iWorld
Flipkart Video Original ‘Zindagi inShort’ to release on 19 Feb
MUMBAI: Flipkart Video is all set to launch another original Zindagi inShort on 19 February. Zindagi inShort comprises seven short slice-of-life films. The cerebration of the anthology is to showcase bittersweet episodes of life in miniature configurations. 'Chajju Ke Dahi Bhalle', 'Nano So Phobia', 'Sunny Side Upar', 'Swaaha', 'Pinni', 'Sleeping Partner' and 'Thappad' are the seven short films that constitute the anthology.
Basking in the success of the digital show 'Backbenchers', India's homegrown e-commerce marketplace is gearing up to stream its collaboration with Sikhya Entertainment on Flipkart Video, which is available on the Flipkart app itself.
The anthology is produced by Guneet Monga's Sikhya Entertainment. Some of the most impactful and acclaimed productions to Monga's credit are Gangs Of Wasseypur – Part 1 and Part 2, The Lunchbox, Masaan, Tigers, Dasvidaniya and Haraamkhor. Not to mention, her filmography as a producer includes the Oscar-nominated short film, Kavi, Oscar-winning short documentary, 'Period. End Of Sentence' and the Bhuvan Bam-starrer Plus Minus that won the Filmfare Award for Best Short Film.
The seven short slice-of-life films touch upon online romance, the innocence of childhood, the confusion of old age, the construct of being loved in a marriage, infidelity, a woman owning her role in the family and standing up for yourself when it's the hardest to do so. Themes as powerful as these have been crafted and explored in the films in small doses, that offer a bittersweet flavoured entertainment.
Speaking about the 'first look' of the upcoming Flipkart Video Original, Flipkart Growth and Monetisation VP Prakash Sikaria says, “Zindagi inShort is a unique collection of heartwarming stories, that everyone will be able to relate to, in one way or the other. Every story represents different stages of life, and bittersweet moments that can at times, accompany them. We are excited about this partnership with Guneet's Sikhya Entertainment and we are thrilled to provide a powerful storytelling platform for these young creators.”
Says Guneet, "As the title suggests, Zindagi inShort has been an endeavor to capture various nuances of everyday life in short. Our anthology comprises of seven extraordinary stories, drawn from everyday lives with a promising twist, directed by seven unique voices. We are excited to bring our fresh slate of Sikhya shorts on Flipkart Video, which will help us connect with over 200 million Flipkart customers across India."
Starring Neena Gupta, Shishir Sharma, Srishti Srivastava, Sanjay Kapoor, Divya Dutta, Deepak Dobriyal, Isha Talwar, Jitin Gulati, Nakul Mehta, Manjot Singh, Nidhi Singh, Jagdish Nandi, Hiral Parekh, Aayan Modi, Abbas Syyad, Ajmal Khurshid, Aisha Ahmed, Geeta Agarwal Sharma, Rytasha Rathore, Rima Kallingal, Swaroop Sampat, Shafin Patel, Vedika Nawani and Arun Kushwah among others, helmed by directors Punarvasu Naik, Tahira Kashyap, Rakesh Sain, Gautam Govind Sharma, Vijayeta Kumar, Smrutika Panigrahi and Vinay Chawwal and produced by Sikhya Entertainment in association with Flipkart Video, Zindagi inShort is slated to stream on the video platform on the 19 February 2020.
iWorld
Talk to your telly: JioHotstar’s new AI voice feature reads your mood to suggest shows
The streaming giant ditches the scroll for a “conversational” AI that understands moods, cricket and Hinglish
MUMBAI: The era of the endless scroll may finally be over. JioHotstar has officially flicked the switch on its “Conversational Voice Discovery” (CVD) feature, a high-tech overhaul designed to turn the hunt for a Friday night film into a natural chat. Developed in a landmark partnership with OpenAI, the tool moves beyond clunky keyword searches, allowing users to find content by describing their mood, context or even the most bizarre viewing scenarios.
The feature is vision of Uday Shankar, vice chairman of JioStar, whose goal is to eliminate “content overload” by replacing the tedious, traditional scroll with natural dialogue. By leveraging ChatGPT’s ability to grasp context and cultural nuance, the new mobile interface allows users to bypass menus entirely, turning search into a seamless conversation.
The launch, which rolled out across India this month, sees a ChatGPT-powered interface integrated directly into the heart of the app. Instead of typing “action movie” into a sterile search bar, viewers can now speak to their devices as if they were asking a well-read friend for a tip. For now, the feature is exclusive to the mobile app, with a rollout for Connected TV (CTV) expected in later phases.
Beyond the keyword
The CVD feature is built on what JioStar calls “Multilingual Cognitive Search.” It is designed to interpret nuance rather than just matching text. If you tell the app, “I’ve had a long day, give me something mindless and funny,” it won’t just look for those words in a title; it will sift through 300,000 hours of library content to find a light-hearted sitcom or a stand-up special that fits the vibe.
The tech is natively multilingual, catering to India’s diverse linguistic landscape. Users can switch effortlessly between languages—asking for “Koi light-hearted comedy dikhao” (show me some light-hearted comedy) or requesting a “Thriller hai but zyada dark nahi chahiye” (a thriller that isn’t too dark).
Real-time curiosity and live sports
Perhaps the most ambitious aspect of the rollout is its integration with live sports. During a high-stakes cricket match, the AI acts as a digital companion. Fans can ask, “Who is the top scorer right now?” or “Show me that last wicket again,” and the system will pull the relevant data or clips instantly. It even attempts to explain the “why” behind the crowd’s energy, responding to prompts like, “Why is everyone reacting like that?” by contextualizing on-field events.
A shift in streaming strategy
The move is part of a broader reimagining of the entertainment experience following the massive merger between JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar. Uday Shankar noted that the goal is to make premium entertainment “truly accessible” by embedding AI at the core of the user journey. By anticipating culture and context, the platform hopes to kill off “decision fatigue.”
For OpenAI, the partnership represents a major play in the Indian market. Fidji Simo, the head of applications at OpenAI, said the goal was to turn a “one-way” passive consumption experience into a “deeply personal conversation.”
As the feature goes live for millions of subscribers, the message from Bombay House is clear: the remote control is becoming obsolete. Whether you’re looking for a show that “feels like a rainy Sunday afternoon” or a crime series with a “strong female lead but not too violent,” all you have to do is ask.
