iWorld
Balaji selects Xstream & Diagnal to power OTT service ALT Digital
MUMBAI: India’s TV and film production studio Balaji Telefilms has partnered with OTT solutions providers Xstream and Diagnal to power its new OTT entertainment service ALT, which is slated to launch in Q2-2016. The service will be available across connected devices, targeting young, connected and new age audiences.
Xstream’s cloud-based video management system, Xstream MediaMaker, will fuel ALT’s multiscreen solution, whereas Diagnal will be responsible for front-end design, development, big data solution and systems integration.
Announced in 2015, ALT is a part of the Balaji’s strategic intent to extend its creative expertise to the digital domain by developing on-demand, original and exclusive content for digital audiences globally.
“ALT Balaji wants its audience to enjoy compelling stories and does not want technology to be a stumbling block in their experience. We believe that technology is an enabler and if it’s invisible to the consumer then we have done a great job,” said ALT Digital Media COO Sunil Nair. “Xstream gives us world class solutions that are flexible allowing us to offer seamless smooth user experience in video playback. Their experience combined with the depth of knowledge of the Diagnal team has helped us very quickly build a fabulous platform.”
“Diagnal’s proven market expertise and product delivery capabilities combined with Xstream’s flexible and scalable platform, their impressive track record of managing high-end, customised Internet video services, proven technology and their ability to act as a solution partner, truly sets them apart from others and made them a natural partner and first choice for us. With Diagnal and Xstream we’ve gained partners who truly understand the complicated OTT ecosystem and we have built a future-proof solution. This enables us to continue to build a platform for our next generation OTT service on multiple devices that we can grow and develop with as we move forward in a speedily evolving market,” adds ALT Digital Media Entertainment head of product Ashish Bhansali.
Launching this summer, ALT will utilise Xstream MediaMaker and Diagnal’s robust technology services to offer the audience in India and abroad an enjoyable experience across various devices.
Xstream MediaMaker is designed to enable operators, broadcasters and content owners to seamlessly create, manage, deliver and monetise future- proof Internet TV solutions across regions and countries with multiple languages & currency on multiple devices- all with an easy and transparent workflow management- simplifying the complexity in Internet TV and allowing their customers to focus on their core business, not the complexity in OTT.
“As the pioneering studio in India, Balaji continues to propel the entertainment industry forward with innovation and quality content. We look forward to support their passion for creating quality content with our flexible, proven and scalable cloud- based OTT platform for delivery of multiscreen video solutions and other innovative and personalized services for engaging and delighting subscribers. ALT Balaji is a great example of a true innovator in Direct-to-consumer OTT services and we are delighted to be working together,” said Xstream CEO Simon Hoegsbro.
“We’re incredibly proud of what the partnership between ALT Balaji, Xstream and Diagnal has achieved in a short period of time – a world class OTT product that is suited to the content needs of the Indian market and is also a pleasure to use,” added Diagnal CEO Reuben Verghese.
The ALT Balaji solution by Xstream is fully cloud- based, using Amazon Web Services. Using AWS, Xstream is able to deliver unparalleled performance and durability to ensure a quality delivery to ALT Balaji subscribers. With EC2 Xstream have access to a perfect solution to operate API’s and customer facing services. S3 is used for robust storage of content and assets, which is then served using Cloudfront. Lastly RDS and Redshift are used databases for metadata and statistics. Xstream is proud to be an Amazon Web Services Advanced Technology Partner.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
