Event Coverage
Firangi will clearly be largest India buyer: Rajeev Chakrabarti
MUMBAI: Sahara One‘s world television channel Firangi will be making major acquisitions at Mipcom 2007, the international audio-visual market event which kicks off today in France.
The channel is eyeing content across genres like comedy romantic comedy, drama, thriller, short series and movies.
Firangi business head Rajeev Chakrabarti says, “Firangi promises to offer its viewers the best stories. It will truly be a window to the world as we will acquire stories from all across the world.”
Although a launch date has not been fixed, he says that Firangi will “definitely launch in 2007.”
Being a world television channel, Firangi will need a large library of content that will be later dubbed in Hindi.
“For Firangi, we will need substantial amount of world class content. However, my focus will always be more on the quality than quantity. I will not pick up anything less than the best just to fill up the channel,” says Chakrabarti.
Speaking about Mipcom he says, “We are in touch with the content providers worldwide throughout the year. Mipcom gives us an opportunity to meet all the players in the market but we pick up formats as and when we need them.”
Being the first channel in this genre, how difficult it will be to gather content? “I don’t foresee any problem on that front. We will always have access to the best stories at any given point in time. The world market has become extremely competitive and the overall standard of television content has improved drastically,” he says.
When asked how the international market views India today, Chakrabarti says, “India as a market can‘t be ignored by any buyer or seller in the world. We produce many more hours of high quality drama than most of the players around the world. There is a growing market of finished product around the world and a good story will always be picked up as emotions have no language. Firangi will clearly be the single largest buyer in India.”
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
