iWorld
WHAT IS A GHOUL
MUMBAI: What is this mysterious creature? Is it a Ghost, a Werewolf, Vampire, Wizard or a Witch, none of the above? According to Arabic folklore, a Ghoul is a demonic phantom or an evil spirit that blends in right with humans. The Ghoul is flaccid and can take the shape of any human. A human can trade his/her soul to call upon the Ghoul! It is also considered a fiendish Jinn who dwells in your past guilt, feeds on it and makes you feel remorseful. The Ghoul thrives on finishing the task, finding the guilt and eating the flesh! Talk about psychological thriller meets horror meets the devil within!
Taking this mythology and fables into a contemporary and modern-day setting, Ghoul is set in a covert detention center at which military officials question and often torture suspected terrorists. The series revolves around Nida, a newly-minted interrogator who turned in her own father as an anti-government activist. She arrives at the center to discover that some of these terrorists are not from this world, and she must fight for not just the truth, but for her survival as well. In her quest of finding the truth, she unmasks the demons within these corrupt officers at the military camp! Because, as they say, the demon is amongst us and within us.
Netflix is all set to send chills down your spine with the release of ‘Ghoul’ and venture into the Indian horror/thriller genre. The suspenseful and thrilling trailer of the series has managed to garner a lot of attention and has piqued the curiosity of audiences prior to its release.
While you wait for Ghoul to release on Netflix on August 24, here’s a little sneak peek into a video from the series for you to know ‘What is a GHOUL?’
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
