iWorld
aha announces new web series ‘The Baker and the Beauty’
Mumbai: Telugu OTT platform aha in association with Keshet International has announced the latest web series “The Baker and the Beauty”, slated for the 10 September release.
The show is an adaptation of the globally acclaimed Israeli series by the same name. “The Baker and the Beauty offers a realistic picture of the conflicts, aspirations of people across Telugu middle-class households and in the crème de la crème of the society,” said aha in a statement.
The drama revolves around the unlikely romance between a middle-class youngster Vijay, who manages his parents’ small-time bakery and a film star Aira Vasireddy, a loner at heart.
Starring Santosh Shobhan, Tina Shilparaj, Vishnu Priya, Sai Swetha and Venkat, the ten-episode show marks the first collaboration between aha and Annapurna Studios. The trailer of the show was unveiled amid the cast and crew in Hyderabad.
“With nearly 11 million app downloads and an audience numbering 45 million across the globe, aha has set new standards for top-class content in the Telugu digital space in less than two years,” said My Home Group, director, Meghana Jupally. “The success of genre-bending shows like Kudi Yedamaithe and Tharagathi Gadhi Daati recently, speaks for itself. I am sure The Baker and the Beauty would leave audiences spellbound as well.”
“I feel privileged to be part of a memorable show like The Baker and the Beauty and equally humbled to associate with aha for a web show. This show kick-started my career as a lead actor and also reinstated my love for the craft and storytelling,” said lead actor Santosh Shobhan. “I resonated with the concerns, confusions, and sentiments of a middle-class boy like Vijay. The show will have something for everyone to identify with, and there can be no better occasion than a festival like Vinayaka Chavithi for families to come together and enjoy the show.”
aha has premiered films and series including “Krack”, “11th Hour”, “Zombie Reddy”, “Chaavu Kaburu Challaga”, “Naandhi”, “In the Name of God”, “Needa”, “Kala”, “aha Bhojanambu”, “One”, “Super Deluxe”, “Chathur Mukham”, “Kudi Yedamaithe” and “Tharagathi Gadhi Daati” this year.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
