iWorld
Y-Films’ launches Love Shots fifth short film ‘Fired’
MUMBAI: Y-Films has launched a new film titled Fired, the fifth film in a series of six. The film premieres on Yotube today, 4 April 2016. Fired has Salim Merchant and Tillotama Shome.
Love Shots is an anthology of six short films that explore love in every form, shape and stage in life. It features an absolute never-before coming together of some of the most exciting actors playing delightful characters including Nimrat Kaur, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Salim Merchant, Tillotama Shome, Saqib Saleem, Shweta Tripathi, Farida Jalal, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rhea Chakraborty, Saba Azad and Mohit Marwah, Swanand Kirkire, Shubham Tukaram, Shravani Desai among others. And the soundtrack features 6 original songs by some of the freshest upcoming musicians of today showcasing a range of genres. The 6 music videos will be attached to each individual short film and have been directed by Shraddha Pasi Jairath.
Directed by Ankur Tewari, the film Fired tells the story of a young upwardly mobile couple where the wife who’s in a corporate job is fired and meets her chef husband who makes a shocking revelation of his own. The short also features a unique Hindi jazz song as part of the original soundtrack composed and performed by Subhi Khanna.
“I never thought that acting is such an involved art form until I actually started preparing for it. Being a composer and scoring for films like Ab tak Chappan and Chak De! India, among others, I always followed the actor’s timing to know where to score and where not to and I was intrigued with the idea of acting. I’m fortunate to have Ankur (director) and Tillotama who is such a fine actress to spend hours doing readings and workshops preparing for my character”, added Merchant.
Director Ankur Tewari said, “It was amazing working with Salim. He was acting for the first time and he surprised me with his acting abilities. I never thought he would be as good an actor as a musician. Tillotama was amazing as always. They both set off each other’s chemistry very well. The story was quite interesting as well, as it deals with the highs and lows of a relationship, and shows the dark patches that every couple goes through and has to overcome.”
The music for Love Shots is available on Wynk music for a period of 3 days before its release.
“Airtel has been a pioneer in the Indian telecom industry and is leading the 4G growth story in the country. Smartphones and fast mobile internet have transformed the way we consume content, with video emerging as the most popular form. Consumers, in particular, the multi-tasking youth, are looking for engaging video content to snack on and we believe Love Shots from YRF will set a new benchmark in short storytelling. As the leading smartphone network, Airtel is very excited to be a part of this innovative project”, added Airtel director consumer business Srini Gopalan.
Watch the 5th short film ‘Fired’ from Love Shots here:
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
