iWorld
Break into the New Year with your favourite stars on Lionsgate Play
Mumbai: ‘Celebrate endings, for they precede new beginnings.’ As we step into the New Year, it’s important for us to look back and cherish the moments, people and memories that stayed with us. Be it your friends, family or partner, commemorating the start of a ‘new chapter’ should be special in every sense. So, as you cosy up with your fam-jam for a quiet night in, Lionsgate Play brings to you a slate of titles across every genre. From the action-packed Keanu Reeves’ blockbuster John Wick: Chapter 4 to the critically acclaimed Past Lives, the platform has a binge-list. Kick-back, relax and get ready for a banging 2024 with your favourite stars from across the globe.
John Wick: Chapter 4
Indulge in the action movie of the year! There’s a price to pay and Baba Yaga has come to collect! Keanu Reeves is back with a Bang in Lionsgate Play’s John Wick: Chapter 4 as he looks to go up against the mighty High Table. Given the unlimited resources at the High Table’s disposal, John turns to allies Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and Lance Riddick to help him for the fight of his life. With his life on the line will John Wick be able to pull off the impossible once again?
Past Lives
A love story that makes everything pale in comparison. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro, Golden Globe Nominee, Past Lives is the heart-wrenching tale of two childhood friends who are separated when Nora immigrates to America. Almost a decade later when Hae Sung comes looking for Nora, they both confront destiny, love and the choices they made. Directed by Celine Song, the film is soul-food for every romance lover.
About My Father
This Robert De Niro starrer makes for the perfect laugh. Unlike the usual bitter-sweet chemistry between father and son, this one surely sets itself apart. Based on the life of the popular comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, this rib-tickling comedy has a high quotient of never-ending laughter and impeccable comic commentary on family and culture. The film promises to be a hilarious and heartwarming tribute to different cultures and experiences as told through the eyes of one of today’s most beloved comedians, starring Sebastian Maniscalco himself along with Kim Cattrall and Leslie Bibb.
JoyRide
These girls just want to have fun! Packed with comedy, drama and some NSFW instances, Joy Ride follows Audrey Sullivan on a path to self-discovery. When Audrey’s business trip to Asia goes wrong, she calls on her childhood bestie, Lolo, her college friend Kat and Lolo’s eccentric cousin Deadeye for help. Stranded in a country with nowhere to go, this wild squad embarks on a journey of utter chaos and debauchery that unveils their true loving selves. Starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu in titular roles, Joy Ride is the vacation we all want to go on.
Minus One: New Chapter
This seasoned show takes you through the story of Varun and Riya as they navigate the complexities of modern love and being broken up. From not being able to live without each other in Season 1, to never wanting to see each other again in Season 2, Lionsgate Play’s Indian Original Minus One: New Chapter is a roller coaster of emotions. Starring Ayush Mehra and Aisha Ahmed, Minus One is a story of love, longing and heartbreak as it touches on the themes of honesty, transparency and unrequited love.
Plane
An action film starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter, Plane follows a commercial pilot named Brodie Torrance and a terrifying crash that marks only the beginning of his epic journey in the film. While an action film starring the two may seem like an obvious win for most audiences, the film’s plot is a darker action adventure with a life-or-death scenario. In Plane, Butler and Colter band together as pilot and fugitive to protect their fellow besieged crash survivors from swarming, hostage-taking pirates.
Shotgun Wedding
Wear your best clothes as you are invited to the biggest wedding celebration of the year. Featuring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel, the story builds on an ultimate destination wedding, hijacked by criminals, where suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage. In the process of saving their families, the couple rediscovers why they fell in love in the first place. With a stellar star cast and amazing comedic chops, the movie will be a journey of fun, wit and tickling humour while the bride and the groom try to save the day and their wedding.
iWorld
What SMS letters G, T, S and P mean and how they help spot scams
Small alphabet tags on messages reveal whether texts are government or ads.
MUMBAI: Sometimes the smallest letter in a message can be the biggest clue. In an age where smartphone users receive dozens of alerts every day, the tiny alphabet appearing at the end of many SMS messages can reveal whether a text is official, transactional, service related or simply promotional. Understanding these tags can help users quickly identify legitimate messages and stay alert to potential scams.
Under telecom regulations in India, SMS senders are required to categorise messages based on their purpose. As a result, many texts end with a single letter that indicates the type of communication being sent.
If an SMS ends with the letter G, it typically means the message has been sent by a government authority. These alerts may include information about public services, government schemes, safety advisories or emergency notifications such as natural disaster warnings.
A message ending with the letter T signals a transactional SMS. These are usually sent by banks, financial institutions or digital services to confirm activities such as payments, account updates or one time passwords (OTPs).
The letter S represents a service related message. These notifications commonly come from companies and online platforms providing updates about services or orders. For instance, e commerce platforms like Amazon or Flipkart often send delivery updates and order confirmations that end with the letter S.
Meanwhile, SMS messages ending with the letter P are promotional in nature. These texts are typically marketing communications sent by businesses advertising products, offers or services such as education programmes, fashion sales or loan schemes.
Understanding these simple tags can also help users stay cautious about fraudulent messages. Cybersecurity experts note that scam messages often do not follow these regulated formats and may arrive without any category letter at the end.
While the absence of a tag does not automatically mean a message is fraudulent, it can serve as an early warning sign encouraging users to verify the source before clicking links or sharing personal information.
For those who wish to reduce marketing texts altogether, telecom operators also provide Do Not Disturb (DND) options.
Users of Jio can activate DND through the MyJio app by navigating to the menu, selecting settings and enabling the DND option with preferred filters.
Similarly, subscribers of Airtel and Vi can enable the same feature through their respective mobile apps to block promotional messages.
In a digital world flooded with alerts and notifications, recognising what a single letter means could make the difference between a harmless update and a potential scam.
