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Culture Machine’s movie Amoli starring Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao, Kamal Hassan, Nani and Jisshu Sengupta as narrators wins the 66th national film award
MUMBAI: The announcement of the most prestigious 66th National Film Awards, took place at Rashtriya Bhavan New Delhi recently honoring the best films of 2018. Culture Machine’ a digital media company which runs some of India’s largest digital brands won the ‘Best Investigative Film’ award for its movie Amoli.
Starring the renowned stalwarts of the film industry – Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao, Kamal Hassan, Nani, and Jisshu Sengupta as the narrators, Amoli’ is a definitive documentary on the repulsive commercial sexual the exploitation of children, a deep-seated and well-organized criminal industry.
Released in seven languages, the documentary is narrated in 4 chapters – Mol (Price), Maya (Illusion), Manthan (Internal conflict), Mukti (Liberation). Each chapter takes the audience on a journey that delves deep into the grimdark world of child sexual exploitation.
Speaking on the remarkable achievement at the 66th National Film Awards, Sameer Pitalwalla– Founder and CEO, Culture Machine said, “It is a proud moment for the company to have been honored with such an esteemed award. Through Amoli, we tried to create awareness among people on the scale and human cost of the sexual manipulation of children in India. We are glad to see the appreciation being showered on the documentary.”
The gorgeous and talented Vidya Balan, who narrated the English version of the movie said, “The film Amoli has a strong storyline and I am glad to have been associated with this documentary. It revolves around the heart-wrenching story that exposes the ugly business of commercial sexual exploitation of children. I have narrated the English version of the movie. It gives me immense happiness to see it receive the prestigious 66th National Award and this is definitely a proud moment for the entire team.”
Acclaimed documentary filmmakers Jasmine Kaur Roy and Avinash Roy who directed the movie quipped on the spectacular win, “The award not only recognizes the hard work put in by the team but also celebrates the indomitable spirit of those who are fighting a constant battle to put an end to child sex trafficking. We hope that this National Award would further help to highlight these voices and bring a stronger law against this horrific crime.”
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One Hand Clap acquires Agenseed to enter distribution space
Creative agency expands into full-stack services with strategic buyout.
MUMBAI: One Hand Clap has decided to stop just clapping for great ideas now it wants to make sure they actually travel. The leading new-age creative agency and production house has acquired Agenseed, a seeding and distribution firm, marking its formal entry into the distribution segment. The move is aimed at expanding its role across the entire marketing value chain and unlocking new growth opportunities.
One Hand Clap expects the new distribution vertical to contribute up to 15 per cent of its overall revenues over the next 12–18 months, signalling a clear strategic shift beyond pure creative services.
Agenseed, founded by Monish Hardasani and Akram Malik, will function as the agency’s dedicated distribution arm. This acquisition strengthens One Hand Clap’s position as it aims to become a full-stack creative and distribution company in India’s rapidly growing digital advertising market.
With over 90 million posts shared daily on Instagram and brands allocating 25–35 per cent of their digital budgets to distribution and creator-led reach, amplification has become critical to campaign success. By integrating distribution early into the creative process, the agency hopes to help campaigns gain stronger cultural traction and momentum.
One Hand Clap founder Aakash Shah said, “The future of advertising is not just about executing great ideas, but about placing them intelligently. By owning both storytelling and distribution, we can drive greater impact for brands while opening up new revenue streams.”
Agenseed co-founder Monish Hardasani added, “The future belongs to ideas designed to travel. This partnership allows us to integrate distribution thinking at the source.”
Founded in 2019 by former AIB leaders Aakash Shah and Naveed Manakkodan, One Hand Clap has worked with major brands including Swiggy, Google, Netflix India, Crocs, Duolingo, CRED, Bumble, BGMI and Chetak. The agency also secured investment from Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath last year.
In an increasingly fragmented attention economy, this acquisition reflects a broader industry shift where agencies are building end-to-end capabilities to stay competitive. One Hand Clap is clearly clapping louder and ensuring its ideas now reach much further.
