iWorld
Ambani talks about RIL’s media & entertainment empire
MUMBAI: When one of India’s richest billionaires starts talking about what most consider as a small media & entertainment business, juxtaposing it against the Rs 300,000 crore he generates out of oil and gas, it’s a statement of how much it has come to mean to him.
At the RIL AGM on 1 September chairman Mukesh Ambani outlined the scale of Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL’s) M&E business.
“We own 58 channels the highest number by an Indian company and we are aggressively investing in it along with global leaders such as Viacom, CNBC, CNN Forbes, and A+E Networks,” he said with aplomb.
11 of these channels are overseas but they are Indian and catering to the diaspora globally. Network18 contributes 21 of these in the form of news channels reaching out national and regional viewers, in 18 states and 11 languages. The entertainment and infotainment TV business it has set up in partnership with global majors such as Viacom and A+E has 26 channels.
“Our television network reaches out to more than 500 million viewers every month, that is two out of every five Indians,” he explained. “Colors is amongst the top two channels in India, while Nick and MTV are top players in their genres.”
He was pretty kicked up about the reach of online websites under the Network18 umbrella. “They attract over 27 million unique visitors every month which is the largest in India,” he exclaimed.
He also spoke about the fact that online shopping and ticketing sites such as bookmyshow have got the highest traction in the country.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
