iWorld
ZEE5 India CEO Tarun Katial to chair IAMAIdigital entertainment committee
MUMBAI: ZEE5 India CEO Tarun Katial has been appointed chairman of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) – digital entertainment committee. He takes over from Ajit Mohan, managing director, Facebook India.
Viacom 18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshit has been named the new vice chairman, succeeding Kurate Digital Consulting senior partner Uday Sodhi. The digital entertainment committee at IAMAI represents all prominent members of the video on demand and audio on-demand companies such as Netflix, Zee5, Prime Video, Hotstar, Sony Liv, Viacom18, RJio Studios, MX Player, Hungama, Discovery, Hoichoi, Arre, Hooq, Gaana, Saavn, Flickstree among others.
IAMAI has been in communication with MEITY, MIB and MHA during the lockdown period as the liaison between the industry and government officials. The association has earlier communicated to the officials about the collective efforts taken by the sector to assuage the impact of lockdown, and suggested an industry SoP for the sector to resume operations post lockdown.
ZEE5 India CEO Tarun Katial said, “The digital entertainment sector, similar to the rest of the economy, is going through challenging times due to Covid2019. At IAMAI, our immediate task at hand would be to seek support from the Government, policymakers, local authorities to resume production activities at the earliest. This would go a long way in supporting various supply chain linkages, citizen’s livelihood and contribution to the national exchequer.”
IAMAI has also identified some larger issues which have emerged due to the current pandemic and the same will be raised with the MIB on priority. In addition to these, some long pending issues hindering the growth of the sector will also be discussed.
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iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
