iWorld
Mirzapur season 2 set to release this October
KOLKATA: During pandemic, there was one question that kept popping on social media was- ‘When will season two of Mirzapur come?’ Keeping up the excitement, Amazon Prime Video today announced that the second season of its much anticipated Amazon Original Series Mirzapur, will launch on 23 October, 2020.
Set in Mirzapur, the hinterland of North India, season one of the crime drama had taken the audiences into a dark, complex world of guns, drugs and lawlessness. It’s the relentless pace, well etched-out characters and nuanced narrative had left the fans wanting more.
With Season 2, the canvas of Mirzapur gets bigger but the rules remain the same. The much awaited Amazon Original Series is created and produced by Excel Media and Entertainment and will launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
Speaking on this momentous announcement, Amazon Prime Video India Originals head Aparna Purohit commented, “Mirzapur has truly been a game-changer title for us. The show heralded a new idiom of storytelling for Indian audiences – its characters have become a part of popular culture. We are certain that the riveting narrative of season 2 will leave our audiences mesmerized once again. ”
“Excel Entertainment has received immense love for constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to creating impactful and powerful content,” Excel Entertainment producer Ritesh Sidhwani said. “Mirzapur was a step in that endeavor. It was not just about breaking boundaries for the audiences, but also for ourselves as content creators. Bringing thrilling and untold stories from India’s hinterland without losing authenticity has been our biggest win. All the praise that season one of Mirzapur has received, not just in India, but across the globe, is heartening. It pushes Excel Entertainment and Amazon Prime Video to continue the momentum with the second season of the show,” he added.
“The love and the appreciation that the show has garnered since its launch has been simply overwhelming. Taking it a notch higher, we’re certain that the audiences are in for a visual treat in the sequel” creator Puneet Krishna said. “Seeing their excitement for season 2 for months now made each one of us deliver a performance that matches up to the scale at which the show has now placed itself. We are thrilled to take the fans to another dynamic world of Mirzapur that they have been waiting for a very long time,” he further added.
The series is produced by Excel Media and Entertainment, created by Puneet Krishna and directed by Gurmeet Singh and Mihir Desai.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
