iWorld
Animeta launches highly anticipated platform ‘Animeta Brandstar’
Mumbai: Animeta has announced the launch of its highly anticipated platform ‘Animeta Brandstar’. It is a first-of-its-kind tech-data influencer marketing platform, that allows brands to discover and execute campaigns with the most relevant creators, in an advanced data-intuitive way. With a strong commitment to addressing critical need gaps, Animeta Brandstar will revolutionise the way influencer partnerships are fostered in the ecosystem.
Influencer marketing spends to grow at 25 per cent CAGR, reaching Rs 220B by 2025. Digital as a medium commands 50 per cent of the total ad wallet share today, with influencer marketing as a fast-growing stream within digital advertising; one that offers both scale & measurability. Brands seek data-backed insights, measurable performance, and transparency. The current environment lacks visibility and control due to multiple intermediaries. Animeta Brandstar empowers brands for informed influencer collaborations. With a streamlined discovery process, it ensures transparency and efficiency. Real-time data analytics optimize campaigns, ensuring brand fitment and measuring ROI. Compliance-safe and transparent, it instills confidence in brands and creators. Tech-driven scale facilitates growth across various creators.
Animeta CEO Devdatta Potnis said, “Animeta Brandstar focuses on driving at least 30% ROI efficiency for influencer marketing campaigns; in a scalable & transparent manner with a strong thrust on authenticity. Our mission is to foster genuine, sustainable and long-term brand-influencer relationships, creating a seamless, effective, and mutually beneficial collaboration experience. This platform emerges as the long-awaited solution the entire ecosystem needed.”
Animeta Brandstar elevates the marketplace experience with advanced features: AI recommendation mixes, unique discovery flows, customizable searches like ‘Animeta Verified Creators’ and ‘Instant Deals’. It ensures streamlined and intuitive searches, delivering impactful and cost-effective influencer options. It prioritizes talent management agencies, offering direct access to manage rosters, enrich qualitative details, and represent talents more effectively.
Animeta SVP – branded content & creator projects Biswamitra Ray said, “Apart from the platform itself, the other big differentiating factor about Animeta Brandstar, is the team itself. Our in-house execution experts ensure swift campaign activation, full-funnel support including ideation and production support, the ability to track, analyze, as well as boost campaign impact for maximizing marketing ROI. Animeta Brandstar is literally a one-stop shop to meet all the influencer marketing needs of a brand.”
As Animeta Brandstar marks its official launch, it heralds a significant milestone in the influencer marketing domain, promising to shape the future of influencer partnerships and enabling brands to thrive in the ever-evolving digital era. The platform also has plans to soon enable ‘Social Commerce’ and ‘Affiliate Marketing’, opening up new avenues for creators and brands under the Brandstar+ initiative.
iWorld
Prime Video drops trailer for Lukkhe, a rap crime drama starring KING in his acting debut
Eight episodes of revenge, redemption and hard-hitting rap arrive on the streaming platform on 8th May
MUMBAI: Prime Video has unveiled the trailer for Lukkhe, an eight-episode musical action drama built around the world of rap, crime and bruised relationships — and it has done so in suitably loud fashion, launching it at a live concert in Mumbai featuring electrifying performances by KING, Amira Gill, Akshath, Raashii Khanna, Ruaa Kayy and RUTVXK. As if that were not enough, the show’s music album was also dropped at the event, in collaboration with exclusive music streaming partner Amazon Music and music label Warner Music India.
The series is directed by Himank Gaur and produced by Vipul D. Shah and Rajesh Bahl under the banners of Optimystix Entertainment and White Guerrilla LLP. It is created and executive produced by Agrim Joshi and Debojit Das Purkayastha.
The cast is the talking point. KING, the acclaimed Indian rapper and songwriter, makes his acting debut as MC Badnaam, a performer consumed by rivalry and hunger for recognition. Raashii Khanna, returning to Prime Video after Farzi, plays Gurbani. Palak Tiwari, making her streaming debut, plays Sanober. Lakshvir Singh Saran plays Lucky. The ensemble also includes Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Kritika Bharadwaj, Shivankit Parihar, Yograj Singh and Ayesha Raza Mishra in pivotal roles.
The trailer plants its flag squarely in the tension between MC Badnaam and his rival MC OG, played by Parihar, while threading in the love story between Lucky and Sanober. The soundtrack, which spans hard-hitting rap anthems to emotionally charged melodies, is as much a character in the show as any of its leads.
Gaur was candid about what drew him to the project. “Lukkhe gave me a chance to dive into a world that’s loud, emotional, and constantly on edge,” he said. “What stayed with me was how every character is chasing something personal, and music becomes their way of expressing it. Working with this cast, especially KING in his debut, along with Raashii, Lakshvir, and Palak, was incredibly rewarding because they brought honesty that elevated every moment.”
Khanna reflected on her character with evident relish. “Playing Gurbani in Lukkhe was a really intense and fulfilling experience,” she said. “What I found most interesting was how her strength comes from something deeply personal, which shapes every decision she makes. It was about finding that balance between vulnerability and grit.”
KING, stepping in front of the camera for the first time, was characteristically direct. “Stepping into Lukkhe as MC Badnaam has been a defining moment for me,” he said. “What drew me in was how real his hunger and need to be heard felt. It’s something I connect with as an artist. Bringing music into his journey made the experience even more personal.”
Tiwari described the role as a first on multiple fronts. “It was my first time working with Prime Video, and the whole experience felt new and creatively satisfying,” she said. “Being part of a story that has both intense and heartfelt moments, along with a team that brought so much honesty to it, made this journey truly memorable.”
Saran, for his part, zeroed in on what made Lucky tick. “Lucky is someone who’s trying to move forward while still carrying the weight of his past, and that push-pull made him really interesting to explore,” he said. “There’s a sincerity to his journey that I hope people connect with.”
Lukkhe premieres on Prime Video in Hindi on 8th May, across India and in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. In a streaming landscape drowning in crime dramas, this one is betting that putting a rapper at its centre – and meaning it – is enough to cut through the noise. On the evidence of the trailer, it might just be right.
