iWorld
Amazon Prime Video creates a Guinness World Record with an iconic LIVE performance of The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, music album
MUMBAI: Marking the launch of much-awaited Amazon Original Series The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, Prime Video successfully created a Guinness World Record for The Largest Indian Cinematic Music Band with an iconic live performance of the show’s album. The evening saw 1000 musicians from across the country coming together to perform songs from the series’ album, composed by Pritam. The operatic musical recital served as a prelude, as the country gears up to celebrate its 70th Republic Day.
Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Country General Manager, Amazon Prime Video India, said, “The Amazon Original Series The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, its music album and this live musical evening is our humble tribute to the Azad Hind Fauj. The show endeavors to bring back to public memory, the long forgotten sacrifice of the brave Indian National Army (INA) soldiers. The LIVE 1000 band features musicians from across the country and brings to live the ethos of The Forgotten Army – a collective for all, bound by their common goal. We are delighted that the album and this musical event have made its mark in history by creating a coveted Guinness World Record for The Largest Indian Cinematic Music Band. We are hopeful that our Freedom Anthem – Azaadi, will strike a chord across the country, and serve as tribute to our soldiers – those remembered and cherished and those forgotten.”
Commenting on the grand musical event, Pritam said, “I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to witness and be part this unique live performance with this collective of talented musicians, in memory of the valiant soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj. This Republic Day, let's all take a moment to understand the forgotten history and the sacrifice of the Indian National Army. ”
Creator and Director, Kabir Khan said, “My first film-making project was a documentary by the same name – The Forgotten Army. More than two decades back I travelled with INA veterans, retracing their journey from the 1940s, only to realize that so few Indians knew of their struggles or their fight for freedom. Despite their valor, they became a foot-note in India’s Independence history. I vowed to tell their story to India and to the world. On the occasion of India’s 70th Republic day, the release of The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, is my attempt to take their story to the world. The album from the show, today’s musical serenade by the LIVE 1000 band, all capture the very spirit of the Azad Hind Fauj.”
“It was a spectacular performance with the highest level of proficiency. It’s my great pleasure to be present here to be able to see and listen to the Largest Indian Cinematic Music band. A great way to mark the launch of Amazon Original Series – The Forgotten Army, and a tribute to the heroes of the past in the grand way of 1000 participants in the band. I would like to congratulate Amazon Prime Video on becoming Officially Amazing!” said Swapnil Dangarikar, Official Adjudicator, Guinness World Records.
The LIVE 1000 brings together talented musicians from around the world on a journey that they will undertake together. Musicians performing at the concert, hail from cities across the country – Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, Goa, Assam, Sikkim to name a few . Some artists have even joined in from other countries such as Kenya, Malaysia and UAE. In the band are also members who are visually impaired and differently abled, united by their passion for music. The performance features an interesting mix of varied influences with artists who are well-versed in multiple genres of music from POP, Jazz, Indian Classical, Rock to Metal and Folk. The band comprises of over six hundred and fifty vocalists, two hundred and fifty acoustic guitarists, eighty drummers and percussionists, fifteen performers on varied string instruments, five brass players, one electric guitarist, one bass guitarist, one keyboardist and two sitar players.
The title track of Amazon Original The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, has been composed by Pritam, featuring the soulful voices of Arijit Singh and Tushar Joshi with lyrics written by Shloke Lal and Kausar Munir.
Created and Directed by Kabir Khan, The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye features Sunny Kaushal and Sharvari as leads and release on Amazon Prime Video on the 24th of January 2020.
Amazon Prime Video has the largest selection of latest & exclusive movies and TV shows, Stand-Up Comedy, biggest Indian and Hollywood films, US TV series, most popular Indian & international kids’ shows, and award-winning Amazon Originals, all available, ad-free, with a world class customer experience. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.
To watch The Forgotten Army and the newest releases in Hollywood & Bollywood, the latest US TV shows, kids’ favorite toons and other Amazon Originals, please visit www.PrimeVideo.com or download the Amazon Prime Video app today and sign-up for a Prime membership only at INR 999 annually or INR 129 monthly.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
