iWorld
Bollywood should explore superhero films with long-term licensing: Cosmos-Maya’s Anish Mehta
Mumbai: Anish JS Mehta started his career as an accounts executive in 2003, and over time, he has managed to reach new heights. In 2010, he became the chief operating officer of Cosmos-Maya, a leading animation studio in India. Two years later, Mehta was promoted as the chief executive officer (CEO) and since then, he has been a key player in the Indian animation industry catalysing the production of noted anime shows that include the iconic Motu Patlu.
Cosmos-Maya has recently launched Salman Khan’s Dabang as an animation series Dabanng-The Animated Series, which is now available for streaming on Disney+Hotstar VIP, in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. This animated series is also being streamed on Cartoon Network.
As the series receives rave reviews from audiences and critics, Indiantelevision.com’s Nirmal Narayanan got into a conversation with Cosmos Maya CEO Anish JS Mehta to track the journey of Cosmos Maya in creating the animated avatar of Chulbul Pandey, and the future of the animation industry in India.
Edited Excerpts
On collaborating with Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan for Dabanng-The Animated Series
Dabangg-The Animated Series is one of the biggest film franchise extensions executed for Indian TV. We have released the show with CartoonNetwork as our TV broadcast partner and Disney+Hotstar as our streaming partner. Since the start of the pandemic, we have been working to create more original animated content titles in greater volumes to suit the increased consumption by kids staying at home. We spoke to Arbaaz Khan the owner of the franchise and created our vision of the animated series. Both the channel partners loved the concept and provided the backing to bring the show before the audience.
On the audience response to the series
It’s been a week since the series went live on TV and OTT, and we have received a great response to the characters and their new colourful world. There has been a decent amount of buzz, especially within the franchise’s existing fanbase, and it’s been liked by kids and their families alike. We have also been getting a lot of queries for the licensing & merchandising extension for Dabangg across the categories such as gaming, Apparel, Toys & Promotional licensing. We have some exciting associations lined up.
On choosing a character like Chulbul Pandey
The Dabangg series and its lead Chulbul Pandey has been a mega-franchise in India for the past 11 years and adapting the super cop to a kids’ format was a creative challenge, but it was also a fun opportunity. But, the principal challenge was to do justice to the source material. When we are adapting a pre-existing template into a new look, we need to capture the quirks and the idiosyncrasies of the characters as they were originally brought to life by their actors and filmmakers. Also, Dabangg is one of the few Indian animated shows to feature the same adult version of the lead character, unlike most series that go with a child-like avatar of their source character. Our creative team captured the likeness and the ticks of not just Chulbul but also his entire posse including Makhi, Rajjo, and Tiwariji.
On the future of animated series on OTT platforms
The industry is witnessing growth on every platform and across a plethora of genres. The genre has a consistently growing presence on domestic TV, and with the OTT boom during the past few years, animation producers have utilized the mutual coexistence model, where the content releases with a TV and OTT partner simultaneously. Pay-TV usually works on a volume and sequential storytelling system, especially in areas with lesser internet penetration, and OTT audiences get to watch and choose and binge the episodes in their time and convenience. Balancing and blending the show’s presence on both formats was a creative challenge in itself.
On creating an Indian animated superhero for global audience
We have a bevy of superheroes from the Indian film and comic book ecosystem that have immense business potential to emerge as individual franchises. However, most commercial Indian films have audiences, which is used to their regular film heroes having superhero status. Until Bollywood decides to venture into superhero flicks with a long-term licensing and merchandising plan, we should not expect any such projects out of India in the foreseeable future.
On the impact of Covid pandemic on the animation industry
We had over a year to synergize our work processes from home, and it worked out. We have released seven new shows since April 2020. The animation industry collectively did not face a severe impact, like the live-action entertainment industry. The entire team at Cosmos-Maya adapted to the status quo extremely well which helped us to accelerate the workforce like before and pace up the production to deliver content on time.
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
