 "Actor Pankaj Tripathi joins audio story platform Velvet as co-founder")
Actor Pankaj Tripathi, renowned for his performances in films like Stree 2, Gangs of Wasseypur, and Bareilly Ki Barfi, has come on board as co-founder of Velvet, a cinematic audio stories platform.
Alongside Tripathi, Velvet was co-founded by actor and dialogue coach Vikas Kumar, Akshat Saxena, Varad Bhatnagar, and Sharib Khan. The platform’s goal is to create a unique space for listeners to experience engaging, imaginative, and cinematic audio content, predominantly in Hindi. Velvet plans to expand its offerings to include English and regional Indian languages in the near future.
In a press statement, Tripathi emphasised the deep roots of storytelling in Indian culture. “From folk tales to epics, our stories have always had the power to inspire, educate, and entertain. With this audio platform, we wanted to take this tradition and elevate it into a cinematic experience for the ears, something that transports listeners into a world of imagination while being deeply rooted in our cultural ethos,” he said.
According to the release, Velvet, launched in October 2024, is designed not only as an entertainment platform, but also as a space to preserve and promote the ancient art of storytelling.
Tripathi highlighted the power of audio to evoke emotions in a unique way, one that encourages listeners to imagine, dream, and connect with narratives on a personal level. “I believe that audio has the power to evoke emotions in a way that’s different from visual mediums,” he expressed.
With Velvet, creators will be able to reach audiences around the world to share stories that are uniquely Indian, but relatable to everyone.
The platform has already seen impressive success, with over 10,000 listeners on its own platform and over 1 million listeners through distribution partners such as Josh App in India and Future Today Group in the US.
(With inputs from PTI)