iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar unveils 2021 slate, Ajay Devgan’s digital debut series on the list
New Delhi: Streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar on Tuesday unveiled its latest content line-up for 2021 with engaging original series and movies across genres and featuring several noted actors.
The new line-up includes high-magnitude productions like the period-action drama magnum opus series The Empire helmed by Nikkhil Advani and starring Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea and Shabana Azmi, and crime-drama series Rudra – The Edge of Darkness which marks the digital debut of megastar Ajay Devgn, and Esha Deol.
Some of the new movies that are set to be available on the OTT platform include: Ajay Devgan starrer war-epic Bhuj: The Pride of India, chaotic comedy Hungama 2 starring Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Crime thriller Collar Bomb starring Jimmy Shergill and horror comedy Bhoot Police starring Saif Ali Khan.
The platform is also expanding its subscription offering. Starting 1 September, it will add three new subscription plans, namely – Mobile plan for Rs 499 per year (single device, mobile-only plan), Super for Rs 899 per year (access to two devices across mobile, web and living room devices) and Premium for Rs 1499 per year (access to four devices across mobile, web and living room devices).
Disney+ Hotstar, president and head, Sunil Rayan said the 2021 content slate demonstrates the company’s relentless pursuit of bringing original and locally relevant stories to its consumers. “With our fresh slate of movies and shows, we are proud that India’s top stars and industry stalwarts have chosen to debut with us to present stories that are genre-defining clubbed with high-quality production that makes Har Watch, Top Notch.”
The platform has also scaled up stories featuring strong characters and women-centric narratives including the second season of Aarya featuring Sushmita Sen, Fear – a supernatural thriller starring Tisca Chopra, and medical drama Human starring Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari. The line-up also includes the ‘Special Ops Universe’ where multiple characters, stories and seasons will co-exist within a universe in a multi-series format; starting with Kay Kay Menon-starrer Special Ops 1.5.
Star India, president and head, Hindi and English entertainment, Gaurav Banerjee said, “At Disney Star, we believe in the power of great storytelling. We have always challenged conventions and been at the forefront of content creation with powerful and category-defining stories ranging from strong women-centric narratives, mythology to history and contemporary tales. We’re thrilled to expand our offering on Disney+ Hotstar by adding an incredible array of blockbuster movies and multilingual original series in Telugu and Tamil.”
The line-up also includes murder mystery Six Suspects starring Pratik Gandhi and Richa Chadha, the tech-thriller Escaype Live, political dramas City of Dreams (Season 2) and Gharshana, bestselling novel adaptation Those Pricey Thakur Girls, dance reality series Dance+, the third chapter of popular franchise Criminal Justice starring Pankaj Tripathi.
In addition to these shows and movies, the subscribers will also have access to Disney library titles, Disney+ shows and movies as well as sports content through LIVE streams of the biggest cricket tournaments, including the VIVO IPL 2021 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup – all within the next six months (as per current schedule). The platform will also showcase LIVE streams of upcoming Tennis, Football and F1 tournaments.
Actor Ajay Devgn, who makes his digital debut with crime-drama series Rudra – The Edge of Darkness said, “The quality of entertainment being delivered via digital platforms has opened up avenues for filmmakers to experiment and scale-up. The sheer scale of production of these projects has multiplied significantly in the last few years. My upcoming series Rudra – The Edge of Darkness is bigger than anything I’ve done before.”
CONTENT LINE-UP:
New Shows:
1. Historical fiction The Empire starring Kunal Kapoor, Dino Morea, Shabana Azmi and Drashti Dhami,
2. Crime drama Rudra: The Edge of Darkness starring Ajay Devgn and Esha Deol, Family crime drama Aarya (Season 2) starring Sushmita Sen
3. Medical drama Human starring Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari
4. Murder mystery Six Suspects starring Pratik Gandhi, Richa Chadha, Ashutosh Rana
5. Political drama City of Dreams (Season 2) starring Priya Bapat, Atul Kulkarni, Eijaz Khan, Sachin Pilgaonkar
6. Tech-thriller Escaype Live starring Siddharth, Javed Jaffrey, Ritvik Sahore
7. Supernatural thriller Fear 1.0 starring Tisca Chopra, Saurabh Shukla and Rajesh Tailang
8. Crime drama Gharshana starring Naveen Chandra, Sarath Kumar and Jagapathi Babu
9. Family drama My Perfect Husband starring Sathyaraj
10. Mystery thriller Family Matters starring Murali Sharma, Nandu, Akshara Gowda and Sonia Agarwal
11. Romantic comedy Those Pricey Thakur Girls starring Akshay Oberoi, Saher Bamba, Raj Babbar and Poonam Dhillon
12. Live animation series The Legend of Hanuman (Season 2) with voice by Sharad Kelkar
13. Dance reality series Dance+ with Remo D’souza
14. Crime-drama series, Criminal Justice (Season 3) starring Pankaj Tripathi
15. Espionage thriller Special Ops 1.5 starring Kay Kay Menon
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
