That’s exactly how we use the language in our daily life. We type Telugu words in English fonts. Even if you go to suburbs and villages, people use English fonts to convey Telugu messages. “Ela Unnavu? Eppudu vastavu etc, say Anurag and Sharath, the duo behind ChaiBisket
HYDERABAD: This young duo from Hyderabad is a perfect chai and bisket combination. Their thoughts are kadak as the former and ideas the latter. Their unison is bringing an internet revolution and is generating content to entice the new genre of websters. Anurag and Sharath, MBA graduates and owners of First Show Advertising agency in Hyderabad, started working together in their early 20s. The duo are now revelling in the success of their website called Chaibisket.com which started in March 2015. From entertaining pieces to novel videos, they post them all for the Gen Next Telugu readers.
Talking about the genesis of the website, the duo say, “We have been partners in business for long. When we wanted to do something different, we looked at content marketing and realised we had few options. So, we explored all the avenues and discovered that there is no platform for Telugu Lifestyle content. We have so many readers who love read in their native language but there is hardly anything to serve the section. So we created the website which caters to their sensibilities.
Says Sharath, 27, a management grad from Symbiosis Pune: “We do have many websites to cater to the needs of Telugu Audience. But they are either movie or news related. We lack any content that deals with our regular day life, like shopping, girls, boys, college, fun and pinch of positivity. So, Anurag and I, decided to carve a niche in that genre. That’s how ChaiBisket was conceived. It was a pet project, which was started very casually. From writing couple of articles to forming a team to now an office, we grew slowly but steadily.”
The website is not a typical English website. It is not even a Telugu! In fact It is Tenglish! “That’s exactly how we use the language in our daily life. We type Telugu words in English fonts. Even if you go to suburbs and villages, people use English fonts to convey telugu message. Like “Ela Unnavu? Eppudu vastavu etc,” he adds.
It was also a deliberate choice to stay simple and use ‘their’ language instead of fancy english. That actually made a lot of difference. “We have a good following on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Our social media presence is helping us too,” informs Anurag, 28, an MBA from St Paul’s, Hyderabad.
Initially they hired freshers from college who wrote what they see, talk and do in their daily lives. “We made sure nobody had any media/journalism background because we did not want any prejudices. It actually worked out for us, as they came with fresh thoughts and created simple yet entertaining articles. Slowly, we formed a team and now we have a separate office,” they say.
Sharath is happy that they now have separate teams too. “We have writers, actors, editors. From write-ups to videos, we are making a slow but steady progress. ChaiBisket grew from amateur website to Digital media. Now, we have tollywood actors coming into our studio and giving us interviews.”
Talking about the feedback they get, Sharath says, “We all are tired after a long day’s work. Now, once we start checking the internet, the news is all about politics, strategies, wars and other stuff. So, at Chaibisket, we make sure, we only deal with entertaining and fun stuff. If you are reading our content, we want you to leave with peace of mind and a smile on face.”
As a policy, t he staff is told not to write anything negative or controversial. “Every article of ours is a happy piece. No gossips, controversies or anything that can go against a person. Readers leave such positive comments and their feedback makes us grow stronger. Whenever we read what they have to say, it boosts our strength,” the staff says in unison.
But what about generate revenues? They say they consider themselves a small business which is on the growth trajectory. “We are positive that with the kind of content we are creating, we will get more revenue in the future. We are planning for more web series and video content.” The website is now looking at broadcasting live shows, small skits and videos.