iWorld
Arré back with ‘Official Bhootiyagiri’, in an exclusive streaming partnership with MX Player
MUMBAI: Dilawar Rana is back! The endearing socially anxious CEO, essayed by Sumeet Vyas, who made his debut as a drone in Official Chukyagiri and fought corporate battles behind umbrellas in Official CEOgiri, is now ready to come out and fight his strangest enemy… his own ghosts.
Official Bhootiyagiri, an Arré Original Series and an MX Exclusive, will be Sumeet Vyas’s third outing as the much loved Dilawar Rana aka D Sir and this season will be streaming exclusively on MX Player for free. Season 1 was conferred an Official Honoree at the 21st Annual Webby Awards and Season 2 garnered much love and engagement from the audiences as well as expanded the loyal fan base.
Official Bhootiyagiri takes off from the end of Season 2 which saw Dilawar Rana being sent to jail. In its third edition, the drama-comedy sees our CEO being offered a ‘get out of jail free’ card with a condition attached – he must go turn around his childhood home cum family hotel and make it profitable. The catch? The hotel seems to be haunted. Not just by his own memories of childhood trauma but by a legit bhoot. Is the haunting real or is D’s mind playing tricks on him?
The series goes live exclusively on MX Player today.
The show is part of a longer term collaboration between Arré and MX Player to provide audiences a range of exclusive premium originals from the Arré stable.
Arré has also roped in Biryani By Kilo, known for their freshly prepared authentic biryanis delivered online across cities and Adda52, India's No.1 Poker site, as associate partners to the show.
Sharan Saikumar , creative director at Arré, said: “This is a special franchise for us and I’m very excited for this season because it sends our familiar and much loved characters into a whole new setting that's fun and yet eerie. I’m delighted that we have an exclusive partner in MX Player for our third season and special shout out to our advertising partners Biryani By Kilo and Adda 52 for supporting the madness..”
Mansi Shrivastav, head, content acquisition at MX Player, said: “With new users adapting to digital entertainment whilst in lockdown, we at MX Player are striving to offer our loyal consumers fresh and engaging content, across genres in multiple categories and languages. We’re delighted to have the third edition of this popular franchise stream exclusively on our platform.”
The show is directed by Vishwajoy Mukherjee and produced for Arré by Still and Still Moving Pictures who also produced Seasons 1 and 2. Amritpal Singh Bindra said, “We’re very excited to continue our working relationship with Arré and after the super successful first two seasons, we hope this season will set the bar higher. This season comes with a refreshing new twist in the plot and in the genre and with a great ensemble cast and we hope it will delight the audience. ”
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
