iWorld
Applause Entertainment marks eight years with bigger bets
MUMBAI: Eight years may seem young, but Kumarmangalam Birla-owned, Sameer Nair-led Applause Entertainment has already muscled into the top tier of India’s content business. Since its 2017 launch, the studio has churned out more than 50 original series, films and documentaries across every major streamer — from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5 and Sony Liv.
Operating on what it calls a “hub and spoke” model, Applause invests upfront in content, collaborates with producers such as Banijay Asia, BBC Studios, Rose Audiovisuals and Emmay Entertainment, and then syndicates the finished work to platforms worldwide. Its catalogue includes both original dramas and Indian adaptations of acclaimed books and international formats.
After shaking up the digital series market, Applause has shifted gears into films with titles like Iftikaar, The Rapist and Aruvi. It has also launched Applause Productions, whose debut project is the Indian remake of Fauda. In animation, it has struck an exclusive deal with Amar Chitra Katha to reimagine 400-plus comics for global audiences and under the Appla Toon brand on YouTube.
It recently partnered with author Jeffrey Archer to adapt his books into series or movies.
Nair has built a seasoned team backing him up, with Deepak Segal as chief creative officer, Prasoon Garg as chief business officer, Sunil Chainani heading films, Maansi Darrbar heading Applause Productions, Siddharth Khaitan heading special projects like Gandhi and Scam, and Devnidhi Bajoria overseeing marketing.
With scores of projects in the pipeline, the studio is plotting a push beyond India into documentaries, infotainment and even gaming.
Eight years in, Applause is just clearing its throat. And loving the viewing audience’s critics’ applause.
iWorld
Prime Video drops explosive trailer for The Boys Season 5
Final season premieres 8 April 2026 with weekly episodes ending 20 May.
MUMBAI: The Boys just dropped a trailer that hits harder than Homelander on a bad hair day because when the world’s most unhinged Supe finally gets his own planet, the only thing left is the endgame. Prime Video unveiled the official trailer for the fifth and final season of The Boys on Thursday, teasing an explosive conclusion to the multi-Emmy-winning satirical superhero series. Season 5 premieres globally on 8 April 2026 with two episodes, followed by weekly releases, culminating in the series finale on 20 May 2026, streaming exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories.
The trailer reunites the iconic ensemble as they face Homelander’s unchecked, egomaniacal rule. Hughie, Mother’s Milk and Frenchie are locked in a “Freedom Camp,” Annie fights to spark resistance against overwhelming Supe forces, and Kimiko has vanished. Butcher’s return with a virus capable of wiping out all Supes ignites a chain reaction that promises to reshape the world forever. The footage builds relentless tension toward the ultimate confrontation, hinting at massive stakes and irreversible consequences.
The season is based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s New York Times best-selling comic, developed by showrunner Eric Kripke, who also serves as executive producer alongside Ennis, Robertson, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Phil Sgriccia, Michaela Starr, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Judalina Neira, Jessica Chou, Gabriel Garcia, Ori Marmur, Ken F. Levin and Jason Netter. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM Studios, Kripke Enterprises, Original Film and Point Grey Pictures.
In a show that’s spent four seasons tearing down superheroes, the final chapter isn’t pulling punches, it’s loading the cannon. With Homelander ruling and Butcher armed with extinction-level revenge, The Boys isn’t ending quietly; it’s going out with the kind of bang that leaves craters.
