"Will spend up to Rs 10 crore per show to change Ullu's 'edgy' image": Vibhu Agarwal

The video-on-demand platform's founder and CEO says he is planning to neutralise the content offering.

Charging subscribers for 'edgy' and 'sleazy' content. This is what the video-on-demand (VOD) platform Ullu is often accused of. The platform streams 18+ content and targets audiences on the back of shows that are often criticised as 'obscene'.

Launched in December 2018, Ullu's founder and CEO, film producer Vibhu Agarwal, says that there is nothing wrong in what it does and argues that it is not the only one.

The app has more than 10 million downloads on Google's Play Store and operates on a subscription-based model. Unlike other OTT platforms, instead of commissioning producers to make content, Ullu follows a partnership model. The producers associate with the platform on a revenue sharing model. 

The Coronavirus lockdown, Agarwal says, has come as a boon for the platform and it is now edging towards breaking even by the end of this financial year, or early next fiscal. Though he is not worried about Ullu's 'edgy' image, Agarwal says he is planning to neutralise the content offering. 

Along with video content, Ullu has launched a music streaming service and will soon roll out its private label under which it would sell underwear and night suits. Agarwal shares his plans with afaqs!.

Edited excerpts: