Kande Pohe, Aai Ani Me: BhaDiPa’s Marathi humor crosses regional borders. Can it become mainstream?

Sarang Sathaye, Anusha Nandakumar, and Paula McGlynn - founders, Bhartiya Digital Party; Image credit: anusha.nandakumar via Instagram

Synopsis
While the comedy genre is cluttered, BhaDiPa has created a niche for itself. Its USP is presenting subtle branded content. Now, co-founder Sarang Sathaye wants to grow his YouTube channel into an entertainment company. He is producing web series, managing artistes, and doing corporate content. But will going big budget with regional programmes ensure big returns?

Don te chaar, aamchi zopaychi vel astey, tar ugich ghanta vajau naye. Ghanti band keli ahey, ani aamhi phone dekhil uchlat nahi. “2pm to 4pm is our nap time, so don’t bother to ring the doorbell. It is off and the phones are off the hook, too.” This is what the placard reads outside most of the houses in Pune. Indeed, they take their afternoon siesta quite seriously. So, when the ET Prime team set up a Google meet with Sarang Sathaye, co-founder