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  • Naseeruddin Shah steps into J.R.D. Tata’s shoes in Amazon MX Player’s Made in India – A Titan Story

    Naseeruddin Shah steps into J.R.D. Tata’s shoes in Amazon MX Player’s Made in India – A Titan Story

    MUMBAI – On the 121st birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna J.R.D. Tata, Amazon MX Player and Almighty Motion Picture unveiled the first look of their upcoming series Made in India – A Titan Story. The series sees veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah bring the legendary industrialist to life in a cinematic retelling of ambition, innovation, and nation-building.

    Produced by Prabhleen Sandhu, founder of Almighty Motion Picture, and directed by Robby Grewal with writing by Karan Vyas, the series charts the extraordinary journey of J.R.D. Tata and his pivotal role in shaping modern India.

    Joining Shah is Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai, the visionary founder of Titan, alongside Namita Dubey, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi, Kaveri Seth, Lakshvir Saran, and Paresh Ganatra.

    Slated for release early next year, Made in India – A Titan Story will stream free on Amazon MX Player across mobile, CTVs, the Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV, and Airtel Xstream, promising audiences a front-row seat to the story of an empire built on grit and genius.
     

  • MovieVerse Studios and Beacon Media forge new alliance

    MovieVerse Studios and Beacon Media forge new alliance

    MUMBAI: MovieVerse Studios, the mainstream content arm of IN10 Media Network, has partnered with Beacon Media to launch a first-of-its-kind global content alliance aimed at amplifying narratives from the Global South. Targeting over 3 billion viewers, this collaboration is designed to connect emerging cultural powerhouses—spanning Hollywood, India, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America—through borderless storytelling.

    IN10 Media Network managing director, Aditya Pittie said, “In today’s connected world, the future of storytelling depends on meaningful collaborations that bring together creativity, technology, and reach. This partnership encourages the industry to work more closely, fostering a diverse and inclusive content ecosystem that resonates with global audiences,”.

    “We are entering an era where collaboration, not competition, is the key to success,” said Beacon Media chairman Manoj Narender Madnani. “This alliance is not just about creating content—it’s about reshaping the global entertainment landscape, ensuring that diverse stories reach audiences across all formats and are made accessible worldwide. It’s 1+1=11 in action—where strategic partnerships, such as this one with IN10 Media, backed by visionary entrepreneurs like Aditya Pittie and Anand Mahindra, multiply impact.”

    The partnership will develop feature films, premium series, and bite-sized micro-series for platforms such as Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. The alliance’s first slate includes a Malayalam-language feature film for global release, adaptations of Dr Deepak Chopra’s bestselling fiction, and a range of digital-first projects built for next-generation audiences.

    MovieVerse Studios CEO Vivek Krishnani said, ‘’The Global South is home to some of the most dynamic and culturally rich stories waiting to be told. With this partnership, we are ensuring these culturally rooted narratives reach the global stage in the most impactful way possible. We are excited to develop content that resonates across geographies and platforms, whether it is through compelling cinematic storytelling or strategic digital-first initiatives.”

    With Saudi Arabia and the UAE emerging as major investors in India’s entertainment and technology sectors, the partnership aims to deepen economic and creative collaboration between the regions.

    To lead its ambitious slate, Beacon Media has named author and screenwriter Manini Priyan as head of content. The company also has a production alliance with Fadi Ismail, former director of drama at MBC Group, to create Arabic-language digital content at scale.

  • Glow and behold, APAC drives the global self-care cart into overdrive

    Glow and behold, APAC drives the global self-care cart into overdrive

    MUMBAI: Glow with the flow, APAC is putting the “care” in self-care like never before. From double-digit shopping days to double-duty products, Asia Pacific shoppers are rewriting the beauty playbook by blending wellness and beauty in one irresistible glow-up. According to Criteo’s Global Health & Beauty Pulse 2025, this region isn’t just riding the beauty boom, it’s fuelling it, one premium cart at a time.

    The report, based on data from beauty brands, ecommerce partners, and 14,000 plus shoppers globally, shows that during Q4 2024’s mega shopping festivals 10/10, 11/11, and 12/12, APAC shoppers triggered seismic spikes across self-care categories. Power flossers surged by a gleaming 353 per cent, deodorants and antiperspirants spiked 224 per cent, makeup swatched up 196 per cent, while skincare (up 154 per cent), massage oils (128 per cent), and ear drops (148 per cent) also saw radiant gains.

    The appetite for premium wellness products also signals a shift in spending behaviour: APAC consumers are buying fewer, but better.

    Year-on-year sales in Q2 2025 reflect this trend: health and beauty products rose 5 per cent in APAC, with order values growing by 6.78 per cent. Globally, EMEA led with a 14 per cent rise in sales, and the Americas followed at 1 per cent. In terms of order value, the Americas saw the highest bump at 9.8 per cent, while EMEA trailed with 4.36 per cent.

    APAC consumers, however, stand out as confident, discovery-driven shoppers 40 per cent of health and beauty buyers are first-time users of the brand. This open-mindedness, combined with omnichannel habits, is creating fertile ground for marketers.

    Globally, 84 per cent of beauty buyers have either maintained or increased their spending in the last six months up 11 points since 2023. Shoppers are also digitally engaged: 57 per cent discover products via marketplaces, while 52 per cent rely on search engines.

    And the channel switch is real 48 per cent of beauty consumers research online but buy in-store, while 41 per cent do the reverse. For brands, that means AI-driven tools are no longer optional, they’re essential to stitch together the journey from scroll to shelf.

    “Beauty shoppers today are deeply informed, digitally savvy, and ready to try new brands,” said Criteo India country head Medhavi Singh. “This report reaffirms beauty’s emotional resilience as a category driven by personalisation, relevance, and real-time discovery.”

    Criteo’s data suggests that for brands to win in this glow economy, they must be omnipresent, omnichannel, and on point. Think retail media, AI-powered product recommendations, and frictionless shopping across all touchpoints.

    In a world of smarter skincare, fragrant purchases, and flossers that fly off virtual shelves, one thing’s clear beauty’s new frontier is cross-category, cross-platform, and deeply connected to wellness.

  • Global South stories take spotlight as IN10 and Beacon join forces

    Global South stories take spotlight as IN10 and Beacon join forces

    MUMBAI: Content knows no borders and neither do these storytellers. In a bold cinematic handshake that spans continents, Movieverse Studios, IN10 Media Network’s content arm has inked a global alliance with UAE-based Beacon Media to turbocharge stories from the Global South for a global audience of over three billion. The goal? A borderless entertainment ecosystem powered by co-creation and cultural exchange from India to Latin America, Africa to the Middle East.

    “Our vision is global storytelling without fences,” said Movieverse Studios CEO Vivek Krishnani who promised a slate that embraces Malayalam feature films, micro-series for Instagram Reels and Tiktok, and even adaptations of Deepak Chopra’s bestselling fiction. “The Global South is bursting with stories that deserve a global stage and we’re building that bridge.”

    This isn’t just lip service. Among the first projects are a Malayalam-language feature and a wave of digital-first series aimed at next-gen viewers, alongside a premium slate of films and web shows under active development. With this, IN10 is aiming not just for reach but resonance.

    Beacon Media, helmed by chairman Manoj Narender Madnani, dubbed the alliance “1+1=11 in action,”a nod to how collaboration between legacy platforms and new-age players can create outsized impact. “This isn’t about competing,” he said. “It’s about multiplying reach and cultural capital.”

    The collaboration leverages deepening cultural and investment ties between India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE countries fast becoming central to the global entertainment and tech conversation. It also ropes in big industry names: Beacon’s Arabic production arm works with Fadi Ismail, the former MBC Group drama director, while acclaimed writer Manini Priyan has been appointed head of content for Beacon’s original programming.

    “This is about future-proof storytelling,” said IN10 Media Network MD Aditya Pittie. “We’re blending Hollywood-grade scale with deeply rooted Indian storytelling. This is not just an alliance, it’s a movement.”

    With content categories ranging from short-form social storytelling to high-budget features, and formats ready to travel across languages and regions, the IN10-Beacon alliance is poised to become a game-changer in reshaping the global entertainment map from the Global South to screens worldwide.

    (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.)

  • Star Gold brings Chhaava home this Independence Day

    Star Gold brings Chhaava home this Independence Day

    MUMBAI: This Independence Day weekend, Star Gold will deliver a television event of heroic scale with the World TV Premiere of Chhaava on 17 August at 8 pm. The historical blockbuster traces the extraordinary life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, blending action, emotional intensity, and sweeping cinematic grandeur.

    Backed by early sponsors Tide+ and Adani Ambuja Cement, the premiere is poised to become a magnet for both viewers and advertisers. Star Gold has a proven track record in turning TV premieres into cultural events: Stree 2 drew 41 million viewers—30 per cent of them first-time channel audiences—while Pathaan and Brahmastra pulled in 50 million and 42 million respectively, cementing Star Gold’s dominance in the high-stakes premiere space.

    Directed by Laxman Utekar and starring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, Chhaava has already conquered the box office. It holds the No. 1 spot on IMDb’s “Most Popular Indian Movies of 2025” and has been declared the year’s biggest blockbuster by Ormax Media.

    With its tale of valour and sacrifice, Chhaava promises not just entertainment but a rousing television experience, bringing one of India’s most compelling historical chapters to living rooms nationwide.

    Mark your calendars: 17 August, 8 pm only on Star Gold.

    (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.)
     

  • Apex and Baseline strike deal to boost sports investment in India

    Apex and Baseline strike deal to boost sports investment in India

    BENGALURU: Apex, a Europe-born sports investment firm backed by world-class athletes, has inked a strategic partnership with Baseline Ventures, one of India’s most prominent sports and entertainment outfits. The tie-up aims to unlock new investment opportunities in India’s booming sports ecosystem while giving Indian capital direct access to premium deals across Europe and the US.

    Baseline Ventures, founded in 2014, has carved a formidable position in Indian sport, with businesses spanning athlete management, league creation, licensing, and brand partnerships. The firm represents some of the country’s top names including Smriti Mandhana, Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, and Nikhat Zareen, and co-founded the Prime Volleyball League.

    Apex brings deep experience in venture capital, growth, and private equity across the global sports and media sectors. Its athlete-led model has drawn in investors such as Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, and footballers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcelo Vieira. Earlier this year, Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian athlete to invest in Apex — a symbolic milestone in its growing Indian play.

    Apex partner & chief commercial officer Pedro Felix da Costa said the move was a “natural step” for the firm: “India is one of the most dynamic sports markets in the world. Partnering locally helps us navigate it with intent, while also offering Indian capital high-quality exposure to Europe and US deals.”

    Baseline Ventures Co-Founder & Director Vishal Jaison called the tie-up a win-win: “Sports is now one of the most lucrative asset classes, delivering strong value appreciation. With Apex, Indian investors get a gateway to some of the biggest global sporting entities.”

    The deal marks a significant moment in the convergence of global capital and India’s sports industry — one where returns and fandom are racing side by side.

    (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.)

  • JioStar reignites the Kyunki effect, locks in eight big-brand sponsors

    JioStar reignites the Kyunki effect, locks in eight big-brand sponsors

    MUMBAI: The much-anticipated return of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi has sent waves of excitement across living rooms and boardrooms. Ahead of its July 29 premiere, eight marquee brands have already signed on, betting big on the enduring cultural clout of the daily prime-time juggernaut.

    On Star Plus, Tide+, Kalyan Jewellers, and Maruti Suzuki India co-present the show, with Fortune Soyabean Oil, Colgate, and Smart Bazaar joining as co-powered sponsors. Over on JioHotstar, Kalyan Jewellers and Maruti Suzuki return as co-presenters, alongside Fortune Chakki Fresh Atta, UTI Mutual Fund, and Smart Bazaar, bringing the brand tally to a powerful eight across platforms.

    The advertiser playbook spans everything from TV integrations and graphic placements to JioHotstar’s arsenal of branded feature trays, pause ads, co-branded vignettes, and even interactive quizzes, ensuring visibility from screen to stream.

    “The return of Kyunki is a full-spectrum media moment. The show is a multi-generational IP which brings together a powerful blend of nostalgia, reach and cultural depth, which helps connect family members together, each finding their own story in the same narrative. Very few properties offer that kind of intergenerational resonance today, and Kyunki delivers on that with precision.We’re thrilled to see such strong interest from brands who recognise the long-term value this property offers across both TV and digital,” said JioStar head of revenue, entertainment & international, Ajit Varghese.

    Produced by Balaji Telefilms, the reboot marks 25 years since the show’s debut, bringing back Smriti Irani’s iconic Tulsi and Amar Upadhyay’s Mihir while introducing a new generation to the Virani universe. With a seven-day-a-week schedule and a dual-platform strategy marrying Star Plus’s reach with JioHotstar’s precision targeting, Kyunki is set to be 2025’s tentpole event for viewers and advertisers alike.

    (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.)

  • Special Ops 2 turns spy games into cyber lessons for a nation on edge

    Special Ops 2 turns spy games into cyber lessons for a nation on edge

    MUMBAI: When Special Ops 2.0 stormed onto JioHotstar, it wasn’t just another slick return for Kay Kay Menon’s unflappable Himmat Singh. This season traded bullets for breaches, exposing the murky world of cyber warfare, where the enemies aren’t men in balaclavas but faceless hackers armed with AI and a knack for digital deceit.

    Leaning hard into real-world relevance, the campaign flipped a spy thriller into a wake-up call. Through partnerships with WhatsApp, Truecaller, and Paytm, Himmat himself schooled India on phishing scams, deepfakes, and UPI fraud. From a staged “leaked” document that redirected users to a PSA video to hyper-local AI-generated trailers calling out neighbourhoods by name, Special Ops 2.0 made cyber-threats impossible to ignore, reaching over 10 million users and sparking 22.4 million social interactions.

    More than a campaign, it became a movement. Himmat’s rallying cry—“Yeh Himmat Ka Kaam Hai”—triggered a wave of user-generated content, racking up 3 million views and 13,000 organic posts. Fiction bled into fact, and India found itself bingeing not just on espionage, but on digital literacy.

    In a world of data leaks and deepfakes, Special Ops 2.0 didn’t just entertain. It armed a nation, one click at a time.

    (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.)

  • Rajiee Shinde returns as CEO to lead PTC Entertainment’s next chapter

    Rajiee Shinde returns as CEO to lead PTC Entertainment’s next chapter

    MUMBAI: Lights, camera, comeback! Rajiee M. Shinde, one of Indian media’s most formidable forces, is back in the director’s chair at PTC Entertainment. Effective 1 August 2025, she takes charge as chief executive officer, reporting directly to Sukhbir Singh Badal, the promoter of PTC Network. And yes, this isn’t just a reunion; it’s a reinvention.

    Known for her razor-sharp programming instincts and a CV that reads like a greatest hits album, Shinde helped catapult PTC Punjabi to the No. 1 spot during her earlier nine-year stint from 2008 to 2018. Now, she’s back for the sequel with a vision that’s bolder, more global, and unmistakably desi.

    A Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award winner, Shinde brings with her over two decades of experience across content, music and entertainment businesses. She previously launched Showbox for IN10 Media, headed Epic Channel India as president, and helmed ETC Punjabi at Zee, where she pioneered India’s first Punjabi music channel. In recent years, she’s led Sai Mehar Media and served as CEO of Wild Music Records.

    Her new innings at PTC will involve scaling up original programming, unlocking new digital strategies, and tapping into international viewership all while keeping the core audience firmly at heart. She will operate out of both Mohali and Gurugram.

    “Rajiee’s return marks an exciting new chapter for PTC Entertainment,” said a source close to the network. “She brings not just leadership but legacy and she’s already proven that she knows how to win audiences across borders and platforms.”

    Shinde’s appointment also signals PTC’s intent to double down on regional content with global ambition, at a time when vernacular storytelling is commanding centre stage in Indian entertainment. From boardrooms to backlots, she’s set to steer the brand through a new era of digital disruption, international expansion, and audience-first content innovation.

    And if her track record is anything to go by, she’s not just holding the mic, she’s about to drop it.

  • Zouk’s Rakhi film shows support is as simple as holding her bag

    Zouk’s Rakhi film shows support is as simple as holding her bag

     MUMBAI: Turns out the most meaningful Rakhi gift this year… might just be a man holding a handbag. Zouk, the proudly Indian and 100 per cent cruelty-free lifestyle brand, has dropped a refreshingly emotional campaign for Rakshabandhan swapping swords and shields for something far more subtle: support in the form of a small but significant gesture.

    The brand film taps into a universal scene, one we’ve all witnessed, chuckled at, or starred in. A brother, boyfriend, or dad awkwardly clutching a handbag outside a store, waiting patiently. Zouk flips this from comic relief to cultural shift, showing how modern sibling bonds are less about protection and more about partnership. In the film, a brother holds his sister’s bag not because she asks, but because she’s chasing something bigger and he’s cheering her on, bag in hand.

    “Raksha Bandhan is about protection and support,” said Zouk founder Disha Singh. “But today, support doesn’t mean standing in front of someone, it means standing beside them. This film is a gentle reminder that even something as small as holding her bag can say: ‘I’m here for you.’”

    But the campaign doesn’t stop at emotion, it brings the festive feels to Zouk’s shelves too. In tandem with the film, Zouk has launched a vibrant line of curated Rakhi gift boxes, all wrapped in the brand’s signature prints.

    Each box includes functional and feel-good accessories like coasters, fabric diaries, bookmarks, passport covers, cosmetic pouches, and more. The idea? Gifting that’s both thoughtful and practical, something sisters (and their discerning brothers) will genuinely use and love.

    To sweeten the pot literally Zouk has partnered with top Indian brands like Bombay Sweet Shop, Renee Cosmetics, Gul, and Mcaffeine to co-create exclusive hampers that hit all the right festive notes. Whether it’s the aroma of artisanal skincare or the nostalgia of desi mithai, these gift sets are designed to deliver delight in every layer.

    Available now via Zouk’s Gift Shop, the festive campaign is more than just a seasonal play. It continues Zouk’s core storytelling style rooted in Indian values, aesthetically sharp, and emotionally resonant.

    So, this Rakshabandhan, forget the drama of macho posturing. Sometimes, the most touching brother-sister moment is quiet, simple and slung over the arm.