iWorld
Imtiaz Ali turns nexGTv’s SPOTLight on India’s talent
MUMBAI: The list of March winners is finally here! nexGTv, India’s largest subscription-driven video entertainment app, has finally disclosed the names of the winners of March edition. At a nascent age of 20, Abhinay Sony bagged the winner slot owing to his chills-inducing short horror movie, 3 AM. Abhinay was previously featured in over 20 short films and has worked as model for 3 brands, appearing on several prestigious ramp shows.
Raghav Diwan’s Valentines emerged as a strong runner-up, narrating a heartfelt tale of romance and longings. Raghav is currently pursuing acting and film making from an acting school in Mumbai and also works as an actor and production manager in Chai Stories. The winners were handpicked by none other than the master story-teller, director and producer, Imtiaz Ali, for the March edition of SPOTLIGHT, a leading talent discovery platform,
nexGTv’s SPOTLight is a stand-alone mobile-centric talent discovery platform extending an incredible opportunity to the emerging generation of passionate, highly talented individuals to showcase their talent via invigorating videos. Amongst the videos posted on their digital platform, one of India’s most sought-after directors, Imtiaz Ali, watches the top 5 most viewed videos and handpicks the winners. The winner is then awarded the grand prize of INR 1 Lakh, while the runner up takes home INR 25000.
Unveiling the names of March winners, nexGTV COO Abhesh Verma said, “We had launched SPOTLight with a view to provide a platform for passionate artists to showcase their talents by creating awe-inspiring videos. SPOTLight further gives users an amazing opportunity to make their talent discovered by our community of over 2 million unique subscribers; and one of the talented director and story-teller, Imtiaz Ali. The ever-increasing number of views garnered by these videos testifies the fact that we, as a nation, respect brimming talent. This is the third successful run of SPOTLight awards and we are hoping to receive furthermore thought-provoking videos from our future participants.”
As a platform, SPOTLight gives its users a chance to upload and monetize the videos. Naturally, it has received an extensive positive response from the users, since India’s young and energetic talent pool is digitally aware and appreciates an unbiased opportunity to showcase talent. From Kottayam in Kerala to Baramulla in Jammu & Kashmir, SPOTLight has received stimulating videos from all over India. Continuing the novel concept, SPOTLight is now gearing up for the next month, with Imtiaz Ali on board as the judge. Hence, don’t waste your time waiting for a big break. Make it happen today by submitting your video on www.nexgtvspotlight.com and receive a golden opportunity to be selected by a Master of the Art, Imtiaz Ali himself!
iWorld
WhatsApp may soon let users to pick who sees their status updates
The messaging giant is borrowing a page from Instagram’s playbook as it pushes to give users finer control over their social circles.
CALIFORNIA: WhatsApp is quietly working on a feature that could make its Status function considerably smarter and considerably more private.
According to reports from beta tracking platforms, the app is testing a tool called Status lists, which would allow users to create named groups such as close friends, family and colleagues, and control precisely which group sees each update. It is a meaningful step up from the platform’s current blunt instruments, which offer only three options: share with all contacts, exclude specific people, or manually select individuals each time.
The new feature draws an obvious comparison with Instagram’s Close Friends function, and the resemblance is unlikely to be accidental. Both platforms sit within Meta’s family, and the company has been nudging them toward a common logic of audience segmentation for some time.
The move also fits neatly into WhatsApp’s broader privacy push. The platform has been rolling out enhanced chat protections and is exploring the introduction of usernames, which would allow users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. Status lists extend that philosophy from messaging into broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Status itself has been evolving well beyond its origins as a simple photo-and-text slideshow. The feature now supports music stickers, collages, longer videos and interactive elements, pushing it closer to the social-media-style story format pioneered by Snapchat and refined by Instagram. In that context, finer audience controls are not merely a privacy feature. They are a precondition for people sharing more.
The feature remains in development and has not been confirmed for release. WhatsApp routinely tests tools that are later modified or quietly shelved. But the direction of travel is clear: the app wants Status to be a destination, not an afterthought. Letting users decide exactly who is in the audience is how it gets there.
