Event Coverage
FremantleMedia to produce telenovela for Dutch channel Talpa
CANNES: FremantleMedia, a prominent international content creator, producer and distributor, has secured a commission with new Dutch channel Talpa for telenovela Betty La Fea.
This was announced today by FremantleMedia-owned Dutch production company Blue Circle managing director Monica Galer.
The deal will see the production of 200 episodes of Betty La Fea with an air date set for January 2006. The German adaptation of Betty La Fea, known locally as Verliebt In Berlin, has performed fantastically well.
Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India had secured the same format to create a primetime soap Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. The show went on to become one of the successful stories of Indian television.
Blue Cricle managing director Monica Galer says: “We are delighted with this latest commission. Talpa is the perfect home for Betty La Fea: the show is sure to bring the channel great ratings and a loyal audience and Talpa will give the production the high-quality profile it so keenly deserves.”
Betty La Fea follows the story of Betty, a brilliant economist with a masters degree in finance. She’s bright, dedicated and innovative. She has only one flaw. She is ugly.
Betty has given up hope of finding anyone who will see past her looks and so concentrates her energies into her work. But now she needs a job. Fed up with being constantly rejected, Betty applies for a secretarial role at Eco Moda, a top fashion house.
Armando, Betty’s potential boss, is taken aback by Betty’s appearance. Could he hire someone so ugly? Once more it seems her looks will stop her getting the job. And it seems as if Armando’s fiancee, Marcela, will install her friend in the role instead.
But Armando has other ideas. Much to the surprise of his colleagues, Armando gives Betty a job.
Despite Betty’s clumsiness, Armando begins to realise her strengths. She extricates him from illicit romantic dalliances, and keeps fiancee Marcela off his case. And Betty’s brilliant business acumen means that a sister company she runs outstrips Eco Moda.
Meanwhile, Betty is falling helplessly and hopelessly in love with Armando. She knows that Armando is way out of her league but Betty pines from afar.
Eco Moda’s fortunes slump further and Armando realises that it is on the brink of ruin. Only Betty can help him. Armando knows she is madly in love with him so attempts to seduce her to secure her help. Betty knows Armando is using her – but part of her wants to succumb, if he’ll only love her.
Will Betty ignore the alarm bells in her head and leave Armando to be ruined? Or will she take his false affection and risk having her heart broken terribly?
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.
