iWorld
ALTBalaji’s apharan now available for Amazon Alexa users
MUMBAI: “Kehte hain jaane waale laut kar nahin aate. Galat kehte hain!”, this popular dialogue from Apharan on ALTBalaji is just one of the many reasons why, one of the best suspense thrillers in the Indian OTT space enjoys such a high mass appeal. As massification of OTT grips the nation and the globe, ALTBalaji decided to up the ante and take the show to Alexa users to reach out further to internet connected consumers across the country.
Amazon India is working with developers to expand Alexa’s India focused skills, and ALTBalaji is very proud to be one of the early adopters to get on to the platform. Till date 100 million devices with Alexa built in have been sold across the globe. As per an Accenture report, 150 million users will be using voice in India this year in the form of a voice assistant and search. With a huge proliferation of these devices into more and more Indian homes, fans of ALTBalaji web-series can now seamlessly sample their favourite shows right from the Alexa eco-system.
Riding on the back of some stellar acting, cinematography, dialogues and a crisp plot, Apharan became the talk of the town and has garnered an unprecedented IMDb rating of 9.2/10 as well as claimed a host of awards for best actors and best direction. In order to immerse themselves in the gritty, entertaining world of Senior Inspector Rudra Shrivastava, filled with its myriad surprises and suspense, all that a user would have to say is, “Alexa, Enable Apharan”. In addition to the trailer, Alexa users now also get seamless access to Apharan’s title track, dialogues, interesting trivia and jokes that further amplifies the entertainment quotient.
Speaking about the integration, Divya Dixit — Senior VP and Head Marketing, ALTBalaji, said, “With Alexa being a market leader in the smart-connected devices space, this is further going to expand our reach to a larger demographic. We have already carved out a niche in the industry through our originals, and with this one of a kind innovation with Alexa, we are providing another touchpoint to users to interact with one of our most iconic shows and we will expand this association to more shows from us. Apharan… Sabka Katega continues to win accolades and unprecedented adulation amongst the masses.”
Varun Badola – Actor and Dialogue writer said, “Apharan is a very special show for me and I am completely indebted to the audiences for making the dialogues so memorable and viral. I couldn’t have asked for a better platform than Alexa to reach out to and engage with the tech savvy audiences of today, in a fun manner that’s never seen before.
Building on the legacy of creating iconic shows, ALTBalaji’s exclusive content library has built a catalogue of more than 42 Originals like ‘Apharan,’ ‘Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain,’ ‘Home,’ ‘Gandii Baat’, ‘The Test Case’, ‘Bose: Dead or Alive’ among others, which continue to be lauded by viewers across the globe.
iWorld
Prime Video unveils trailer for Tamil series Exam, streaming May 15
Dushara Vijayan, Aditi Balan headline scam thriller set in exam world
CHENNAI: Prime Video has dropped the official trailer of its upcoming Tamil Original series Exam, a high-stakes suspense drama set in the murky world of competitive entrance exams.
Backed by creative producers Pushkar and Gayatri under Wallwatcher Films, the seven-episode series is written and directed by National Award-winner A. Sarkunam. It stars Dushara Vijayan and Aditi Balan in lead roles, with Abbas playing a pivotal character.
Set in the fictional town of Thykara, the series follows Jhansi, played by Dushara Vijayan, as she attempts to expose a deep-rooted scam, aided by her mentor Jayachandran, played by Abbas. Standing in her way is DSP Maramalli, portrayed by Aditi Balan, setting up a tense face-off driven by ambition, pressure and moral choices.
The show will stream from May 15 on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories. It will be available in Tamil, with dubbed versions in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada, along with subtitles in 15 languages.
Writer-director A. Sarkunam said the story aims to resonate across geographies and social strata, going beyond the scam to explore ambition, pressure and the consequences of personal choices. He added that the narrative unfolds through the intersecting journeys of Jhansi and Maramalli, building tension as their worlds collide.
Dushara Vijayan described Jhansi as a fierce and determined character, calling the role both demanding and rewarding, with the story capturing the difficult choices her character must make.
Aditi Balan said the series offers a hard-hitting look at the exam ecosystem, adding that her character is layered and shaped by both internal conflict and external pressures.
Abbas, marking his return to mainstream Tamil entertainment, said the series stands out for its layered storytelling and unpredictable twists, with his character adding depth to the central narrative.
With its mix of suspense, social commentary and character-driven storytelling, Exam is shaping up to be a tense watch as it dives into one of India’s most high-pressure systems.
