iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar returns with City Of Dreams Season 3
Mumbai: Power, politics, betrayals and more- the most influential and powerful Gaikwads are back. Disney+ Hotstar today announced the trailer of Hotstar Specials’ City Of Dreams Season 3. Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Kukunoor Movies and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. Starring the versatile Atul Kulkarni, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Priya Bapat, Eijaz Khan, Sushant Singh, Rannvijay Singha and many others in pivotal roles, releasing on 26 May, 2023 on Disney+ Hotstar.
Bolder, stronger, fierce on the outside but shattered on the inside, will the Gaikwads fight all that comes their way and continue to sustain their place of authority in this gamble of politics? This season, step into the murky world of politics as Ameya Gaikwad (Atul Kulkarni) and Poornima Gaikwad (Priya Bapat) come together to protect their legacy from their rivals and external forces.
Talking about the show, Atul Kulkarni said, “City Of Dreams Season 3 delves deep into the web of politics, the Gaikwad’s and all that surrounds them. Working on this show has been a creatively satisfying experience and my character, Ameya Rao Gaikwad has seen a graph of growth at each step. He undergoes a significant transformation in this season, through a series of events that fundamentally alter the core of his persona. Audiences will see a new evolved take on the relationship Ameya shares with Poornima. Associating with Disney+ Hotstar and with Nagesh Kukunoor has been a great experience across all 3 seasons for such a spectacular show.”
Talking about the series, Sachin Pilgaonkar said, “Jagdish Gaurav has grown consistently in a subtle way and this season too will expose him differently. I have thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Applause Entertainment, Nagesh Kukunoor and Disney+ Hotstar for earlier 2 seasons City of Dreams and for season 3 as well. The fight for power in politics is indeed a world of its own. While the cr ux remains the same, City of Dreams is explored very differently this time and I am sure audiences will enjoy it.”
Talking about the show and her character, Bapat said, “This season, Poornima’s character is extremely complex, emotional and layered. She navigates life one step at a time and attempts to strike the perfect balance between the turmoil of her personal life and the urge to come back even more powerful, to protect her legacy. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Disney+ Hotstar across all seasons. Moreover, It was an incredible experience to work with such seasoned actors like Atul Kulkarni, Sachin Pilgaonkar and I am looking forward to audience reactions this season.”
Talking about the show, Eijaz Khan said, “Season 3 brings with it a different side to Wasim Khan and a realization that his true self lies in being a fearless cop. His friendship with Poornima evolves as the story progresses. This time around, Wasim is on a mission to cleanse the city from its roots. Collaborating with Disney Hotstar has been incredible throughout and I am excited and hope fans and audiences enjoy the new season.”
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
