iWorld
ALTBalaji associates with Stylecraze and HerHQ
KOLKATA: In an attempt to woo the millennial women audience, popular OTT platform ALTBalaji has tied up with Incnut Digital's properties – Stylecraze & Bridal Box, a brand operated by and for women with a vision to create a thriving ecosystem of information, opportunity and support for women.
The association comes at a time when ALTBalaji's latest release Paurashpur is creating waves for its depiction of a fictional kingdom under patriarchal rule, where women strive against discrimination and fight for gender equality.
"As India's biggest community of 50 million millennial women, we strongly believe that the media's role and power to influence the portrayal of women is more important now than ever. We have and continue to witness violence in various forms which stems from the struggle for power, acceptance and more importantly the physical and economic disparities which continue to co-exist between the sexes even in today's times," Incnut Digital vice president- business development and strategic partnerships Natasha Garyali said.
ALTBalaji marketing, analytics, and direct revenue SVP Divya Dixit said, "With this partnership, ALTBalaji wants to ensure stringent support to the women out there who act as a strong catalyst. We create shows that depict women's empowerment and stand by it. Our content viewership has a huge percentage of women audience and hence, there is no better tie-up than this to showcase our appreciation and respect to these influential individuals, along with helping us expand our narrative to inspire them."
HerHQ’s purpose is to help brands leverage heterogeneous women communities from different life stages, said founder Meera Chopra. In this association, HerHQ acts as a catalyst bringing content and communities together. “ALTBalaji's original content – Paurashpur gives us a peek into the kingdom dominated by men where women fight the ultimate battle of gender inequality eventually winning it. We believe, IncNut is the obvious choice given its expansive platform reach of 50 million women community,” she added.
Growing from strength to strength on the back of innovative business strategies, ALTBalaji has become one of the major players in the Indian OTT industry. With a vast library of 70+ originals across genres that cater to all kinds of audiences, the shows at ALTBalaji are a mix of thriller, crime, drama, romance, youth drama, horror, comedy, amongst others.
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.
