iWorld
Artiste First launches Sohail Sen’s debut album ‘SÆN V’
Mumbai: Artiste First, a label dedicated to championing independent music and supporting established artists, has announced a new collaboration with composer Sohail Sen for the release of his debut independent album, ‘SÆN V’.
Sohail Sen, a household name in the Indian music industry, is celebrated for his blockbuster hits like “Tune Maari Entriyaan,” “Shaitan Ka Saala,” “Banjaara” from Ek Tha Tiger, “Isq Risk”, and his most recent “Haan Ke Haan” from Maharaj has added feather to his cap. He is a fourth-generation musician from the illustrious Sen family. With ‘SÆN V’, he embarks on a deeply personal journey, showcasing his evolution as an artist.
SÆN V is a heartfelt journey that reflects Sean’s exploration of his musical identity, bringing together a diverse mix of emotions and stories. The album kicks off with “Saiyaan,” capturing the relatable confusion of undefined love, while “Bullehshah” invites listeners to reflect on the deep yet often overlooked wisdom of Sufi teachings. “Kinara” is a tender ode to those special moments with a loved one, and “Allah Tera Khel” speaks to the raw feelings of loneliness we all experience at times. “Galli Galli” vividly portrays the excitement and agony of love at first sight, and “Emotional Fool” offers a playful, self-aware look at the ups and downs of overthinking. Each song adds a unique color to the vibrant and personal tapestry of SÆN V.
The album features seven tracks, each offering a unique sound while exploring universal themes of life and love. Speaking about the project, Sohail describes ‘SÆN V’ as ‘soul food’—music that comforts and resonates deeply with listeners. “It has been an opportunity to explore my own potential and grow as an artist,” he shared. “The concept and the individual themes of each song are diverse, yet they blend together beautifully as an album.”
Artiste First’s curator Rohit Sobti shared his excitement about this collaboration. Sobti said, “Sohail embodies a legacy, a fresh vibe, and a sense of sanity in music. As a fourth-generation musician, he’s paving the way for the fifth, which is reflected in the name SÆN V. Each of his songs brings a new vibe—his versatility is unmatched. That’s why we’re launching the album with seven music videos on the day of the release. This kind of launch is unprecedented in India and speaks to our confidence in Sohail and his music. At Artiste First, we’re thrilled to be part of his independent journey, and we can’t wait to see how listeners connect with these beautiful songs and videos.”
Tracklist: Saiyaan, Allah Tera Khel, Bulleshah, Gali Gali, Kinara, Emotional Fool, Saiyaan (Piano Version).
‘SÆN V’ is designed to connect with listeners from all walks of life, offering everything from soulful ballads and Sufi melodies to lively, energetic tracks. This album is poised to make a meaningful impact in the independent music scene. Now available on all major streaming platforms, ‘SÆN V’ invites everyone to join Sohail on a musical journey that’s as personal as it is universal.
Gaming
India’s broadcasters say no to Fifa World Cup 2026
Fifa has slashed its asking price by 65 per cent but India’s broadcasters are still not buying
MUMBAI: The world’s biggest sporting event cannot find a single taker in the world’s most sports-mad nation. Fifa’s television rights for the 2026 World Cup remain unsold in India, and the clock is ticking loudly.
To shift the property, world football’s governing body has already swallowed hard and cut its asking price from $100m to $35m, bundling in the 2030 edition as a sweetener. It has not worked. Indian broadcasters have looked at the offer, done the sums and quietly walked away.
The reasons are brutally simple. The 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicks off in a time zone that turns India’s primetime into a graveyard shift. Most matches will air between midnight and 7am IST, a scheduling catastrophe for advertisers chasing mass reach. The 2022 Qatar edition was a gift by comparison, with matches dropping neatly into Indian evenings. North America offers no such luxury.
The market itself has also changed beyond recognition. The merger of Star India and Viacom18 into JioStar has gutted the competitive tension that once sent sports rights prices soaring. Where rival bidders once slugged it out, there is now a single dominant buyer, and it is in no hurry. JioStar has valued the rights at roughly $25m, a full $10m below Fifa’s already-discounted floor price. That gap has so far proved unbridgeable.
Broadcasters are also nursing a ferocious cricket hangover. Between 2022 and 2023, Indian media houses committed well over $10bn to cricket rights alone, covering IPL, ICC events and BCCI domestic fixtures combined. After a binge of that scale, appetite for a football package that delivers a fraction of the ratings, in the dead of night, is close to zero.
The economics of football broadcasting make the maths even harder. Cricket, with its natural breaks every few overs, is an advertiser’s paradise. Football offers a 15-minute halftime and precious little else. Recovering a nine-figure rights fee from a single half-hour ad window is a stretch at the best of times. These are not the best of times: the Indian government’s tightening grip on real-money gaming and gambling advertising has vaporised a category that once underwrote the economics of big sporting events.
Nor is the World Cup an anomaly. Indian Super League valuations have cratered. English Premier League rights have softened across successive cycles. The cooling of football as a broadcast commodity in India is structural, not cyclical.
With the tournament opening on 11th June, Fifa is running out of road. It may yet blink and meet JioStar at $25m. Or it may go direct, streaming the entire tournament on its own platform, Fifa+, or cutting a digital deal with YouTube, and hoping that a generation of Indian football fans finds its way there without a broadcaster to guide them.
Either way, the beautiful game’s Indian chapter is looking decidedly ugly.
