iWorld
Planet Marathi Group & Vistas Media launch ‘Planet Bharat’
Mumbai: Planet Marathi Group, a pioneering force in the entertainment sector, join hands with Vistas Media to launch an innovative OTT platform called ‘Planet Bharat’. This new OTT will showcase high-quality local language content across a diverse range of formats, languages, dialects and genres. Befitting its name, Planet Bharat is being announced this Independence Day and will be launched in November, 2023.
As a groundbreaking development in Indian entertainment, Planet Bharat will address the need for hyperlocal content across multiple languages. Planet Bharat is a hybrid model of SVOD, TVOD, and AVOD, powered by proprietary technology. The super app, aims to produce, license and deliver meaningful content and promote content as the ‘hero’, setting it apart from other OTTs in the market. There exists a need to fill the gap in the industry, where certain types of content have been neglected or underserved, while costs remain unjustifiably high. By focusing on creating and licensing, a highly localized and relevant content, Planet Bharat will offer a refreshing, cost effective and value-driven entertainment experience for its viewers. Planet Bharat aims to bring forward exceptional multilingual content slates from various Indian languages, instilling a sense of pride in its viewers. The name Planet Bharat symbolizes the local and global character of our nation, highlighting the honor of being truly Indian in a globalised world.
The super app will also be a social entertainment platform with feature films, series, music, infotainment, non-fiction, social gaming, wallets and use various advanced technologies like AI powered personalization, voice commands, among other advanced tech features.
National award winner Planet Marathi Group founder and CEO Akshay Bardapurkar expressed his thoughts on the launch, stating, “It is essential that we elevate the standards of creating and consuming Indian content. Our country is home to numerous languages, each possessing its own unique power and potential that remains largely untapped. There is a significant void in exceptional content from India across languages, and Planet Bharat aims to bridge that gap. With the launch of Planet Bharat, we strive to create a unified one stop destination, where audiences across the globe can enjoy and embrace the diverse cultural heritage that India has to offer.”
Planet Marathi Group has already achieved great success with the world’s first and only exclusive Marathi OTT platform, Planet Marathi OTT. They have delivered cutting-edge and exceptional content like “Raanbaazaar”, the nationally acclaimed “June,” and record-breaking successful movies like “Chandramukhi.”
Planet Marathi OTT platform-partner, Vistas Media has also produced high quality content across formats, languages and genres in India such as Bhonsle, JL-50, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai, Nakkash in Hindi, along with writer and J-Baby in Tamil, and AB Aani CD in Marathi. Further the group has produced / co-produced films in Hollywood such as The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, Son and The Featherweight (in co-production with Hollywood’s Appian Way Films).
With the introduction of Planet Bharat, the group aims to strengthen its position across key languages in India. By tirelessly working to enhance the output of truly Indian content, Planet Marathi Group has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to horizontal and vertical growth, establishing itself as an unstoppable force in the Indian entertainment landscape.
Vistas Media CEO Abhayanand Singh said, “Our country is made up of various languages, cultures and dialects and often, many of them get neglected for various reasons. Planet Bharat aims to bring the whole nation together, wherein we will celebrate the diversity of our culture with a significant representation across segments.”
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
