iWorld
Top OTT series to light up your Diwali with entertainment
Mumbai: The festival of Diwali is just around the corner and what’s better than the extended festive weekend to get cozy with family and friends, create joyous moments, and cherish memories? While celebrating outside is fun, binge-watching a range of incredible shows with your loved ones will definitely make the festivities even brighter. From romance, comedy, and drama to thriller and mystery, the popular streaming platforms have got it all covered for everyone’s delight and taste. For the starry night of Diwali and the heartwarming vibes of Bhaidooj, here’s a list of shows to light up your world with entertainment this festive season.
Crushed S3
With the first 2 seasons being runaway hits, Crushed is returning with its Season 3 to win over everyone’s hearts with its adorable storyline. Following the journey of students as they navigate love and understanding the meaning of commitments, relations and their complexities, the series delves deeper into the life of teenagers, set in picturesque hills of Dehradun. The romantic drama features Aadhya Anand, Naman Jain, Arjun Deshwal and Urvi Singh amongst others.
Where to watch: Amazon miniTV
Aarya S3
After two successful seasons, Aarya Sareen is forming new coalitions in her pursuit of dominance, returning to face both old and new foes. The series, which is co-directed by Shraddha Pasi Jairath, Kapil Sharma, and Ram Madhvani, presents an engrossing drama that carries on the compelling plot of its predecessors. The drama, which stars Sushmita Sen, Vikas Kumar, Ila Arun, Vishwajeet Pradhan, and Sikandar Kher, transports viewers to a world to a dangerous and mysterious world of money-driven society.
Where to watch: Disney+ Hotstar
Hack Crimes Online
Chasing and digging deeper into the dark world of cybercrime, the series takes a strong stand against the criminal activities occurring in the digital world. Hack Crimes Online follows the devious acts of hackers and online frauds to steal money and private information including bank scams, corporate hacking, cyberbullying, and honey traps. Adapted from a novel by India’s prominent cyber-crime investigator, Amit Dubey, the series features Vipul Gupta and Riddhi Kumar in significant roles.
Where to watch: Amazon miniTV
Aspirants S2
Bringing back the stellar cast of Naveen Kasturia, Shivankit Singh Parihar, Abhilash Thapliyal, Sunny Hinduja and Namita Dubey, Aspirants S2 explores the intricacies of friendships and the difficulties of making the move to the working world. Navigating through the lives of our favorite trio Abhilash, Guri and SK, along with Sandeep Bhaiya, the series canvasses their back-breaking journey of dreams and ambitions. Escalating between love, career and their life goal, the series delves deeper into the world of IAS aspirants and administrative world.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Half Love Half Arranged
This romantic comedy series delving into the realm of arranged dating, revolves around the life of a millennial gynaecologist Riya Tanwar. With strict rules and a meticulously organized lifestyle, her life takes a turn where she gets stuck in the middle of arranged marriage drama filled with a roller coaster of emotions. With Maanvi Gagroo and Karan Wahi in the lead roles, this rom-com treasure offers a healthy mix of family relationships, humour, insane arranged matches, romance, and friendship.
Where to watch: Amazon miniTV
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
