iWorld
Five new movies & shows to catch on Netflix, Prime Video, & Disney+ Hotstar
NEW DELHI: Post the Covid2019 outbreak, OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar have gained massive traction in India. As the second wave of the pandemic is spreading rapidly in the country, people have once again started spending time in their homes, and this trend could further elevate the popularity of streaming services.
In the first half of April, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+Hotstar released several movies and originals, and the streaming platforms have quite a good selection for this week too.
Indiantelevision.com presents you with a list of the five most anticipated movies that will be streamed on OTT platforms in India this week.
Stowaway (Netflix)
Joe Penna's science fiction action thriller Stowaway will drop on Netflix on 22 April. The film stars Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette in the lead roles.
The story revolves around a spaceship crew that discovers an accidental stowaway shortly after takeoff while embarking on a mission to Mars. As resources quickly start dwindling, the spaceship's medical researcher becomes the only one who hopes for a survival, while others expect a grim outcome.
Joe Penna's previous movie was Arctic, another survival drama. Expectations surrounding Stowaway have already reached sky-high as Penna is returning with another sci-fi survival flick.
Venus and Serena (Amazon Prime Video)
Venus Williams and Serena Williams, popularly called the Williams sisters, were once the most prolific talents on tennis courts. A documentary about their life named Venus and Serena will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video on 21 April.
The documentary will portray their glorious career and tournament wins and will show how the duo pushed the limits of longevity in such a demanding sport.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+ Hotstar)
Even though Disney+ Hotstar has no new releases this week, audiences are eagerly waiting for the sixth and final episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier that will be streamed on 23 April.
The series based on Marvel characters premiered on 19 March, and since then fans of Marvel have been eagerly waiting for Fridays to witness new developments in the latest addition to the Marvel cinematic/television universe. As the first season of the show comes to a close on 23 April, fans are expecting a mindblowing conclusion that may set the stage for the next season.
Life in Color with David Attenborough (Netflix)
One of the most anticipated documentaries of the year, Life in Color with David Attenborough begins streaming on Netflix on 22 April. There is a general perception that humans are the only species that can see in colour, but this documentary proves it wrong. Narrated by natural historian Sir David Attenborough, the docuseries tries to show how animals use colours to survive in the wild.
Shadow and Bone (Netflix)
Shadow and Bone is an upcoming fantasy series landing on 23 April on Netflix. Based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse novels, fans of the trilogy are anticipating how the makers will accomplish the screen adaptation. The recently released trailer of the show looks extraordinary, and it clearly indicates that the showrunners are pulling out the stops to present a rich, sweeping fantastical world for viewers.
iWorld
Telcos push for unified rules as spam shifts to OTT platforms
Over 80 per cent fraud moves online, operators seek common framework.
MUMBAI: The spam may have left your phone network but it hasn’t left you alone. India’s telecom operators are once again dialling up the pressure for a unified regulatory framework, warning that fraud is rapidly migrating to internet-based platforms where oversight remains far looser. According to industry communication, a leading operator has written to multiple arms of the government including the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance arguing that tighter controls on traditional telecom networks are inadvertently pushing bad actors towards over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
The concern is not new, but the framing has sharpened. What was once an industry grievance is now being positioned as a consumer protection issue. Operators say that tackling spam in silos no longer works, as fraudsters seamlessly shift across platforms, exploiting regulatory gaps. The result: a moving target that traditional safeguards struggle to contain.
Executives point to a clear shift in fraud patterns. OTT platforms are increasingly being used for phishing links, impersonation scams and bulk unsolicited messaging, with industry estimates suggesting that over 80 per cent of spam activity has now migrated online. In this environment, the lines between telecom networks, messaging apps and financial fraud are blurring fast.
At the heart of the industry’s demand is a call for a technology-neutral regulatory framework, one that applies consistently across telecom and internet-based communication services. Operators argue that the absence of uniform safeguards, such as sender verification systems, robust spam filters and clearly defined accountability mechanisms, has created enforcement blind spots that fraudsters are quick to exploit.
The proposal is straightforward but far-reaching. Telcos are pushing for baseline anti-fraud measures across all communication platforms, alongside faster response systems and deeper coordination between ministries. Given the interconnected nature of telecom networks, digital platforms and financial systems, they argue that fragmented oversight only weakens the overall defence.
The broader issue is regulatory arbitrage, the ability of bad actors to hop between platforms based on which is least regulated at any given time. Without harmonised rules, operators say, efforts to curb fraud risk becoming a game of whack-a-mole.
As digital communication continues to expand, the debate is shifting from who regulates what to how consistently it is regulated. For now, telecom operators are making their case clear: in a world where spam travels freely, regulation cannot afford to stay fragmented.
