iWorld
Plan B takes centre stage as Chaniya Toli plots Its OTT heist
MUMBAI: Some plans whisper their way in. Others march straight up, smirk, and dare you to keep up. Chaniya Toli firmly belongs to the second kind. After a successful theatrical run that saw it emerge as the second highest-grossing Gujarati film of 2025, the film has now made its digital debut on Shemaroome, extending its offbeat charm to home screens and reaffirming the streamer’s appetite for stories that refuse to colour inside the lines.
Led by Yash Soni alongside Netri Trivedi, Chetan Dahiya, Heena Varde, Maulik Nayak, Sohni Bhatt, Kalpana Gagdekar and Jay Bhatt, Chaniya Toli starts as a personal search for purpose and swiftly snowballs into something far more audacious. At its heart is an outrageous scheme designed to outwit those responsible for pushing a village into financial despair. The real twist, however, lies in who drives the plan forward.
As the plot thickens, it is the women of the village who step into the spotlight, dismantling expectations and emerging as the backbone of the operation. What unfolds is less a conventional heist and more a playful act of rebellion, where community spirit and collective courage do the heavy lifting. Or, as the film cheekily suggests, sometimes the best plans are the ones nobody sees coming.
Speaking about the film’s digital premiere, Soni said the story’s unpredictability was its biggest draw, noting how the narrative constantly nudges the audience into doubting the plan, only to make it work in the most entertaining ways. The strong theatrical response, he added, made the OTT release a natural next step.
With its blend of humour, tension and social commentary, Chaniya Toli positions itself as more than just a caper. It is a celebration of everyday people daring to challenge their fate, with women leading from the front and logic gleefully put on trial.
Now streaming on Shemaroome, the film invites viewers into a world where intentions blur, plans spiral, and one improbably clever idea keeps everyone guessing right till the end.
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.
