iWorld
Disney+ Hotstar’s ‘Aarya’ nominated for 2021 Emmy Awards
Mumbai: Streaming service platform Disney+ Hotstar’s web series “Aarya” has been nominated at the 49th International Emmy Awards.
Directed by Ram Madhvani and starring Sushmita Sen, the show bagged a nomination in the ‘Drama Series’ category, becoming the first show from the OTT platform to be nominated at the Emmys.
“We are extremely proud and honoured to be nominated at one of the most esteemed global award platforms that recognise creativity, talent and storytelling at its best,” said Star and Disney India president and head of content Gaurav Banerjee. “I congratulate the entire crew of Aarya and our team at Disney+ Hotstar for underlining India’s creative talent to the world.”
“It is surreal to know that Aarya has been recognised globally amongst the best drama series in the world and to be nominated at a platform as prestigious as the International Emmy Awards is phenomenal,” said actor Sushmita Sen. “I am overwhelmed with the love and faith viewers across the world have put into our labour of love and want to thank each one from the bottom of my heart for the encouragement.”
The show’s ensemble cast included the actors Namit Das, Sikander Kher, Jayant Kriplani, Sohaila Kapoor, Sugandha Garg, Maya Sareen, Vishwajeet Pradhan, and Manish Chaudhary in pivotal roles.
“It’s a feeling of pride and humility and true happiness to have been nominated for the International Emmy Awards,” said director Ram Madhvani. “Congratulations to the entire team and cast of Aarya for their immense support, belief, and love. And to the full team at Disney+ Hotstar and Endemol Shine. This nomination truly validates the full team’s hard and dedicated work.”
Meanwhile, “Aarya” is set to return for a second season on the video-on-demand platform.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
