iWorld
Audible Original adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 starring Andrew Garfield & others, out now
Mumbai: Audible, a leading provider of spoken word entertainment, has launched its new audio thriller based on George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece 1984, featuring an all-star cast.
Oscar nominated, and Golden Globe and Tony award winning actor, Andrew Garfield leads the adaptation as Winston alongside Grammy, Emmy and Tony award winning, Oscar nominated actor Cynthia Erivo as Julia.
BAFTA and Olivier award winning Andrew Scott plays the alluring, mysterious and dangerous O’Brien, while Oscar nominated actor Tom Hardy voices the infamous Big Brother.
The cast also features Romesh Ranganathan as Parsons, Natasia Demetriou as Mrs Parsons, Chukwudi Iwuji as Charrington, Francesca Mills as Syme, Katie Leung as Ling, Alex Lawther as Ampleforth alongside a full ensemble.
Andrew Garfield, playing Winston in Audible’s 1984 said: “I’m very grateful to Audible to be a part of this new incarnation of Orwell’s radical, political classic, 1984. A classic that, disappointingly, humanity seems to need to be constantly engaged with. To keep ourselves awake and remembering that we each have a soul. And that that soul is full of beauty and value. And how vital it is for each of us to resist the forces that wish to subdue and strangle that collective soul. The cast and crew is clearly the best of the best of British and Irish talent. It was truly a joy to tell this story for an audience hungry for their own liberation.”
Cynthia Erivo, playing Julia said: “It has been a truly wonderful experience getting the chance to share my interpretation of the incomparable Julia. Her wit, grit and determination, her passion for life and her want to LIVE has been a delight to play, this adaptation has allowed all of the beautiful qualities she has, to shine bright and it has been a pleasure to have been able to work with such wonderful artists. I think we have created something quite special together.”
Transporting listeners into the dystopian world of 1984, Matthew Bellamy, Muse’s songwriter, guitarist and frontman, and award-winning composer Ilan Eshkeri have created an original score performed by London Metropolitan Orchestra at Abbey Road studios. The production is underpinned by a visceral, haunting soundscape, and mixed in Dolby Atmos.
Matthew Bellamy and Ilan Eshkeri, co-creators of 1984’s soundtrack jointly shared: “The music we created is more than a soundtrack; it’s a haunting echo of a future that Orwell warned us about and a reflection of our current societal trajectories. It stands as a poignant, musical testament to the enduring power of art to mirror, and challenge, the world we live in.”
Directed by BAFTA award winning Destiny Ekaragha, this Audible Original adaptation, penned by Olivier Award nominated writer Joe White stays faithful to the original text, leaning into the horror of the dystopian setting, whilst going deeper into Winston and Julia’s love story. In a world where love and sex are forbidden, Winston and Julia are the last lovers on earth.
The adaptation has been officially authorised and endorsed by the Orwell Estate with Richard Blair, George Orwell’s son, calling it “sensational” with a “brilliant cast”.
George Orwell’s 1984, an Audible Original, releases globally on 4 April, exactly 40 years after the date of Winston’s first diary entry.
Available now exclusively on Audible here. Audible membership may be required.
e-commerce
ONDC names Vibhor Jain MD and CEO; Rohit Lohia joins as CBO, Manoj Thakur as CTO
Leadership formalised as open commerce network sharpens focus on scale and user value
The Open Network for Digital Commerce has formalised Vibhor Jain as managing director and chief executive officer, cementing a leadership transition at India’s ambitious open commerce platform as it pushes for scale and relevance.
Jain, who had been serving as acting chief executive officer since April last year following the exit of Thampy Koshy, steps into the role with effect from 7th April , according to a report by The Economic Times. He previously served as chief operating officer at the government-backed network, which enables buyers and sellers to transact across applications through an open, interoperable system.
Setting out his strategy, Jain underscored the network’s differentiated architecture. “Going forward, we are concentrating on what open, interoperable infrastructure can uniquely enable, things that no single platform has the incentive or the architecture to do,” he said.
He added that the immediate priority is to widen ONDC’s impact across user cohorts often underserved by platform-led commerce. “My priority is to deepen the value ONDC creates for the people it exists to serve: kisaans, karigars, kiranas, gig workers, first-time investors, and daily commuters across India,” he said.
Jain also flagged leadership reinforcement within the organisation, noting that ONDC has “a strong and exciting leadership team in place”, with Rohit Lohia joining as chief business officer and Manoj Thakur as chief technology officer.
With over 18 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship and consulting, Jain brings a track record in technology-led, large-scale transformation programmes and internet businesses. At ONDC, he has been closely involved in shaping strategy and operations as the network seeks to move digital commerce away from platform-centric models towards an open network approach.
Before ONDC, Jain worked with JUMO, where he helped set up the fintech firm’s India operations, and led the India launch of Mobike, handling regulatory, policy and operational aspects of its market entry. Earlier, he co-founded Atlanta Healthcare, an air quality management company, and spent more than a decade in consulting roles at Andersen and EY, advising governments on public policy and technology-driven reforms, including work on the Aadhaar programme and tax systems.
The mandate is clear but the path is complex. As ONDC attempts to rewrite the rules of digital commerce, Jain now carries the burden of turning open architecture into mass adoption, in a market still dominated by platform power.
