iWorld
ALTBalaji & ZEE5 announce second season of Code M
MUMBAI: ZEE5 India and ALTBalaji have announced the second season of Jennifer Winget and Tanuj Virwani-starrer Code M, and Riddhi Dogra and Monica Dogra-starrer new web series ‘A Married Woman’, based on Manju Kapur’s novel. These key announcements were made in the presence of actors including Jennifer Winget, Tanuj Virwani, Riddhi Dogra, along with Aditya Pittie, Managing Director – IN10 Media, Samar Khan, Chief Operating Officer – Juggernaut Productions, and other celebrities.
The night also brought together many starry names from the tinsel town including ace director Akshay Choubey along with the actors like Chandan Roy Sanyal, Aalekh Kapoor, Kashyap Shangari, Madhurima Roy and Gautam Ahuja.
ALTBalaji MD Ekta Kapoor said, "Samar, Akshay and the team put in the best efforts, walked the thin line between being commercial and yet credible, and did a fantastic job. Code M has done well for us and congratulations Jennifer, Tanuj and the entire team. ALTBalaji is delighted to extend this partnership with Juggernaut Productions with A Married Woman and Code M second season.”
“Code M has all the elements of a runaway success and the numbers and the love received from fans across India is a testament to that. The strong protagonist and the story telling are its key success factors. We will continue to satiate India’s appetite for entertainment with interesting subjects like the one explored in Code M,” said ZEE5 India programming head Aparna Acharekar.
Juggernaut Productions COO Samar Khan said, “With the influx of digital platforms, content has evolved drastically, especially the stories and formats, leading to a highly competitive and cluttered environment. It’s extremely overwhelming that our first production has hit the right note with the audience.” Further added, “This is our first collaboration with ALT Balaji and ZEE5 but there’s more in the pipeline. Apart from Code M, we are delighted to extend our association with ‘A Married Woman’. The teaser has evoked a lot of curiosity and anticipation, we are all excited and geared up to create yet another exceptional series.”
Jennifer Winget who made her digital debut with the role of Major Monica Mehra in Code M said, “I am both thrilled and humbled at the same time to see the audience’s appreciation for Code M and all our performances. We gave it our best to reel in a gripping show that would get you hooked. Of course, to receive so much love in my very first web series is very encouraging. Needless to say we’re hooked too and I am excitedly diving into my character the second time around. We will be giving it our all. The intensity will only peak, I can promise you that.”
Tanuj Virwani, who plays the role of Angad Sandhu in the show, shared, “I think my character in Code M is a prime example of what one can achieve solely based on mutual trust and faith in each other’s creative vision. The team really let me mix things up and add my own nuances to Angad. It’s fun to be break away from our preconceived notions of what we expect an individual to be based on their choice of career. Also the subject matter of the show was very serious in nature for the most Part. I think Angad’s Vibe gave the show some levity. It also helped in humanising an otherwise cut and dry Monica to some extent. The response from critics and the audience alike has been overwhelmingly positive and I am excited to take the series and my character's journey ahead.”
Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
