The Ba***ds Of Bollywood

MAFIA (Official Music Video)

An Indian music record label and film production company. Founded by Gulshan Kumar, it is the largest music company in India and a global digital media powerhouse.

• Founder: Gulshan Kumar.

• Establishment: July 11, 1983.

• Humble Beginnings: Kumar started his career as a fruit juice vendor in Delhi. He recognized the market for affordable music and began by selling pirated audio cassettes of popular Bollywood songs.

• Shift to Legitimate Business: T-Series soon transitioned from piracy to legitimate operations, releasing original music at lower prices than competitors. This business model was highly disruptive and effective.

• The Devotional Music Niche: Kumar also tapped into the vast market for devotional music. By producing and distributing affordable cassettes of Hindu hymns and chants, he built a loyal customer base, particularly among older audiences.

• The Aashiqui Breakthrough (1990): The soundtrack for the film Aashiqui became one of the best-selling Indian music albums of all time, selling over 20 million copies. This success cemented T-Series' position as the top music label in India.

• Expansion into Film Production: The company began producing its own films, which allowed it to control the entire music value chain—from production to distribution. While some films were commercially successful, the music from these productions was consistently popular, further boosting the company's main business.

• Gulshan Kumar's Assassination: In August 1997, Gulshan Kumar was tragically assassinated in Mumbai by the D-Company, a notorious organized crime syndicate.

• Bhushan Kumar's Succession: The leadership of the company was passed to Kumar's son, Bhushan Kumar, who was only 19 years old at the time. Despite the immense pressure and a period of uncertainty, Bhushan Kumar successfully navigated the company and expanded its reach.

• Embracing Digital: Under Bhushan Kumar's leadership, T-Series quickly adapted to the rise of digital media, embracing formats like CDs and later, streaming platforms.

• YouTube Channel Launch: T-Series launched its YouTube channel in 2006, but it began uploading content consistently around 2010. The channel rapidly grew by releasing a high volume of content, including Bollywood music videos, film trailers, and devotional songs.

• The Subscriber War (2018-2019): T-Series gained global recognition during its highly publicized subscriber competition with Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie. The event, which was framed as a battle between a corporation and an individual creator, brought T-Series to the international forefront.

• Subscriber Milestones: T-Series surpassed PewDiePie in 2019, becoming the first YouTube channel to reach 100 million subscribers. It was also the first to reach the 200 million and now 300 million subscriber milestones, solidifying its position as the most-viewed and most-subscribed channel on the platform.