iWorld
Good intentions gone rogue as Shubhchintak plots a dark OTT debut
MUMBAI: The season of goodwill takes a deliciously wicked turn this December, as Shubhchintak proves that not all good intentions come gift-wrapped. ShemarooMe has announced the digital premiere of the dark-comedy thriller on 18 December 2025, bringing a genre-bending Gujarati film straight to living rooms across the country.
Directed by Nisarg Vaidya, Shubhchintak blends sharp humour with simmering tension, carving out fresh territory for Gujarati cinema. The film leans into irony and chaos, using comedy not as comic relief but as a pressure valve for a story that steadily tightens its grip.
At the centre of the plot is Meghna, a reluctant first-timer who teams up with two accomplices to honey-trap Sanjay as part of a carefully planned act of revenge. What starts as a calculated setup soon unravels into a chain of comic mishaps, emotional stand-offs and moral crossroads, forcing Meghna to confront whether revenge delivers closure or simply multiplies the damage.
The film boasts a sizeable ensemble cast featuring Manasi Parekh, Swapnil Joshi, Viraf Patell, Deep Vaidya, Mehul Buch, Tusharika Rajyaguru, Nisarg Trivedii, Morli Patel and Viya Rathod. Produced by Parthiv Gohil and Manasi Parekh, with Dhaval Thakkar on board, the project brings together familiar faces while nudging them into unfamiliar, darker territory.
For Gujarati cinema, Shubhchintak also marks a notable first. It introduces Swapnil Joshi to the language’s film space, while pushing the industry beyond its comfort zone of family dramas and romances into sharper, more experimental storytelling.
With this release, ShemarooMe continues to expand its Gujarati slate with films that favour narrative risk over formula. The platform has steadily positioned itself as a home for stories that reflect changing audience tastes, particularly among viewers seeking genre variety beyond the mainstream.
Shubhchintak begins streaming exclusively on ShemarooMe from 18 December 2025, offering viewers a reminder that sometimes, the most entertaining stories emerge when good intentions go spectacularly off-script.
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.
