Hindi
Akshay Kumar to inaugurate IFFI this year
MUMBAI: It‘s official. Akshay Kumar will inaugurate the ten-day International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that gets underway 20th November in Goa.
It needs to be noted that the name of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan was doing rounds to inaugurate the annual film festival.
“Akshay Kumar will be inaugurating the IFFI this year,” said Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) vice chairman Vishnu Wagh.
Wagh also said that the inauguration of the IFFI this time around could move from being ritually held indoors to a picturesque river jetty located in the city itself.
“It will be a much grander event this year with over 2,500 people attending it, as against the 1,000 odd invitees, who were traditionally invited every year,” Wagh observed.
“The government of Goa would be spending around Rs.9 crore for the 10-day event. The central government will only foot the bill for the inaugural and closing ceremonies,” he added.
Hindi
Kridhan Infra enters film production with AI-led feature film
Infra firm debuts AI-powered film marking RSS centenary
MUMBAI: Kridhan Infra Limited is swapping hard hats for headsets. The infrastructure company has announced its entry into film production and media technology through its subsidiary, Kridhan Mediatech Private Limited, with the nationwide theatrical release of Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-led feature film.
With Shatak, the company is not just stepping into cinema but staking a claim in what it describes as one of the world’s early full-length AI-driven feature films. Artificial Intelligence has been embedded across the creative and production process, from script visualisation and environment creation to modelling and production design.
The film commemorates 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, tracing defining moments, personalities and historical phases that shaped its journey. By combining archival storytelling with algorithm-powered creativity, the project attempts to blend heritage with high technology.
For Kridhan Mediatech, this is only the opening scene. The subsidiary’s broader ambition spans AI, CGI, virtual production systems and scalable content models for both theatres and digital platforms. The move signals a strategic diversification for Kridhan Infra, traditionally rooted in engineering and construction.
The timing aligns with India’s growing push to become a global AI powerhouse. At the 2026 AI Impact Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi urged innovators to design in India and deliver to the world. Kridhan Mediatech’s initiative positions itself squarely within that narrative, aiming to export technology-enabled storytelling beyond domestic audiences.
India’s media and entertainment industry, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, alongside a rapidly expanding AI economy projected to cross Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the coming years, offers fertile ground at the intersection of cinema and code.
“With Shatak, we proudly present one of the world’s first AI-led full-length feature films while marking our strategic entry into film production and media technology through our subsidiary,” the company said in a statement. “Our vision is to combine India’s rich narrative heritage with forward-looking innovation. This is just the beginning of building globally competitive, technology-enabled cinematic experiences.”
From infrastructure to imagination, Kridhan’s latest venture suggests that in today’s India, even storytelling can be engineered.
