GECs
Disney-Fox merger sees more layoffs: Report
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Studios (Disney) 21st Century Fox (Fox) merger continues to cost jobs with another round of layoffs this week. A large number of employees have been laid off from both sides. Since Disney completed its $71.3 billion acquisition of much of Fox, nearly 250 people have exited so far.
A report from Variety revealed that the latest round of layoff comes in the backdrop of analysts’ prediction of more than 1000 jobs being eliminated due to the merger. According to the report, the latest episode has mainly impacted the production and visual effects departments.
Visual effects head John Kilkenny, feature production executive VP Fred Baron, physical production executive VP Dana Belcastro and post-production executive VP Fred Chandler are among the executives who have received pink slips on the Fox side. Those roles reported to Fox film production vice chairman and president Emma Watts prior to the acquisition. Although Disney has enacted three previous rounds of layoffs mostly impacting Fox staffers, severance packages have been generous.
Disney also informed its staffs that it would shut Fox Research Library on or before 6 January 2020. Fox Library’s content would be integrated into Disney’s own archives. While the teams at the Walt Disney Archives (founded 1970) and the Imagineering Research Library will be evaluating and handling the collection, it is not clear yet if the library’s archivists will also be laid off.
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
