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One Digital talent Prajakta Koli gets global recognition
MUMBAI: It’s champagne-popping time at One Digital. For both COO and cofounder Gurpreet Singh and One Digital talent Prajakta Koli otherwise known as Mostly Sane. For starters, a short film starring her is to be screened in a prestigious New York festival in mid-June. Twelve days later, when the forty-eighth daytime Emmy Awards show is telecast on Paramount+ it will become clear whether the Emmy-nominated YouTube Original documentary 2020 Creators for Change will hold aloft the shiny globe carrying golden lady.
The documentary features former First Lady Michelle Obama in conversation with Prajakta, Liza Koshy and Thembe Mahlaba and tracks the experiences of adolescent girls in Vietnam, India, and Namibia overcoming adversity to pursue their education. Prior to her rendezvous with Michelle Obama, Prajakta had travelled to Lucknow and interacted with the students of Prerna Foundation to get a better perspective on the challenges of education in smaller districts and towns of India.
Aside from this massive feat, her maiden acting innings will be recognised globally with her short film, Khayali Pulao, being screened at north America’s oldest and most prestigious Indian film festival, the New York Indian Film Festival which will be held from 4 June to 13 June 2021. The film, produced by One Digital Entertainment, revolves around a 17-year-old small town girl’s attempt to get into the local girl’s handball team. The film navigates between her struggles as an amateur handball enthusiast to her triumph in breaking ancient stereotypes and traditional archetypes associated with womenfolk. With grassroot-level girl empowerment forming the crux of the narrative, the film which has won critical acclaim subjectively touched upon themes like inevitability of freedom of choice, banishment of archaic prejudices and importance of street hustle.
Says Prajakta: “..this news is unbelievable. The Emmys are such prestigious awards. Being nominated for a project this special is a win in itself. Big hugs to YouTube and Michelle Obama for giving me the opportunity of being a part of something so amazing. Another very special project has been Khayali Pulao. A film, very very close to my heart. Getting noticed across the globe on such a precious platform is our honour. Thanks to the jury of the New York Indian Film Festival.”
On the workfront, after her notable acting stint in Netflix’s Mismatched, Prajakta will be seen essaying a pivotal role in Jug Jugg Jeeyo also starring Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani.
With over 6.1 million subscribers on YouTube and over 3.7 million followers on Instagram, MostlySane is a household name acknowledged for narrating relatable comic skits that have a strong connect with viewers. Known for being an active campaigner for socially relevant youth centric issues, she tackled subjects such as body image and online bullying with “Shameless” as part of her campaign #iPledgeToBeMe which she launched on World Mental Health Day in 2016.
Being a global ambassador for YouTube’s Creators For Change, she threw light on trolling, female subjugation and homophobia through No Offence which was showcased on International Tolerance Day at the United Nations headquarters in New York. In 2018 Prajakta was seen in WhatsApp’s first ever TVC which addressed the importance of not spreading fake news. Later in the same year she partnered with YouTube for Social Impact Girl’s Education campaign, with Instagram on their Safer Internet Week campaign and One.org for their Girl Education campaign. In 2019 she was invited by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their annual Goalkeepers Summit.
Recently India’s foremost female content creator announced Pretty Fit, a light-hearted six-episode fitness-based chat show featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sanya Malhotra, Malishka Mendonsa, Mithila Palkar, Neha Kakkar and Sumukhi Suresh. Being one of the first creators in the world to interview American technology veteran, Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube , Pretty Fit also marked a first for the 26-year-old digital superstar who became India’s first content creator to have her own YouTube Originals. Prajakta was part of Unite, a 24 hours live streamathon organised by Call to Unite and Room To Read to promote education amongst children during this pandemic and included global personalities like George Bush, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner and many more.
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
