iWorld
Eros International to release 4 Hindi films overseas
MUMBAI: Eros International Plc, a global Indian entertainment company, has acquired international distribution rights to four bollywod films. The company has announced that it will release four Hindi language films across different genres later this year in several overseas markets including the UK, US and Middle East.
First to release will be the romantic action film titled ‘Marjaavaan’ on 15 November, directed by Milap Zaveri, starring Sidharth Malhotra, Riteish Deshmukh, Tara Sutaria and Rakul Preet Singh. Produced by T-Series and Emmay Entertainment, the film is a dramatic, violent and action-packed love story.
The second film to be distributed will be ‘Pagalpanti’, which is scheduled to release on 22 November. The forthcoming film is a comedy caper directed by filmmaker Anees Bazmee and produced by T-Series and Panorama Studios. The story of the film revolves around a group of Indian tourists on vacation that turns into a patriotic mission. The comedy stars Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Ileana D'Cruz and Arshad Warsi.
Eros International Media Ltd managing director Sunil Lulla said, “Eros continues to be a forerunner in releasing the biggest hits from Bollywood in significant markets across the globe. We take immense pride in taking quality cinema outside of India to maximise its viewership. And with this, we shall continue to forge our own path in the overseas market with the sole objective to delight the Indian diaspora and global consumers seeking fresh content.”
Closely followed will be two other releases, one titled ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ and the other, ‘The Body’. The two starkly different films are scheduled to release simultaneously on 6 December. The former is a remake of a cult Bollywood film of the same name. Produced by T-Series and directed by Mudassar Aziz, the highly awaited film stars Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday and Bhumi Pednekar. ‘The Body’ is a thriller mystery inspired by its Spanish antecedent. Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the film is headlined by Emraan Hashmi, Rishi Kapoor, Vedhika and Sobhita Dhulipala.
iWorld
Akhil Gupta retires as Bharti Enterprises vice chairman after three decades
The man who outsourced Airtel’s network and built Indus Towers leaves behind a telecom industry transformed
NEW DELHI: He was not the most visible face of Bharti. He was, by most accounts, the most consequential one. Akhil Gupta, known within the group simply as AKG, has retired as vice chairman of Bharti Enterprises with effect from March 31st, 2026, closing a chapter that stretched across more than three decades and reshaped Indian telecoms in ways still felt today.
Gupta was there at the beginning, part of the core leadership team that steered Bharti Airtel from a scrappy domestic operator into one of the world’s largest telecom and digital services companies. But it is two decisions in particular that cement his legacy. The first was persuading the industry that a telecom company need not own its own network. His outsourcing partnerships with IBM and Ericsson, considered eccentric at the time, stripped out capital costs and sharpened Airtel’s competitive edge. The model was subsequently copied across the global industry. The second was the creation of Indus Towers, now one of the largest tower companies in the world.
Both initiatives were studied as case material at Harvard Business School, where Gupta himself had studied. A chartered accountant by training and a dealmaker by instinct, he accumulated industry accolades across his career without ever particularly courting the limelight.
Bharti Enterprises, announcing the retirement on LinkedIn, credited Gupta with building the foundation of the group’s success and driving innovation, partnerships and long-term value creation.
The tributes are deserved. Gupta did not just help build Airtel. In many respects, he helped invent the playbook that modern telecoms runs on.
