content resonate across generations and geographies.
Cultural Impact and Industry Leadership
Beyond viewership, TVF’s stories have made a lasting cultural impact. Its characters, dialogues, and narratives frequently become part of popular conversation, reflecting the studio’s deep connection with audiences.
The company has also played a key role in nurturing new talent, giving opportunities to writers, actors, and creators who have gone on to shape India’s entertainment industry. Its consistent success across genres — from romance and comedy to slice-of-life drama — has positioned TVF as a trusted and influential name in content creation.
A Journey of Constant Evolution
From pioneering digital sketches to creating some of India’s most loved web series, TVF’s 14-year journey mirrors the evolution of India’s entertainment landscape itself. What began as a YouTube channel has grown into a content powerhouse, continuously exploring new genres, formats, and collaborations while staying true to its core philosophy of relatable storytelling.
Fourteen years on, TVF continues to shape how India watches, connects with, and celebrates stories — building a legacy rooted in authenticity, cultural relevance, and innovation.
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