India’s film industry has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Traditionally, the country’s box office was dominated by Hindi language movies. However, the landscape has diversified, with films from other languages, particularly those from South India, gaining prominence. This shift reflects the expanding appetite of the Indian audience for diverse content. Despite this, not all movies are dubbed into all languages, creating a language barrier for moviegoers.
The Birth of Cinedubs
Aditya Kashyap encountered a similar language barrier issue during a trip to Paris in 2015 when he wanted to watch Mission Impossible, but the only available screenings were in French. This experience led him to realize that while cities have become more global and culturally diverse, movies continue to release in select languages. Aditya teamed up with his brother, Vineet Kashyap, in 2016 to find a solution to this problem.
Introducing Cinedubs
In 2020, Aditya and Vineet founded Cinedubs, a platform that seeks to bridge the language gap in cinema. Their app, launched in July 2022, allows users to enjoy movies in their preferred language at the theater, regardless of the language in which the movie is being played. The founders recognized the challenge of distributing movies in multiple languages, as it typically requires separate screens for each language, making it costly and logistically complex.
The Founders and Their Journey
Aditya brings over 25 years of leadership experience in various industries, including aviation, IBM Daksh, Genpact, and Aegis. Before launching Cinedubs, he served as the CEO of the global customer experience company, Majorel India. Vineet, on the other hand, has a background in software development and product management, with experience at companies like HCL, Newgen Software, and Aricent. He also founded Headspire Technologies, a software development company that created the dating app Mixxxer, which was later acquired by AdultFriendFinder.
The founders invested approximately half a million dollars from their savings over 3-4 years to develop the app and establish the company.
How Cinedubs Works
Cinedubs’ innovative app allows users to download movie soundtracks in their preferred language before heading to the theater. The downloaded soundtrack is synchronized with the movie in real-time using a patent-pending technology. This synchronization ensures that users can enjoy the movie in their language while watching it on the big screen.
Collaborations and Expansion
Cinedubs collaborates with production companies and content owners to host and distribute original dubbed movie soundtracks in multiple languages. They have partnered with several production houses, including Jio Studios, People Media Factory, and R Madhavan, among others. Additionally, the startup is in the final stages of discussions with Hollywood production houses like Warner Bros and Universal Studios.
Monetization and Growth Plans
While the Cinedubs app is currently free to use, the founders plan to introduce nominal subscription fees starting from mid-next year. The subscription options will include annual, half-yearly, and quarterly subscriptions for unlimited movie soundtrack downloads, pay-per-download options, in-app advertisements for monetization, and merchandise sales.
As of now, the app has witnessed over 80,000 film soundtrack downloads by more than 35,000 users globally, with 90% of them hailing from India. Cinedubs aims to onboard two million users by FY24-25 and 4.5 million by FY25-26. The startup, although currently pre-revenue, has ambitious revenue targets, aiming to generate $2.3 million by FY24-25 and $6.4 million by FY25-26.
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Competition and Brand Ambassador
Cinedubs faces competition from platforms like TheaterEars, which is limited to the US and Puerto Rico due to its English-to-Spanish limitation. It also competes with Indian startups like Dubverse.ai, SyncSense, and UniDub.
In August 2022, the startup onboarded actor R Madhavan as its brand ambassador, further enhancing its presence and reach.
Market Potential and Future
The global film dubbing market is on the rise, with a market size valued at $3.5 billion in 2022. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.19% until 2018, reaching a value of $5.3 billion. Cinedubs, which raised close to $350,000 in a seed round in 2022, is currently in talks with investors for pre-Series A funding. This funding will support the company’s expansion plans in deeper Indian markets and the Middle East, capitalizing on the growing demand for multilingual cinema experiences.
In conclusion, Cinedubs represents a pioneering solution to the language barrier in cinema, offering moviegoers the opportunity to enjoy films in their preferred language, regardless of the film’s original language. With ambitious growth plans and a commitment to providing a seamless cinematic experience, Cinedubs is poised to make a significant impact on the film industry, both in India and globally.
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