iWorld
Barjatya’s ‘Piyaa Albela’ on ZeeTV streaming live on dittoTV
MUMABI: ZeeTV, well known for its ever-popular line up of TV shows is all set to launch the much-awaited romantic drama, ‘Piyaa Albela’, which can also be watched live on dittoTV. The show, produced by Sooraj Barjatya under the banner of Rajshri Productions, will launch on 6 March at 8.30 pm.
‘Piyaa Albela’ brings to viewers a perfect mix of romance, drama and comedy, with a touch of spirituality added in. Piyaa Albela will further strengthen the wide bouquet of Live TV shows across the range of 90+ channels that dittoTV offers to its subscribers.
While Sooraj Barjatya is well known for working with the biggest stars in Bollywood and television, however, for this daily soap he chose to cast newcomers, Akshay Mhatre and Sheen Dass, as the main leads. Commenting on this, Sooraj explains, “The concept of a sage in meditation and a temptress attempting to break his penance is a very limited view of the Vishwamitra Menaka story. Very few people know of the love story that goes beyond the superficial layer of mere seduction. Our story is not mythological – it is set in contemporary times with real, relatable characters. It has elements, however, that can be compared to the classic. Our protagonist Pooja is approached by Naren’s parents – not to seduce their son but to ignite a spark for the real world within him. But how the two react to each other at the outset and then gradually come closer in the course of their interactions forms the crux of Piyaa Albela. We are pleased to have found the ideal Naren and Pooja in Akshay and Sheen, both making their fiction debuts as leads. Akshay’s eyes exude the brooding intensity required of Naren while Sheen has the verve, grace and positivity that Pooja needs to embody. The show is set in Dehradun and Rishikesh. We look forward to a great response.” The mysterious and suspense-filled storyline of Piyaa Albela is sure to resonate with the Indian youth, who form an important part of dittoTV’s subscriber base.
Commenting on the launch of this new show, Z5 Business head of digital Archana Anand says, “dittoTV enables its subscribers to stay updated with all the diverse and gripping content that ZeeTV has to offer. We are extremely excited to bring Sooraj Barjatya’s romantic drama, Piyaa Albela, to viewers on our platform, dittoTV which allows viewers to catch their favourite programs live and on-the-go on their smartphones and internet connected devices, offering them the convenience of watching their favourite shows when they do not have easy access to a television set. With viewers increasingly becoming more selective about what they watch, it is highly essential to introduce differentiated and innovative content, which resonates well with the audience.”
dittoTV subscribers can catch this new daily soap every day from Monday to Friday at 8.30 PM on their Android and iOS phones or any other internet connected device. The monthly subscription charge for the platform is INR 20 per month.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
