Event Coverage
Bollywood branding: Still a long way to go!
MUMBAI: Has Bollywood gone global? And has the journey at least begun? Or is it just plain hype, merely a myth? That it is a myth was demonstrated by Ramesh Sippy, Govind Nihalani and most of all, Vidhu Vinod Chopra at a debate ‘Branding Bollywood Going Global-Myth and Reality?’ which saw major fireworks at the FICCI Frames today.
Karan Johar, also on the speakers’ panel, tried his best to prove that Bollywood has gone global, but to no avail.
The session was moderated by UTV’s Founder Chairman, Ronnie Screwvala. The 29-year old Johar kicked off the session with a telling remark. “Shekhar Kapur, Deepa Mehta and Mira Nair are our ambassadors. If we continue to make films with honesty we can grab an international audience for our films,” he said.
Kacon Sethi, CEO, K Sera Sera Production Ltd, endorsed Johar’s views. At this, Govind Nihalani turned the tide and said, “I wish we could sell all our films as we make them per se. We are told to modify our movies to suit the market tastes overseas. How does one ascertain what and how to modify in the films? The whole product should sell, which more often than not, does not do so.”
“Why are we only aiming for the UK market? We are still not looking towards even the US. And what about the other virgin territories?” he added.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who clearly stole the show with his candid remarks, felt that Bollywood’s journey onto the global arena had not even begun yet. Though he didn’t say it openly, he clearly hinted that one or two films from the Yash Chopra and Karan Johar camp amassing good collections abroad is not the yardstick to for celebrations.
“Why are we celebrating? Look at the figures which Harry Potter films generate. In contrast, our films, even in terms of the prints released, are way behind. Harry Potter and some other foreign flicks have released 25,000 prints. Our highest prints are not more than 1,000 per film, the average being just about 300-600,” he pointed out.
“Tell me five filmmakers who can make global cinema,” he asked. At the end of the session, the general sentiment of the audience was that all three aspects of filmmaking-distribution, marketing and content-have to improve.
Indian cinema is still a small blip on the global scene and is a story waiting to be told worldwide.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
