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CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILM SONI TO RELEASE ON NETFLIX ON JANUARY 18, 2019
MUMBAI: Ivan Ayr’s directorial debut, Soni, a crime drama chronicling the life of two policewomen is set to get its digital release on Netflix. After being screened at prestigious festivals such as the 75th Venice Film Festival, the Mumbai Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival, the title will be available exclusively on Netflix, to 130 million members across 190 countries, on January 18, 2019.
The story revolves around Soni, a young policewoman, and her superintendent, Kalpana, who have collectively taken on a growing crisis of violent crimes against women in the capital city of Delhi. Their alliance suffers a setback when Soni is transferred out for alleged misconduct on duty.
In this drama, Ayr explores, observes and unveils the daily grind, dynamics and hierarchies that lie within society. The strong characters and compelling narrative brought to life by Geetika Vidya Ohlyan (Soni) and Saloni Batra (Kalpana) have earned the film love and praise from both critics and movie enthusiasts. Soni has received stellar reviews from around the world with The Hollywood Reporter calling it “the ideal vehicle to explore a wide variety of issues related to gender battles in contemporary Indian society”, and Variety tagging it as an “indie Indian gem”.
Ivan Ayr said, “I am excited that my film Soni will premiere on Netflix, which is accessible to millions of people around the world. We live in a society that has accepted to adjust and bear patriarchal norms and gender biases, and I believe that the release of the film on a global service like Netflix will help the voices of my characters reach a large and diverse audience base eloquently.
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Amazon MX Player launches free micro-drama destination Fatafat
New platform offers serialized short-form stories with Munawar Faruqui campaign.
MUMBAI: Amazon MX Player just made micro-dramas free because the only thing shorter than the episodes is now the price tag (zero). Amazon MX Player has launched Fatafat, India’s first completely free premium micro-drama destination, giving mobile-first audiences access to fast-paced, serialized short-form stories without any paywall. Designed for quick viewing bursts, Fatafat features a growing catalogue of romance, drama, thriller and youth-led narratives in bite-sized episodes that are instantly bingeable. Unlike most micro-drama platforms that charge for access, Fatafat removes the barrier entirely, expanding the format’s reach across India.
The launch is supported by a humorous digital campaign fronted by comedian-actor Munawar Faruqui. The spots playfully highlight how small spends on paid micro-drama apps could be better used elsewhere, positioning Fatafat as the smarter, no-cost choice for engaging entertainment.
Amazon MX Player head Karan Bedi said, “Our vision has always been to make premium entertainment accessible to everyone, free of cost. With Fatafat, we are extending that promise to the rapidly growing micro-drama category quick, engaging and mobile-first while remaining completely free for viewers across India.”
Amazon MX Player head of content Amogh Dusad added, “Micro-dramas open up exciting creative possibilities for storytelling. With Fatafat, we are building a diverse slate of serialized stories across genres while keeping the experience fast, engaging and accessible to viewers everywhere.”
Munawar Faruqui said, “Today’s entertainment landscape is defined by content that is fast, engaging, and instantly accessible. Shooting for the campaign was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, especially as the scenarios felt incredibly authentic and relatable.”
Fatafat will continue to expand its library with several new titles in the coming months. The destination is available to stream for free on the Amazon MX Player mobile app.
In a country where attention spans are shrinking faster than episode lengths, Amazon MX Player isn’t just joining the micro-drama party,it’s throwing the doors wide open and telling everyone the snacks (and stories) are on the house.
