iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar forges partnerships with health and fitness leaders Brilliant Wellness, Cult.Fit and Sarva
MUMBAI: Disney+ Hotstar is now offering global health and wellness content to its subscribers. With the aim to strengthen the health and fitness category, Disney+ Hotstar has entered into a strategic alliance with Brilliant Wellness to introduce value-added content from top fitness experts, yoga and spiritual gurus, along with celebrity nutritionists spread across more than 100 fitness programs. Additionally, Indian start-ups and game-changers Sarva and Cult.Fit, known for their state-of-the-art workout models, have also come on board with Disney+ Hotstar to instil a healthy lifestyle and fitness regime among audiences bound by social distancing and lockdown restrictions.
According to industry studies of the Indian fitness market in December 2019, India spent $350-400 towards fitness services, which amounted to a market size worth $2.6 billion. As per estimations by Brilliant Wellness, there are about 200 million people in India seeking fitness services and this market is growing at a CAGR of ten per cent. There has been a significant shift in outlook when it comes to health due to the Covid2019 pandemic. People are now more inclined towards virtual workouts and are on a constant lookout for interactive sessions.
With the endeavour to increase access and enhance the consumer experience with regards to high-intensity interval training, yoga, gym workouts, and other forms of cardio exercises, Disney+ Hotstar, along with Brilliant Wellness, Cult.Fit and Sarva, has introduced a wide variety of content to choose from the all-new health and fitness library. Disney+ Hotstar will bring 3,000 pieces of content in English, Hindi and Telugu on the platform. The category and offerings are aimed at helping viewers monitor and maintain their wellness quotient while quarantining at home, and even after, as and when they resume their normal lives.
On partnering with leaders in the health and wellness domain, Disney+ Hotstar spokesperson said, “The alliance with these three industry leaders in health and fitness has provided the necessary impetus to our mission to connect with our audience in ways that help them lead happier lives. Health and fitness has become extremely important in our stressful lives, and never more so than today. With free access to video offerings tailor-made to suit the staying-at-home population, workout regimes that can be done through the day and fitness mantras to suit the current times, we want to help people to be healthy. To make this relevant across India, our content will be available in English, Hindi as well as Telugu. Going forward, we will also provide content in Kannada.”
Celebrity Malaika Arora said, "Now more than ever, people are excited about trying new modes of working out because they have realised that this is the new normal. Sarva's app is a huge step in this direction and our association with Disney+ Hotstar is to fuel this fire. We hope it'll help us reach a wider set of audience and open them up to consuming daily content on an everyday platform. We're excited to see how it'll perform and the reaction to it.”
Speaking about the strategic alliance with Disney+ Hotstar, Brilliant Wellness found and director Adarsh Gupta said, “The current pandemic has really brought fitness and immunity building to the top of the agenda. Our current estimate is that India has an addressable market of over 200 million people, who are at various levels in their journey to fitness. Over the last five years we have worked tirelessly to create the most definitive library of do-it-along home-based workout content with India’s leading experts that addresses every conceivable need of people in the space of yoga/fitness/celebrity fitness/nutrition and gym workouts. We are happy to announce a strategic tie up with Disney+ Hotstar to power this category with the intention of making a positive difference in the lives of their subscribers.”
Cult.fit growth and business head Naresh Krishnaswamy said, “With the Covid-19 induced lockdown, we have seen a surge in the number of users on our platform. Since we also conduct online live fitness sessions, we have witnessed a 3x increase in the amount of time its users spend on cult.live. At a time when there is such a demand for health and fitness, the partnership with Disney+ Hotstar will prove to be strategically viable for both businesses. Together our objective is to expand the reach and help users avail the best content we have to offer from the comfort of their homes.”
Elaborating on the collaboration, Sarva founder Sarvesh Shashi said, "The past two months have only shown us the opportunity for health and fitness as an industry and this association with Disney+ Hotstar is a huge step towards tapping that opportunity. Yoga as a category and Yoga for immunity specifically has seen a huge surge in the last two months, given the increased importance in building immunity amid the global pandemic. We're excited to see where this association is headed and how many new doors it opens for us.”
iWorld
Prime Video and Hrithik Roshan reunite for quirky heist comedy Mess
HRX Films expands pact with quirky heist comedy set for production
MUMBAI: Prime Video is doubling down on its partnership with Hrithik Roshan, announcing a new comedy film Mess that promises chaos, chuckles and a clever twist on the classic heist.
Produced by Hrithik Roshan and Eshaan Roshan under HRX Films, a division of FilmKraft Productions, the film is being made in association with Soda Films Lab. Directed by Rajesh A Krishnan, Mess marks the second collaboration between the streaming platform and HRX Films after the upcoming thriller Storm.
At the heart of Mess lies an unusual premise. A group of robbers break into the home of a man with OCD, only to find themselves outmatched in a night-long standoff that flips the script on who is really in control. It is a set-up that blends tension with humour, turning a break-in into a breakdown of expectations.
Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok said, “A good story should surprise and entertain, and Mess does both with ease. It brings together a unique premise, memorable characters and a tone that keeps you laughing throughout.”
He added that the collaboration with HRX Films continues to grow stronger, with the new film reflecting a shared appetite for bold and original storytelling.
Hrithik Roshan said, “After Storm, Mess feels like a natural next step in our journey with Prime Video. The film captures the kind of unconventional storytelling we want to champion, with Rajesh bringing a distinctive voice to the narrative.”
Director Rajesh A Krishnan said, “The world of Mess is a mix of comedy and chaos, unusual enough to keep audiences on edge while still delivering humour. It has been a deeply collaborative and creatively fulfilling experience.”
The original screenplay comes from Paul Soter, with adaptation and dialogues by Kapil Sawant, adding another layer of craft to the film’s offbeat narrative.
As production gears up, Mess looks ready to live up to its name, serving up a delightful tangle of mayhem, mischief and movie magic for audiences in India and beyond.
