iWorld
Big screen, big truths as Acharya Prashant comes to PVR Aura Bhopal
MUMBAI: Popcorn, pause, and Prashant, Bhopal’s silver screen is set to swap blockbusters for Brahm Gyaan. PVR Inox Limited, India’s largest cinema chain, has teamed up with the PrashantAdvait Foundation to present a live spiritual session with none other than Acharya Prashant, on 20 April 2025 at PVR Aura Mall, Bhopal.
Curated as part of PVR Inox’s Alternate Content in Cinemas initiative, the one-of-a-kind event invites audiences into an intellectually charged dialogue with one of the most followed spiritual thinkers of our time inside the immersive atmosphere of a cinema hall.
Known for bringing ancient wisdom into modern lives, Acharya Prashant is an IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus turned spiritual reformer. With a staggering 55 million plus YouTube subscribers, 3.5 billion plus views, and 160 plus published books, he has reshaped how the digital generation discovers clarity, consciousness and calm.
PVR Inox Limited Chief Business Planning & Strategy Kamal Gianchandani said “With Acharya Prashant, we’re not just hosting a session, we’re creating a space for stillness, insight, and inner transformation. Our cinemas have always been places where stories come alive, and with Alternate Content, we’re now bringing voices that awaken something deeper within. This is cinema reimagined as a catalyst for reflection.”
The event is expected to draw everyone from Gen Z seekers to seasoned meditators, offering a much-needed escape from the chaos of daily life. Think of it as an evening of mental detox meets cinematic magic.
The much-awaited event is set to take place at PVR Aura Mall, Bhopal, on 20 April 2025, during the evening session. Attendees are encouraged to check the official website pvrcinemas.com for exact show timings. Bookings are now open and can be made via the PVR Inox app or website, so be sure to grab your seats early!
Seats are limited, but the insights may just be limitless. Whether you’re a spiritual novice or a seasoned seeker, this might just be your cue to switch off your phone and switch on within.
iWorld
Talk to your telly: JioHotstar’s new AI voice feature reads your mood to suggest shows
The streaming giant ditches the scroll for a “conversational” AI that understands moods, cricket and Hinglish
MUMBAI: The era of the endless scroll may finally be over. JioHotstar has officially flicked the switch on its “Conversational Voice Discovery” (CVD) feature, a high-tech overhaul designed to turn the hunt for a Friday night film into a natural chat. Developed in a landmark partnership with OpenAI, the tool moves beyond clunky keyword searches, allowing users to find content by describing their mood, context or even the most bizarre viewing scenarios.
The feature is vision of Uday Shankar, vice chairman of JioStar, whose goal is to eliminate “content overload” by replacing the tedious, traditional scroll with natural dialogue. By leveraging ChatGPT’s ability to grasp context and cultural nuance, the new mobile interface allows users to bypass menus entirely, turning search into a seamless conversation.
The launch, which rolled out across India this month, sees a ChatGPT-powered interface integrated directly into the heart of the app. Instead of typing “action movie” into a sterile search bar, viewers can now speak to their devices as if they were asking a well-read friend for a tip. For now, the feature is exclusive to the mobile app, with a rollout for Connected TV (CTV) expected in later phases.
Beyond the keyword
The CVD feature is built on what JioStar calls “Multilingual Cognitive Search.” It is designed to interpret nuance rather than just matching text. If you tell the app, “I’ve had a long day, give me something mindless and funny,” it won’t just look for those words in a title; it will sift through 300,000 hours of library content to find a light-hearted sitcom or a stand-up special that fits the vibe.
The tech is natively multilingual, catering to India’s diverse linguistic landscape. Users can switch effortlessly between languages—asking for “Koi light-hearted comedy dikhao” (show me some light-hearted comedy) or requesting a “Thriller hai but zyada dark nahi chahiye” (a thriller that isn’t too dark).
Real-time curiosity and live sports
Perhaps the most ambitious aspect of the rollout is its integration with live sports. During a high-stakes cricket match, the AI acts as a digital companion. Fans can ask, “Who is the top scorer right now?” or “Show me that last wicket again,” and the system will pull the relevant data or clips instantly. It even attempts to explain the “why” behind the crowd’s energy, responding to prompts like, “Why is everyone reacting like that?” by contextualizing on-field events.
A shift in streaming strategy
The move is part of a broader reimagining of the entertainment experience following the massive merger between JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. Uday Shankar noted that the goal is to make premium entertainment “truly accessible” by embedding AI at the core of the user journey. By anticipating culture and context, the platform hopes to kill off “decision fatigue.”
For OpenAI, the partnership represents a major play in the Indian market. Fidji Simo, the head of applications at OpenAI, said the goal was to turn a “one-way” passive consumption experience into a “deeply personal conversation.”
As the feature goes live for millions of subscribers, the message from Bombay House is clear: the remote control is becoming obsolete. Whether you’re looking for a show that “feels like a rainy Sunday afternoon” or a crime series with a “strong female lead but not too violent,” all you have to do is ask.
