A couple of years ago, Sonu Sood and his friend Jitin Bhatia asked a simple question: did any of their social media apps have a record of the places they had checked into, and uploaded photos of? When they couldn't find one, they decided to make their own app to do this: Explurger.
Explurger - the name is a portmanteau of explore and urge - is a gamified, AI-powered app that allow users to connect and share moments. It also gives rewards, discounts, level-ups and creates travelogues.
In an interview, Sonu Sood spoke about Explurger, putting India on the global map, his upcoming films, why the popularity of OTT is actually good for the film industry and more. Excerpts:
How did you come up with Explurger?
We all spend so much time on social media apps, and many times we feel that there are so many things that are missing there... We wanted to bring out a platform where, when you spend your time, it leads to your growth and it helps you get rewards and also, your travelogue is created.
Even something as simple as going from your home to your office, or you are going to another city, every little travel that you take turns into a travel log and all that you post is added as your miles. And then against these miles, you get rewards and discounts from big brands.
This is a first gamified social media app platform that instantly organizes your life’s travels and visits at one place. Users can share photos, videos, connect with friends and then also receive level-ups. We have done away with the need for a blue-tick with this.
Is it different from apps like Facebook, Instagram? How?
It has got everything. Whatever Facebook caters to, whatever Instagram caters to, other platforms cater to... In Explurger, we have also created a reward platform for users. It’s not just about creating content; even if you just post a picture or if you travel to your local market from your home, these little miles will also be added and you will get rewards. You’ll get discounts from hundreds of different big brands. So if you want to eat or if you want to buy something, you keep on getting discounts from the miles you have covered.
You are an actor with a tech background. Did that help here?
I always believe that I am an engineer first... And I feel that it is very important to spread your wings in different directions.
I have a tech background so I thought why not create a world of which we all are proud of and which everyone in the country would also be proud of. And the journey of Explurger started from there.
The best of the best people have put in their brains, a lot of the hard work and time to develop this app and today (June 7) we launched the app. Even in the beta version we already had lakhs of downloads and subscribers across 40 countries, much before the actual launch.
Tell us about your work. What films are you working on?
We just had the release of Samrat Prithviraj... I have another film coming up with Zee Studios called Fateh, which is going on floors in August. It is an action thriller and that is a pretty exciting venture and I’m looking forward to it. Apart from this, I’m also doing two more South Indian movies and one Hindi film.
In the last few months, films with theatrical releases haven't been doing that well at the box office. Do you feel that the rise of OTT has affected the business of films?
With the advent of OTT platforms I think it is now a huge challenge for all the filmmakers to make good content. You can’t just make anything, any content and then expect people to come and watch it in theatres any more. Good content that gives a lot of opportunity to the actors, directors and storytellers to make a lot of creative work, is the need of the hour. This is a good thing. I think that when you have competition, that is the time you create more and the best results come out.
You are known for your fitness regime. Please share a few tips…
I always see to it that there are only 22 hours in my day and the rest two hours out of 24, are dedicated only for my fitness. My easy-to-follow tips would be: eat right, sleep tight and take care of yourself. Respect your body and you will do well.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
