iWorld
Amazon Prime gets streaming rights of three independent films from India
NEW DELHI: Amazon and C International Sales, a subsidiary of Cinestaan Film Company, announced a long-term alliance that will make Amazon Prime Video India the exclusive home for two of Toronto International Film Festival’s official selection of Indian films titled Dev Bhoomi (selected for TIFF 2016, Hof International Film Festival), and A Death in the Gunj (Directed by Konkona Sen Sharma, selected for TIFF 2016 and Busan International Film Festival).
In addition, Amazon Prime Video will exclusively stream The Hungry, an international co-production between Cinestaan Film Company and Film London.
Cinestaan chairman Rohit Khattar said, “In our quest to champion Independent Indian films, we have been trying to figure out various ways to effectively distribute films which face the usual conundrum of high P&A and other costs. Amazon Prime Video has presented a much needed option and we are delighted that they have seen such merit in three of the titles that C International Sales represented and we are thrilled that within 6 months, our superb team has made C International the ‘go to’ sales agency for Indian filmmakers”
“At Amazon Prime Video India, our goal is to partner with the top content creators in India and worldwide to build the largest selection of latest and exclusive movies and TV shows for our customers,” said Amazon Prime Video India director and country head Nitesh Kripalani. “Our alliance with Cinestaan is to build our selection of features from India’s evolving independent filmmakers. This realistic style of film-making from an exciting breed of filmmakers, creates room for experimentation in content as well as form. Death in The Gunj, The Hungry and Dev Bhoomi are the first titles in our Indian offering in this exciting new genre – independent cinema.”
Devi Bhoomi is directed by international award winning director Goran Paskaljevic and narrates the story of Rahul who returns to his old Himalayan village carrying a heavy secret. His arrival is not welcomed by the locals and again he must face the isolated world of old prejudices in which women have no right to choose their own destiny.
Directorial debut feature, written and directed by Konkona Sen Sharma, Death in the Gunj is set in 1979 starts as an uneventful family holiday which takes a dangerous twist when the guests play with the spirits.
Revenge thriller The Hungry is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus brings together film-making talent from Cinestaan Film Company and Film London. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah, Tisca Chopra, Neeraj Kabi, Suraj Sharma and Sayani Gupta.
Amazon Prime already offers unlimited free one-day and two-day delivery to over 100 cities on eligible items from India’s largest selection of products, 30 minutes early access for members on top deals and more benefits for an unparalleled shopping experience.
e-commerce
ONDC names Vibhor Jain MD and CEO; Rohit Lohia joins as CBO, Manoj Thakur as CTO
Leadership formalised as open commerce network sharpens focus on scale and user value
The Open Network for Digital Commerce has formalised Vibhor Jain as managing director and chief executive officer, cementing a leadership transition at India’s ambitious open commerce platform as it pushes for scale and relevance.
Jain, who had been serving as acting chief executive officer since April last year following the exit of Thampy Koshy, steps into the role with effect from 7th April , according to a report by The Economic Times. He previously served as chief operating officer at the government-backed network, which enables buyers and sellers to transact across applications through an open, interoperable system.
Setting out his strategy, Jain underscored the network’s differentiated architecture. “Going forward, we are concentrating on what open, interoperable infrastructure can uniquely enable, things that no single platform has the incentive or the architecture to do,” he said.
He added that the immediate priority is to widen ONDC’s impact across user cohorts often underserved by platform-led commerce. “My priority is to deepen the value ONDC creates for the people it exists to serve: kisaans, karigars, kiranas, gig workers, first-time investors, and daily commuters across India,” he said.
Jain also flagged leadership reinforcement within the organisation, noting that ONDC has “a strong and exciting leadership team in place”, with Rohit Lohia joining as chief business officer and Manoj Thakur as chief technology officer.
With over 18 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship and consulting, Jain brings a track record in technology-led, large-scale transformation programmes and internet businesses. At ONDC, he has been closely involved in shaping strategy and operations as the network seeks to move digital commerce away from platform-centric models towards an open network approach.
Before ONDC, Jain worked with JUMO, where he helped set up the fintech firm’s India operations, and led the India launch of Mobike, handling regulatory, policy and operational aspects of its market entry. Earlier, he co-founded Atlanta Healthcare, an air quality management company, and spent more than a decade in consulting roles at Andersen and EY, advising governments on public policy and technology-driven reforms, including work on the Aadhaar programme and tax systems.
The mandate is clear but the path is complex. As ONDC attempts to rewrite the rules of digital commerce, Jain now carries the burden of turning open architecture into mass adoption, in a market still dominated by platform power.
