Event Coverage
Music session urges for promotion of non film music
MUMBAI: The last day of Ficci Frames 08‘ witnessed a provocative discussion on “Listener‘s Choice: Changing trends in music” among Mobile Entertainment Forum Americas chairman emeritus and founder Ralph Simon, Big Music CEO Kulmeet Makkar, music composers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and Radio Mirchi CEO Prashant Panday. The panel agreed with the Merchant brothers‘ demand that educational institutions to promote music be set up in coordination with corporates so that musicians can be trained. While piracy continues to dog the industry, Simon suggested that creators of music, that is now a contextual backdrop in everything we do, should now look at different platforms and formats to monetise their creations. “Artistes need to become cross platform artistes and music labels need to develop the trust of both the consumer and the artistes”, he pointed out. The Radiohead experience in the US was not just a counter intuitive one, but also a clever publicity stunt that managed to generate a lot of ‘sneezes‘ – a term Simon used to explain the phenomenon of generating interest about a creative product. |
The panelists also argued for the development of non film music in the country, a genre that has suffered while Bollywood music has become overpowering in its reach and grasp. Panday who spoke next, dwelt on the ‘P‘s crucial to the industry – piracy, popularisation of music and pop music that has been ignored in the din of popular Bollywood music. “Radio is able to deliver more music to listeners than TV can,” he pointed out, saying that radio would soon take up more initiatives to find fresh talent. |
Makkar, in his address, said that while physical sales are declining, the coming up of new formats like digitized music would help the industry. One of the major reasons of the fate of music in India being questioned is the pattern of consumption, he pointed out. People are more keen on ownership of carriers and the technology of delivering the music than the content itself, he said. Salim Merchant averred that while there is a vibrant film industry, there is no ‘music industry‘. His contention was that the music today is dependent on the film industry so much so that it does not have its individuality. He focused on the lack of encouragement for indi-pop albums today and how a music composer gets restricted with the certain film briefs. “The problem also lies in” he continued, “the budding talent which is unwilling to learn physical music.Everyone wants to switch to softwares available on their laptops.” The Merchant brothers now look forward to setting up a music school which would educate talent in music. |
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.
