iWorld
Cultural Machine with Sonu Nigam on streets of Juhu, Mumbai
MUMBAI: Culture Machine after launching campaigns like The Printing Machine, a poetical satire by Kalki; Radhika Apte voicing against body shaming through You’re beautiful, or ‘The Indian’ series describing the Indian Sikhs, Muslims and Dalits voicing various social issues. This time the company has launched a social experiment titled “The Roadside Ustaad” featuring Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam as disguised old man.
The video has been released on Culture Machine’s digital channel Being Indian. The video is an experiment with Sonu Nigam as an old man singing by the road in the busy lanes of Juhu, Mumbai. The pedestrians take notice of an old man singing in melodious voice with many pausing to enjoy a few moments but are forced to continue to hurry and move on with their lives. ‘The Roadside Ustaad’ captures mixed reactions of Mumbaikaars ranging from individuals stopping by and enjoying the old man’s singing to those who nonchalantly walk away. Inspired by the magical impact that music has on individuals, Sonu Nigam and Culture Machine sought to capture joyful moments that music has on our mechanical and monotonous lives.
Cultural machine says that this video is its attempt to make people realize that they can spare some time from busy lives and appreciate beautiful things inside. Expressing the same Cultural Machine creative director Karl Katgara said, “The whole idea behind this experiment was to inspire people to take a moment out of their busy lives and appreciate the beauty of music. To appreciate the many tiny miracles we pass every day and ignore, while we stare at our phones or lost in thought. To do this, who better than Sonu Nigam. He is one of the most sought after singers in the country, and the most recognizable voice. What was interesting to see at the time was, he created the same magic singing, just disguised as an old man, and people could not recognize him at all.
Sonu Nigam said, “I went without any expectations, totally bereft of any awkwardness for the way I was looking and what I was about to subject myself to. For the first time, I was not me, the make-up was so good and authentic,people standing so close to me, couldn’t recognise me. I was carrying the harmonium that my parents bought when I was born. It was all so humbling. And from such an unfamiliar zone, I managed to procure something. Gratitude, Grace and appreciation for what we have.”
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
