iWorld
AltBalaji’s Manjit Sachdev joins Viacom18 to lead content for Voot & Voot Select
KOLKATA: Strengthening its creative team and focus on building an immersive and inclusive content strategy, Viacom18 has appointed Manjit Sachdev as content head for its leading video on demand brands Voot and Voot Select.
Sachdev, in her new role, will lead the content team at Voot and will be responsible for driving the future original content strategy across the advertising and subscription businesses of Voot and Voot Select.
She will be aligned to Viacom18 Digital Venture COO Gourav Rakshi and work towards building further scale to the platform's diverse content portfolio.
Viacom18 Digital Ventures COO Gourav Rakshi said, “Voot has successfully developed a unique approach to storytelling which has helped create a differentiated perception in the minds of our audiences. I am happy to welcome Manjit to the team to reinforce and further burnish this strategy and build on our current success with Voot & Voot Select. I am confident that her experience and understanding of the nuances of storytelling, will further elevate the content experience on our platforms."
Sachdev comes with over 18 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry. Prior to joining Viacom18 she has been successfully driving the content strategy at various brands in the M&E space like AltBalaji and Sony Entertainment. At AltBalaji she was responsible for leading the content pipeline for the platform across different genres.
Viacom18 has over the last few years built a formidable digital ecosystem that has gone on to emerge as one of the key thought leaders in the category. Sachdev's appointment as head content on Voot will add further depth to our future content strategy.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
