Category: News Headline

Oppo plays it smart with Gen Z in ‘Har Scene Ka Asli Partner’ blitz

MUMBAI: When life gives Gen Z heartbreak, potholes, and 7 per cent battery anxiety, Oppo gives them the K13x and a campaign that quite literally meets them where they are. Launched in collaboration with Flipkart and led by SW Network, the ‘Har Scene Ka Asli Partner’ campaign turns everyday desi dilemmas into brand gold, making the Oppo K13x 5G a street-smart star.

Armed with military-grade durability, superfast charging, and a long-lasting battery, the K13x is clearly built for life’s curveballs. But instead of singing specs in a sterile studio, the campaign took to the streets and memes with cultural insight and cleverness in equal measure.

From quirky OOH billboards in college zones declaring “Bro, Kya Scene hai? vs Bro, Scene Ho Gya,” to live charging kiosks that saved the day (and your phone), every touchpoint served more than just copy, it offered context.

And in a monsoon masterstroke, SW Network turned India’s dreaded potholes into real-world testimonials for toughness. Painted road signs and standees reminded passersby: this phone is pothole-proof.

Print ads in Dainik Jagran and Navbharat Times added yet another punch, flipping familiar frustrations like slow charging and flimsy builds into moments of revelation. The core idea? “This wouldn’t happen if you had the Oppo K13x.”

SW Network co-founder Raghav Bagai explained, “Instead of talking about durability in a lab, we showed it where people actually feel the pain on the road. This campaign proves creativity can come from chaos.”

Meanwhile, digital got its own slice of the action. Meme content and skits by Gen Z creators flooded Instagram and Moj, racking up millions of impressions and cementing the K13x’s place in the cultural scrollscape.

What began as a smartphone launch has now become a scene-stealer of its own literally. In a cluttered phone market, Oppo and Flipkart have cracked the code: sell the story, not just the specs. And in a world that runs on low battery and high emotion, the K13x might just be the asli partner for every scene.

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June 26, 2025
MO Hits 105 Million Instagram Views in 30 Days – Gen Z Can’t have enough

MUMBAI: In just one month, MO has clocked over 105 million views and added 35,000+ followers, growing at a pace of 1,000 new followers every single day.

MO isn’t chasing the news – it’s what what hits home.

With its promise, MO delivers everything from snappy explainers to unfiltered conversations – speaking directly to a generation that demands truth over theatrics and honesty over hype.

June 26, 2025
Zee5 gives viewers a reel treat with free Friday movie premieres

MUMBAI: Popcorn’s optional, but the binge is guaranteed. Zee5 has rolled out a free film fest with its new Friday Box Office initiative, letting users across India stream top movies without paying a rupee and yes, they’re bringing out the big titles. Starting 20 June, Zee5 will premiere one major hit every Friday free for all across seven Indian languages: Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. It’s not a one-off either. Each film stays on the platform for a few weeks, giving users time to discover, watch and rewatch at their own pace.

The lineup reads like a pan-India film award show: Tarla, Pad Man, Lost, Projapoti, Aparajito, Vikram Vedha, Valimai, Bangarraju, Geetha Govindam, Drishya 2, Tonic and more representing not only Zee5’s vast catalogue but its regional storytelling might.

“At Zee5, we believe great stories should be within everyone’s reach,” said Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd chief marketing officer, Kartik Mahadev. “Friday Box Office is our way of democratising entertainment and inviting new users into the Zee5 world.”

The move isn’t just a generous crowd-pleaser, it’s a savvy growth play. By opening up premium content for free, Zee5 is aiming to build user habit, grow engagement, and reaffirm its positioning as India’s go-to platform for inclusive, multilingual streaming.

With India’s streaming audience getting younger, hungrier, and more language-diverse, Zee5’s new box office is taking blockbuster Fridays from theatres to screens subscription not required.

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June 26, 2025
APOS 2025: JioStar reboots Indian storytelling: bold themes, small-town creators, and a Gen Z gold rush

Bali: India’s entertainment juggernaut JioStar is rewriting the playbook for streaming success. Speaking on Day one with MPA founder & executive director Vivek Couto at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali, president, general entertainment Alok Jain and head of cluster – entertainment (south) Krishnan Kutty laid out a turbocharged strategy rooted in youth, cultural authenticity, and fearless innovation.

Kutty didn’t mince words. “Streamers haven’t done enough for Gen Z,” he said, announcing plans to ramp up youth programming in the south by seven to ten times. “Today’s boldness isn’t about spectacle — it’s about challenging societal norms. But we’re not in California. This has to be rooted in India.”

Jain backed it up with numbers and narrative. Thukra Ke Mera Pyaar, a 19-episode romantic drama with 50-minute episodes and a debut director, shattered expectations. “The audience embraced it because it felt fresh, not because of familiar faces,” he said. “Innovation isn’t just a tactic — it’s our baseline.”

The pair’s APOS session, titled Inside the next wave of Indian storytelling, was a no-holds-barred manifesto for resetting the country’s content economy. “We’re not here to gatekeep,” said Jain. “Today’s creators are format-agnostic — moving from Instagram Reels to primetime drama to long-form docu. We want to build a creative ecosystem where they grow across mediums.”

Kutty spotlighted small-town storytellers as the engine of this shift. “We’re backing young creators from Tirunelveli to Kochi who bring lived-in authenticity. Eighty per cent of our Malayalam content consumption comes from outside Kerala. Great stories transcend language and geography — that’s our sweet spot.”

The duo also called out industry dysfunction. “Streaming has broken the economic model,” Kutty said.
“Producers have become B2B vendors serving platforms, not audiences. Talent and production costs have soared. We need a reset.”

On the theatrical front, Jain was blunt. “Three-hour films don’t cut it in an age of 15-second videos. People only show up at cinemas for something really worth their time. Theatres need to reinvent — on price, experience, everything.”

India’s scale, youth and appetite for change were central to JioStar’s bullish outlook. With over 300M subscribers on JioHotstar and 800M viewers across its TV network, JioStar sits atop 320,000 hours of content in 22 languages. “The only common thread?” said Jain. “Emotional truth. That’s what travels.”

From microdramas to macro themes like justice and aspiration, the message from JioStar is clear: in a country bursting with creators, languages, and formats, the only limit is imagination.

June 26, 2025
CNN-News18 gears up for Defence Town Hall on 28 June

MUMBAI: When the nation salutes its sentinels, it’s only fitting that the spotlight shines bright. CNN-News18 Town Hall is reporting for duty this Saturday, 28 June, with a power-packed Defence Edition that promises to march straight into the heart of India’s strategic pulse. Themed ‘Borders to Business – The Strength of Bharat’, the special programming pays tribute to India’s defence forces while diving deep into the evolving landscape of national security, self-reliance, and indigenous defence production. In true Town Hall style, expect sharp questions, sharper minds, and a salute to grit that goes beyond just rhetoric.

Airing from 3 pm across CNN-News18 TV, CTV, and Youtube, the event brings together top brass from the armed forces, leading defence scientists, and private sector innovators creating a rare, all-hands-on-deck moment for India’s military narrative.

Kicking things off, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, chief of integrated defence staff, will explore ‘The Age of Modern Warfare’, highlighting how battlefields are evolving and how India must respond. defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh follows with ‘Forging India’s Defence Independence’, outlining the government’s roadmap to self-reliance.

The soul of the event may just lie in the stirring session titled ‘From Sindoor to Seema’, where Assistant Commandant Neha Bhandari and three fellow women officers recount frontline experiences from Operation Sindoor, offering a ground-level view into courage under pressure.

It’s not all uniforms and medals the Town Hall also shines a light on India’s burgeoning private defence sector. Names like Lt. Gen Vinod G. Khandare (Retd.), Sudhir Mishra (ex-CEO, Brahmos Aerospace), B.K. Das (DG, DRDO), Maj Gen Vishal Saxena (Retd.), Smit Shah (Drone Federation of India), Maj Gen Indrabalan (R), Military Technology Advisor, Amber Wings and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd.) will decode what it takes to make ‘Made in India, Made for World’ more than just a slogan.

As Network18 CEO of English & Business News Smriti Mehra puts it, “We’re not just telling stories, we’re bringing alive India’s defence resurgence with the experts who’ve shaped it.”

CNN-News18 managing editor, Zakka Jacob added, “Operation Sindoor showcased India’s readiness and resolve. This Town Hall will honour that courage and spark the conversations India needs as national security and aatmanirbharta become central to our growth.”

From warzone learnings to workshop innovations, this edition captures it all from the borders to the boardrooms.

So, ready your remotes and set your reminders because when the channel says “attention”, the nation will be watching.

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June 26, 2025
Reeloid Officially Launches as India’s First Vertical OTT Platform Ushering in a New Age of Mobile-First Storytelling

MUMBAI: India’s digital entertainment landscape welcomes a bold new entrant – Reeloid, the country’s first vertical-format OTT platform. Founded by Mr. Rohit Gupta, a visionary filmmaker and serial tech entrepreneur, Reeloid is redefining how stories are told, shared, and experienced on mobile devices.

Backed by Mr. Gupta’s over 10 years in filmmaking and two decades of experience in IT and media innovation, Reeloid fuses the art of cinematic storytelling with next-generation technology to bring a never-before-seen experience to Indian audiences.

Already off to a strong start, Reeloid has signed over 40 original shows with creators across India — building a content library that is both rich in variety and deeply rooted in Indian culture and narratives.

A Platform for the Future, Designed for Now

In a world where over 80% of video content is consumed on mobile, Reeloid offers a platform that is not only mobile-first but mobile-native. Unlike traditional streaming platforms, Reeloid content is delivered in vertical format, optimized for full-screen viewing on smartphones, no need to rotate devices, no compromise on visual impact.

This innovation goes beyond format. Reeloid also emphasizes short-format episodic content, making it ideal for viewers seeking engaging, quick, and high-quality stories during their daily routines.

A Rallying Cry to Filmmakers and Creators

At the heart of Reeloid’s mission is an invitation — a call to filmmakers, storytellers, and creators across the country to join the vertical storytelling revolution.

“Reeloid is more than a platform — it’s a stage, a canvas, and a movement. We’re building the future of Indian entertainment, and we want creators from all walks of life to be a part of it,” says Rohit Gupta, Founder of Reeloid.

Whether you’re an independent filmmaker with a bold vision or a studio with a content catalog ready to be reimagined, Reeloid offers tools, support, and visibility to bring your stories to life — vertically.

Even existing content can be repurposed and adapted into short-format vertical episodes using Reeloid’s in-house post-production support and editing pipelines. This opens up vast opportunities for content owners and production houses to tap into new audiences with minimal overhead.

Inspiring, Entertaining, and Unapologetically Indian

Reeloid is committed to amplifying Indian original stories that are inspirational, entertaining, and genre-fluid. From gripping thrillers and relatable dramas to real-life heroism and humorous sketches – Reeloid doesn’t limit itself to one genre or format.

“Our vision is to reflect the heart of India its diversity, its resilience, and its untold stories – all packaged in a way today’s audience wants to consume them,” adds Gupta.

Reeloid aims to empower creators from Tier 1 cities to small towns, bringing regional voices and languages to the forefront and democratizing digital storytelling.

A Platform That Welcomes Its Audience As Partners

Reeloid is not just built for audiences – it is built with them. The platform encourages interaction, feedback, and even community-driven programming, giving viewers a voice in shaping the content landscape.

With features like personalized recommendations, viewer ratings, and creator connect events, Reeloid plans to build one of India’s most interactive and community-driven OTT ecosystems.

What’s Next for Reeloid?

With the initial slate of shows ready to launch and hundreds more in development, Reeloid is actively scaling its operations and forging strategic partnerships with content creators, influencers, and production houses across the country.

The company is also exploring AI-assisted content adaptation, enabling legacy horizontal content to be intelligently reformatted into vertical frames – dramatically reducing conversion costs and time.

Join the Revolution Today

Reeloid is currently available on reeloid.app, android apps and will soon launch its iOS
Creators can sign up to pitch shows, repurpose existing content, or co-create with the in-house Reeloid Originals team.

Audiences can stream a curated selection of bold, authentic, and mobile-first stories that fit right into the palm of their hands.

About Reeloid

Reeloid is India’s first vertical OTT platform that delivers mobile-first, high-impact original stories designed for vertical viewing. Founded by Rohit Gupta – a filmmaker, storyteller, and tech entrepreneur – Reeloid is reimagining Indian storytelling for the next generation of digital viewers by combining cinematic quality with mobile-native formats.

June 26, 2025
Zee UK blazes ahead with bold bets, beats rivals at their own game

LONDON: Zee Entertainment UK isn’t just keeping up with the times—it’s running laps around its rivals. While other broadcasters are stuck in planning mode, Zee is executing at full throttle across platforms, markets and formats, setting a relentless pace for innovation in south Asian media.

Zee Cinema has been clocking consistently high monthly reach in the UK, overtaking legacy players like Star Utsav. But resting on its laurels?

It’s not Zee’s style.

“Success is not a destination, it is a catalyst for the next leap forward,” said Zee TV territory head for the UK and Europe Parul Goel. His team is reshaping the game, not just playing it.

Zee’s forward thinking approach has made it a model for others globally. From launching Zee One in Germany to pioneering Fast channels in France and the UK, Zee is rolling out initiatives that others are still workshopping. It was first to bring an Indian GEC—&TV—to the Fast ecosystem, and the first to dub Indian content in German, with Shah Rukh Khan himself launching it.

It’s also made bolder plays outside the box: launching Europe’s first-ever cricket Fast pop-up channel with live ILT20 season 3 coverage, pulling off a multi-platform crossover of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Rewind: Queens of the 90s at Wembley Arena, and rolling out contextual advertising in the UK to boost engagement and brand ROI.
With a 30-year head start, Zee’s legacy is already studded with milestones—like the UK’s first South Asian film awards in 2005 (ZCA), exclusive stage productions like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge at Manchester Opera House, and a track record of being the first sponsor behind major Bollywood concerts.

Now it’s breaking new ground in streaming. Z5 has introduced the first-ever south Asian SVoD tier with ads in the UK and Europe, aggressively priced for reach. Behind the scenes, AI-led content workflows for Fast have helped Zee cut costs while maintaining its hallmark production quality.

Even industry peers, in marking Zee’s 30th anniversary, have admitted there’s simply no one better at pushing boundaries.

As Goel puts it: “Zee has always been a network of firsts not just in India, but across global markets. While others prepare, we deliver. We’re not just adapting to change, we are leading it.” These words echo through every bold step the network takes.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, Zee UK remains committed to doing what it has always done best: leading with purpose, innovating with conviction, and delivering with consistency.

With strategy in its veins and speed as its weapon, Zee UK isn’t just a player in the south Asian broadcasting space. It’s writing the future.

June 25, 2025
APOS 2025 predicts that Asia’s screen economy will shift gears as digital eats into TV pie and growth slows

BALI : The 16th edition of the APOS Summit opened in Bali with a blunt forecast: Asia-Pacific’s media juggernaut is heading into rougher waters. “The next wave in Asia is here and it looks very different,” said Media Partners Asia founder Vivek Couto, addressing 550 delegates from across the region’s fast-evolving screen economy.

Asia’s screen count is booming—from 4.5 billion today to 5.5 billion by 2030—with smartphones still king, rising to 4.4 billion, and connected TVs becoming the fastest-growing segment at 13 per cent CAGR. Yet the party is winding down. After raking in $36 billion in new revenues during the pandemic-era gold rush (2020–25), the region now expects just $16 billion more over the next five years. The culprit? A steady erosion in traditional TV’s dominance.

“Monetisation is decisively shifting to digital,” Couto declared. TV, which currently commands 49 per cent of screen revenues, will sink to 41 per cent by 2030. In its place, premium video (SVOD/AVOD) will rise to 29 per cent and UGC/social video will power up to 24 per cent. Theatrical remains flat.

China and India dominate the region’s screen scale—72 per cent by 2030—while Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand lead in screen growth. Three markets—China, Japan and India—will account for almost 75 per cent of screen revenues. But their playbooks couldn’t be more different.

China’s model is fuelled by short-form content, micro-dramas and a mature VOD sector monetised through ads and transactions. Japan stays TV-centric with high-ARPU SVOD and premium AVOD. India is firing on both cylinders with ads and value-led subscriptions across streaming and broadcast, and mobile-first, hybrid OTT platforms.

Local champions are holding their ground. JioStar is the fastest riser in India, on track to cross $1 billion this year. Australia’s Foxtel and Nine, Korea’s TVING, Indonesia’s Vidio and Thailand’s TrueID are proving that scale outside of global behemoths is not only possible—it’s profitable. “The new video economy isn’t just digital-native—it’s cross-platform,” Couto stressed.

YouTube still rules the roost, projected to hit $18–19 billion in regional revenues by 2030, followed by ByteDance’s Douyin and TikTok, which are closing in on $10 billion combined. Netflix dominates premium VOD beyond China, with Disney+ and Prime Video scaling in Japan, India and Southeast Asia. Japan’s U-Next is riding a strong mix of sports, local content and Hollywood imports.

Meanwhile, the creator economy is exploding—with over 100 million creators in 2024 expected to grow to 165 million by 2030. China’s micro-drama boom has already become a $7 billion beast, now expanding globally. “It’s part entertainment, part conversion funnel,” Couto said. Platforms are blurring content and commerce, particularly in China and southeast Asia, where creators are anchoring live shopping and branded content ecosystems.

Premium content is still critical, but the free-spending days are done. Investment in streaming originals is projected to climb from $17 billion to $21 billion by 2030, but platforms are asking tougher questions: What retains? What monetises? What builds the ecosystem?

Retail media is the region’s new digital ad workhorse, expected to drive $45 billion in spend by 2030—$26 billion in China, $10 billion in India and $9 billion in Japan. While SVOD and AVOD still rake in the bulk of video monetisation, it’s the integration of retail commerce and media that’s reshaping the ad game.

Couto’s closing pitch was a rallying cry for innovation: “Asia-Pacific leads the world in screens, time spent and innovation. We’re no longer just a consumption story—we’re a revenue engine. But this next phase is more competitive. Growth must be earned.”

(If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

June 25, 2025
NDTV India’s ‘Creators Manch’ brings together India’s finest minds for a cultural crescendo

MUMBAI: In a world drowning in content, NDTV India’s ‘Creators Manch’ is cutting through the noise with meaning, memory and melody. The inaugural edition of this cultural gathering is set to unfold in the capital today, bringing together some of India’s most loved creators—across generations and genres—for a day-long celebration of creativity in all its avatars.

From literary giants Javed Akhtar and Kumar Vishwas, to cinematic minds like Imtiaz Ali and bestselling authors like Chetan Bhagat, the stage is set for a stellar convergence. Joining them are powerhouse voices such as Anvita Dutt, Jaya Kishori, Satya Vyas, Aditi Maheshwari, Arpana Caur, and Milee Ashwarya, as well as poets, editors, artists and cultural custodians who together form the beating heart of contemporary Indian expression.

Held at a time when content is currency and creativity is power, Creators Manch promises more than panels—it’s a platform where verses clash with virality, and tradition dances with technology.

Over 16 sessions, the event dives deep into themes like poetry in public life, storytelling in the digital age, and art in an algorithmic world. Expect one-on-one interviews, passionate panels, writing workshops, live performances and a grand finale featuring Kabir Café, whose soulful fusion of mystic poetry and modern rhythms promises to end the evening on a transcendent note.

“Creators Manch is a platform built not just to showcase creativity, but to honour the people behind it – those who express the spirit of the times and gently shape its future,” said NDTV CEO and editor-in-chief, Rahul Kanwal.

In an age of scrolls and soundbites, Creators Manch stands out for its depth, dialogue and daring. It’s not just a celebration—it’s a cultural intervention.

(If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

June 25, 2025
Jojo to stream detective comedy ‘Gadbad Gotalo’ packed with chaos, crime and comic timing

MUMBAI: Two rookie detectives, one dead-silent village, and a case that blows up into a bizarre circus of lies, secrets, and laughter. Jojo, the Gujarati content platform, has announced its new original comedy-thriller series Gadbad Gotalo, set to stream from 27 June 2025. The five-episode series spins a tangled yarn of village oddities, unexpected twists and eccentric suspects, served with dollops of humour and suspense.

Set in a sleepy village that would give Agatha Christie’s countryside settings a run for their cryptic money, Gadbad Gotalo follows two well-meaning but wildly clueless detectives. What begins as a seemingly simple investigation quickly spirals into a comedy of errors as the duo stumbles into the middle of a full-blown kidnapping plot — surrounded by townsfolk who each carry secrets stranger than fiction.

Starring Kushal Mistry and Parth Parmar as the bungling detectives, the series also ropes in an ensemble of familiar Gujarati faces including Jatin Prajapati, Maulik Nayak, Vishal Pithadiya, Jay Wadhwani, Jiyansh Changela, Chetan Chhaya, Michelle Trivedi, Rajal Pujara, Urvi Vyas and Dhruvika Sai. Each character adds a twist of chaos to the tightly-wound whodunnit — or rather, who-didn’t-do-it.

“At Jojo, we’re always looking for stories that feel new but familiar, the ones that bring people together, spark laughter, and leave a little something behind. Gadbad Gotalo does just that. It’s fun, fresh, and rooted in the kind of storytelling that Gujarati audiences have always loved. We’re proud to bring this Jojo Original to screens and can’t wait for viewers to experience the madness for themselves”, said Jojo founder & CEO Dhruvin Shah.

Tapping into the cultural quirks of small-town India, the show pairs Gujarati flavour with tight writing, brisk direction and performances that switch between slapstick and sharp. The showrunners promise not just laughs, but layered storytelling hidden under the cloak of chaos.

With Gadbad Gotalo, Jojo continues its push to deliver original Gujarati-language content tailored for digital-first audiences hungry for humour and heart.

Gadbad Gotalo starts streaming from 27 June exclusively on the Jojo App.

(If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

June 25, 2025