Applications
Hungama takes ‘Billu’ to social networking sites
MUMBAI: Gone are the days when social networking sites were only used as platforms to rekindle old friendships. Today, the space conveys a definite opportunity to digital marketing where it can be explicitly utilised to connect with the right set of target audiences. And, this is what Red Chillies Entertainment‘s Billu has rightly discovered. The film has tied up with Hungama Digital Media Entertainment to launch the special ‘Dosti Ke Rang, Shahrukh Ke Sang’ application wherein Hungama is creating a collision of the film world of Billu and the digital world of social networking networks. |
Part of the film’s marketing and promotion activities, the application will help create a reunion between an individual and his/her old friends over the web. Once the application is downloaded, individuals can create a group photograph of their gangs wherein Shah Rukh Khan will be a part of it, standing in the centre of the picture. Each picture will be signed by the actor himself. The application will also allow individuals to interact on a designated message board with the gang. Furthermore, Khan will pick one gang and attend their actual reunion, hosted by Hungama Digital. |
Hungama Digital Media Entertainment MD and CEO Neeraj Roy said, “With Billu, Hungama has taken the theme of the movie and created a relevant product for the digital platform. The application ‘Dosti Ke Rang, Shahrukh Ke Sang’ brings alive the theme of the film on social networking sites, which are also catalysts in reconnecting old friends.” Meanwhile, Hungama has also developed four other products as part of the ‘Billu promotion initiative‘ across the digital and mobile space. |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
