iWorld
Amazon acquires rights for digital premiere of 2.0
MUMBAI: Amazon announced an exclusive content deal with Lyca Productions for the digital premiere of 2.0, the Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar-starrer mega-budget blockbuster. Prime members will have access to watch the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi versions of the much-awaited film on Prime Video. One of the most opulent projects in Indian cinema, with a reported budget of almost $ 90 million, 2.0 also marks the debut of Kumar in South Indian cinema and as the antagonist.
Commenting on the association with Lyca Productions, Amazon Prime Video director content Vijay Subramaniam said, “With this momentous deal, Amazon Prime Video further enhances its robust Bollywood and regional content library. We keep the customer at the centre of all that we do. Amazon Prime Video is happy to join hands with Lyca Productions for the exclusive streaming rights for this mega blockbuster film. Both, Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar are phenomenal actors with an unbelievable fan following that will soon get the chance to stream the sequel of Rajnikanth’s memorable movie on their favourite streaming device.”
“Making movies is my passion” said Lyca Group chairman Subaskaran Allirajah. “We are here to produce great movies. I hope these investments will take Tamil and Indian cinema to world-class standards.”
2.0 is helmed by the master of grandeur, Shankar, and is the sequel to the 2010 film Endhiran (Robot). It will see Rajnikanth reprise his role of Dr Vaseegaran and the robot Chitti. The movie, pegged as one of Asia’s costliest ventures, is also being filmed using 3D cameras directly to ensure that the film provides a grand visual experience.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
