Hoichoi is an online video streaming service that offers a wide range of Bengali-language movies and entertainment content. The platform has over 500 Bengali movies, dubbed web series, and songs. Users can download and watch the films for free or subscribe to the paid service, which provides the option to access premium content.
At the launch of the service in September 2017, Hoichoi offered over one hundred hours of content in the form of dubbed movies, original series, and Bengali songs. It now boasts more than two thousand Bengali songs for audio streaming. In addition, the company has launched its own app, which can be accessed through mobile, Android, and PC. With the app, viewers can search between shows and songs, or browse between the various movies and shows in the catalog.
Hoichoi is owned by SVF Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., which is headquartered in Kolkata. As part of its strategy for the future, the company is targeting Southeast Asian countries, including Bangladesh and Vietnam. Additionally, the company has plans to expand into Canada and the U.S., where it will be available on popular devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. While the platform’s originals are mostly Bengali-language content, it has recently started to release dubbed content in Hindi and Tamil.
In addition to its vast collection of films, Hoichoi has a range of other products and services. Among these is the Pay Per View feature, which allows users to pay for individual movie streams. This reduces the entry barriers to the platform and broadens the audience base. However, non-Bengali viewers might find it hard to understand the language and may have trouble recognizing characters.
Another unique feature of the Hoichoi app is that it offers its users originals without Ad-breaks. These include Anirban Bhattacharya’s “Macbeth” adaptation “Mandar” and Sayantan Ghosal’s detective drama Gora. Other originals on the roster include “Khyapar Shohor”, a police drama starring Anjan Dutt, and Sani Ghosh Ray’s digitally-premiered adaptation of “Srikanto” – a classic Bengali novel.
Hoichoi is available on most popular platforms, including iOS, Android, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and LG Smart TV. The service has over a million downloads, and is growing. To make the experience even more seamless, it also offers the option to download songs from the platform.
Unlike other popular OTT services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, Hoichoi has a unique subscription model. Subscribers can choose from three different plans, each with a different rate. There is a basic plan for Rs 149 for a six-month period, a mid-range plan for Rs 249 for a twelve-month period, and a premium plan for Rs 399 for a one-year period. Subscriptions are automatically renewed unless they are disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
In addition to its huge library of Bengali-language content, Hoichoi has expanded its offerings to include children’s content. A new slate of shows, including 30 new originals, will be added to its existing library in season two. Also, Hoichoi is introducing a new category of branded content, called “Freemium”, which will allow some content to be streamed for free.
