iWorld
Fan-tastic First: India Bags Maiden OTT Documentary Win at ATA 2025
MUMBAI: If devotion ever needed a documentary, India has just delivered a global winner. TV9 Network’s in-house unit, Studio9, has scripted history by securing India’s first-ever win in the OTT documentary programme category at the 30th Asian Television Awards 2025 in Singapore, all thanks to its gripping deep dive into the feverish world of South Indian fandom, Fanatics.
Commissioned by Docubay, the 55-minute documentary edged past six heavyweight contenders from China, Taiwan and India, including Bitter Sweet Ballad, Echoes of Life, Polar Alarm, and Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli. But Fanatics emerged the clear favourite, proving that stories rooted in India’s pop-cultural heartbeat can travel far beyond linguistic or regional borders.
Fanatics maps the emotional, sociological and sometimes extreme landscape of fan devotion across South India where admiration often transforms into worship, complete with temples built for stars, tattoos dedicated to idols, and massive celebrations that rival festivals during birthdays and film releases.
The film features candid voices from some of the region’s biggest stars Kichcha Sudeep, Allu Arjun, and Vijay Sethupathi alongside film historians, mental health specialists, cultural commentators and ordinary fans whose stories reveal the joys and darker shades of fervent adulation.
One such story follows a young man who found courage and self-worth through Allu Arjun’s on-screen presence after years of stigma for having a cleft palate, a reminder that fandom often runs deeper than entertainment.
The win marks a major milestone for Indian nonfiction storytelling on the global stage.
“This honour at the 30th Asian Television Awards is a defining moment,” said The EPIC Company MD Aditya Pittie. “As the first Indian OTT documentary to win in this category, Fanatics reaffirms our belief in culturally rooted narratives with universal resonance.”
For TV9 Network, it’s a creative high point. “We knew we had a winner from the word go,” saidTV9 Network MD & CEO Barun Das. “The subject was unique, the appeal universal. I thank DocuBay for trusting Studio9 to produce it.”
Studio9’s head, Arpita Chatterjee added: “This was my first major documentary project, and winning on a global stage is a huge validation of our team’s work across fiction, nonfiction and films.”
DocuBay’s CCO Samar Khan highlighted the complexity behind the narrative, “Fanatics demanded honesty and courage. The documentary explores a world where devotion often blurs into obsession. This win validates the creative risks we took and the sensitivity with which the team approached the subject.”
The award-winning film was powered by a strong Studio9 crew:
. Director: Aryan D. Roy
. Assistant Director: Debanjana Ghosh
. Show Runner: Santosh Raj
. Creative Consultant: Aniruddha Chakladar
. DOP: Akshay Kumar
. Editor: Paras Sharma
. Research Support: News9, consulting editor, Sudha Sadhanand
Their collective effort helped transform India’s most flamboyant subculture into a documentary that resonated across Asia.
For TV9 Network, this accolade signals more than an award, it marks a renewed commitment to elevating Indian nonfiction with home-grown talent, bold subjects and global storytelling ambition. As Studio9 continues to expand its creative footprint, Fanatics stands as proof that India’s stories, when told with authenticity and cinematic depth, can captivate audiences well beyond the fan clubs they depict.
India may have many fan armies but this time, it’s a documentary about them that has brought home the glory.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
