iWorld
Agatha Christie’s acclaimed novel “The Sittaford Mystery” is adapted for Sony LIV
Mumbai: The detective fiction mystery novel ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ written by legendary British novelist and crime genre queen Agatha Christie, will be adapted for Sony LIV.
The original, titled ‘Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley,’ is directed by Bhardwaj’s home banner, Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures, and produced by Priti Shahani’s Tusk Tale Films in association with Agatha Christie Limited.
The series will follow Charlie Chopra’s journey to solve a deep mystery set in the snow-capped mountains of Himachal Pradesh.
Vishal Bhardwaj, along with Anjum Rajabali and Jyotsna Hariharan, serves as the show’s co-screenwriter in addition to his roles as director and co-producer.
Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Paoli Dam are among the series’ impressive ensemble cast members.
Sony LIV content head Saugata Mukherjee said, “Detective fiction has been a perennial favourite with our audience and what better than an Agatha Christie novel. We are delighted to be bringing one of her classics ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ adapted rather skilfully in an Indian setting by none other than Vishal Bhardwaj. We are thrilled to have Vishal onboard as his ingenuity in adapting literary classics remains unrivalled.”
Director and producer Vishal Bhardwaj said, “I grew up devouring all Agatha Christie mysterious tales. Her plots, characters and setting remain unparalleled in the genre and continue to excite storytellers even today. It has been an incredible journey collaborating with James Prichard , great grandson of Agatha Christie, who always brought unique perspectives to our team. Sony LIV and Priti Shahani have been the perfect partners for me to adapt this thrilling and mysterious world.”
Tusk Tale Films Private Ltd. founder Priti Shahani said, “Working with Vishal Bhardwaj as the director of Sony LIV’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “The Sittaford Mystery” is truly an exciting journey. His ability to attract the right combination of talent and his artistry of bringing uniqueness and colour in each character make his stories truly captivating. This adaptation will be a beautiful representation of Agatha Christie’s original work.”
Agatha Christie Ltd. CEO James Prichard said, “My great grandmother has many fans in India and I am really excited for them to enjoy this adaptation by Vishal Bhardwaj which takes the story of The Sittaford Mystery and reimagines it in India.”
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
