iWorld
DISNEY+ HOTSTAR COMMISSIONS 234 EPISODES OF COSMOS-MAYA’S SELFIE WITH BAJRANGI
India’s largest premium streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar has commissioned an unprecedented 234 episodes of Cosmos-Maya’s hit animated series Selfie With Bajrangi. The multi-season deal will see Cosmos-Maya produce three series of 78 x 11’ episodes for Disney+ Hotstar which has 400 million viewers, eight million paying subscribers and additional library content from Disney+, making it the most prolific OTT platform in India both in terms of subscribers and content.
Selfie With Bajrangi, which has been running on Disney India’s Pay TV properties since September 2018, is one of Disney India’s most popular shows with significant reach and is aired daily on primetime slots of India’s Disney Channel and Disney Hungama. It recently became the first Indian animated kids’ series to feature on a leading general entertainment channel via Star Plus.
Selfie With Bajrangi’s launch on Disney+ Hotstar coincides with Disney+’s launch in India, and the show is being aired in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.
Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos-Maya, said on the development: “Bajrangi has brought together Disney+ Hotstar and Cosmos-Maya for a multi-season contract and we couldn’t be more excited. An unheard of 234 half-hours of the show spread across three seasons will be aired on Disney+ Hotstar, with Season 2 already live on the platform. This is the first highly popular kids’ domestic series that they have onboarded with a two-year vision to further increase its popularity. Selfie With Bajrangi has the ability to speak to audiences with its novel, yet relatable storytelling. It brings to the fore a very important message: that friendships built in the face of adversity last a lifetime.”
Selfie With Bajrangi is modeled on kids’ day to day lives and beautifully captures the nuances of Indian culture with relatable storylines. In the show, the protagonist Ankush's life changes when he meets Bajrangi, the nine-year-old child version of the Indian God Hanuman in a contemporary setting, who no one but Ankush can see. Bajrangi accompanies Ankush everywhere and helps his buddy with his day to day problems. Together, they face the adversities life throws at them, in the process helping entertain and comfort the millions of kids who watch the show.
Cosmos-Maya is Asia’s leading kids’ animation studio with 18 series on air globally and a 60% domestic market share in India.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
