MTV Dark Scroll: Ushering in a New Era of Paranormal Content

Introducing a new format of reality TV combined with paranormal, ‘MTV Dark Scroll- Muqabla Anjaan Se’, India’s pioneer paranormal reality show, has taken the idea of horror shows to the next level, paving the way for more such innovations. Offering an innovative combination of reality competition with the enigma of the paranormal, the show is hosted by Amit Sadh, featuring nine seekers investigating seven haunted locations in Uttarakhand, guided by prominent paranormal expert Sarbajeet Mohanty and psychic Pooja Vijay.

In an exclusive conversation with Bizz Buzz, Actor Amit Sadh and Smitha Parigi, Vice President - Content - Originals, Youth & English Entertainment, Viacom18, speaks about how the show is redefining the landscape of paranormal and reality TV while opening the door for new trends within the industry.

1. How do you think the unique theme of the show influences the market for paranormal and reality television content?

MTV Dark Scroll – Muqabla Anjaan Se taps into a bubbling sub culture of paranormal content, which has historically remained a niche. With Indian audiences now seeking more immersive, real-world experiences, we at MTV created a format that bridges the gap between reality TV and the paranormal. This unique blend creates a fresh market opportunity where viewers crave the thrill of the unknown while still engaging with familiar competitive reality show dynamics. Emerging opportunities lie in further exploring the genre and focusing on more immersive storytelling with strong payoffs for our MTV viewers. With more tech based innovations on our streaming platform, Jio Cinema, this captivating show has straddled story telling with an exciting user experience with such as toggle for Thermal Cam, 360 Degree raw footage of the investigation and Gaming as a first on the platform.

2. What are the key factors that contribute to the commercial success of a show like MTV Dark Scroll – Muqabla Anjaan Se?

Success hinges on a few core elements: authenticity, innovation, and audience connection. Authentic storytelling, paired with cutting-edge technology for capturing paranormal activities, ensures credibility. Innovation in format, such as blending unscripted reality moments with unexplained paranormal events, keeps viewers hooked. Lastly, tapping into the audience's curiosity and primal fear of the unknown keeps them coming back, driving commercial success. MTV is known for creating some of Young India’s biggest and most watched IPs such as MTV Roadies, MTV Splitsvilla & MTV Hustle to name a few of the many iconic Youth Reality shows. This show takes forward that legacy of disruptive unscripted formats that are a win on both traditional linear TV and Jio Cinema.

3. How do you balance creative content with the commercial needs of producing a reality TV show?

Balancing creativity with commercial involves a deep understanding of both the audience appetite and the platform behaviour of Jio Cinema. Creative content must always prioritise captivating storytelling and authenticity to keep viewers emotionally invested. At the same time, commercial elements like branded integrations or platform-specific monetization must seamlessly align with the show's theme.

4. How do you see the future of paranormal reality shows in terms of business opportunities and market demand?

The demand for paranormal content is expected to grow as audiences increasingly seek unique, unconventional entertainment. The future of this genre lies in expanding the experience beyond the screen—think of live paranormal investigations, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, or interactive episodes where audiences can indulge in a more immersive way such as using the Thermal cam toggles or use the 360 Degree cam raw footage to experience the haunted location for themselves. There are business opportunities in delving deep into exploring more format variations given the youth fascination for the paranormal.

5. Can you describe any innovative tactics used for MTV Dark Scroll that have been particularly effective in driving audience engagement?

Our key innovations involved publishing 360 Degree raw camera footage on the platform that allowed our audience to experience the haunted locations while sitting in the comfort of their homes. We also devised an option for Thermal Camera footage as a toggle on Jio Cinema where the viewers could opt to see temperature fluctuations as it happened during the investigations adding further credibility to the unnatural paranormal occurrences. We also created a device to capture the Heart Rates of the Seekers (our contestants) while they were inside the haunted location. This gave viewers an insight into the heightened emotional graph of the seekers in real time. Alongside these tech innovations, we also created a game as a first on the platform that allowed viewers to spot the entities at our haunted locations; Spooky Stories on Jio Cinema invited viewers to upload their own personal ghost stories on the platform which helped in community building on the show. Needless to say, the show was a first in many aspects – genre, format and tech innovations.

This strategy heightened suspense and made the audience feel like active participants rather than passive viewers. Additionally, exclusive digital content, like extended investigation footage or expert analysis, was published on Jio Cinema that contributed to engaging audience interest beyond the linear TV broadcast.

6. What aspects of MTV Dark Scroll – Muqabla Anjaan Se do you believe will influence future reality TV productions in terms of business and creativity?

The hybrid format of MTV Dark Scroll—blending reality competition with the mystery of the paranormal will likely inspire more such formats and genre innovations. This mix of unscripted drama with paranormal exploration opens doors for similar cross-genre formats. Creatively, the show's focus on authenticity, supported by technology, will push more producers to explore more such immersive, tech-driven storytelling. Business-wise, the success of real-time viewer participation and multi-platform distribution will encourage future reality shows to adopt a more integrated approach across digital and linear channels.