Event Coverage
Sports stops becoming entertainment when there is emotional connect
MUMBAI: Does sports stop being entertainment when one starts rooting for a team and gets emotionally attached to the game?
Interestingly, this was one of the comments that came forth during a discussion at the Ficci Frames which sought to examine the correlation between sports and entertainment. Former cricket Ajay Jadeja sought to link the two by saying that the involvement of Bollywood was the key to the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Other speakers were Triplecom Media chairman and CEO Kunal Dasgupta, actor Rahul Bose and former Indian hockey captain Viren Rasquinha.
It was noted that the IPL Governing Council glamourised the event to expand its reach, and people who otherwise would not have come for cricket came to see Shah Rukh Khan and other celebrities. Dasgupta admitted that when Max started on the IPL journey, the focus was more on entertainment rather than on emotion.
Bose said the game was beginning to be taken more seriously then as mere entertainment. Dasgupta noted that women and kids have now started watching the IPL. He admitted that bringing in Mandira Bedi in 2003 had been aimed at bringing in the glamorous quotient.
Even the IPL succeeded only because of the entry of giants as franchises of teams, he said. “The BCCI initially did not want to go the franchise route for the IPL. We told them to do this and allow for celebrity ownership and not just faceless corporates. This helped put a face on teams that people relate with’.
At the session it was also noted that actors are more effective marketing tools than cricketers even in the sporting world. It was observed that this was why more Shah Rukh Khan T-shirts are sold than those of Saurav Ganguly or any other cricketer. Indians have grown up more with Bollywood as opposed to sports, and cinema has been a cultural centre. In any case, it was said that cricketers or other sportspersons are not as savvy as actors when it came to marketing themselves.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
