iWorld
ZEE5 announces Sharate Aaj, their biggest Bengali Original, yet
MUMBAI: ZEE5, the #2 OTT player in the country, today announced the beginning of the shoot of the next marquee Original from the regional stable. Sharate Aaj, being shot completely in London, traces the lives of a close-knit Bengali community getting set to bring in the festive cheer of Pujo while being hit by a terror attack conspiracy. Will they be successful at it? The show will take you through an eerie turn of events.
Renowned Actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay who has previously produced Kaali, the first ZEE5 Bengali Original web-series, is now directing Sharate Aaj and also acting in it. The power-packed star cast of the show include Payel Sarkar, Riddhi Sen, Surangana Bandyopadhyay, Kanchan Mallik, Joydeep Mukherjee, Bidipta Chakraborty and Soumya Sengupta.
The show will also be high on the music quotient featuring a mix of Rabindra Sangeet and folk songs. These are being rearranged by Sahana Bajpaie, one of the most prominent contemporary Rabindra Sangeet and Bengali folk music singer/ publisher along with Samantak Sinha, who is also a leading Rabindra Sangeet singer.
Parambrata Chattopadhyay comments, “It feels good to be associated with ZEE5 for the second time. Working with this platform gives me the freedom to think creative and try different concepts. Sharate Aaj is the story of identity crisis, cultural bonding and a terror threat, making the show an edge-of-the-seat thriller. The show is being completely shot in London and will showcase the vibrant Bengali culture present in the city. I am really excited about beginning this shoot.”
Manish Aggarwal, Business Head, ZEE5 India said, “We have seen a steady increase in the user engagement for ZEE5 across regions, making us the #2 OTT platform in the country. West Bengal is one of the key focus markets for us and we have received a phenomenal response to our Bengali Originals – Aranyadeb and Kaali and the exhaustive original content repertoire dubbed in Bengali. Sharate Aaj is one of our marquee shows with a gripping narrative and supported by noted actors. The cultural significance and sensibilities explored with Durga Puja and Rabindra sangeet will also catch the attention of the audience.”
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
