iWorld
GoQuest Media acquires MX Player originals for worldwide distribution
MUMBAI: Independent content distributor GoQuest Media has closed a deal with MX Player. As per the deal, GoQuest Media will acquire the worldwide distribution rights for two of its top-rated epic drama originals: Queen and Ek Thi Begum (The Mafia Queen). Inspired by true events, the gripping web series unfolds the stories of two powerful women who in their own unique ways defined an era in Indian history.
Directed by national award winner Gautham Vasudev Menon and Prasath Murugesan, Queen brings to life the story of Shakthi Seshadri – a reluctant actress, a reluctant politician and a non-conformist until the very end. She was destiny’s chosen child who rose from the ashes like a phoenix to rule the state of Tamil Nadu as its youngest female chief minister. Headlined by Ramya Krishnan who portrays the role of Shakthi, the series also stars Anikha Surendran, Anjana Jayaprakash and Indrajith Sukumaran in key roles. The show premiered in December 2019 and garnered an IMDB rating of 8.3 as well as exceptional reviews.
Directed by Sachin Darekar, Ek Thi Begum (The Mafia Queen) stars Anuja Sathe as Ashraf. Life as she knew it changed when the city’s biggest don Maqsood turned out to be responsible for the death of her husband Zaheer. Inspired by true events, this is the story of begum Ashraf aka Sapna who turned femme fatale, pursuing the most dangerous underworld gangsters of Bombay to avenge her husband’s murder. Set in the Bombay of the 1980s when organized crime was at its peak, this crime thriller is a refreshing take, where a female protagonist is portrayed taking on an overwhelmingly male dominated world of mafias and underworld to become the ‘Mafia Queen’ of her time.
MX Player head, content acquisition & syndication Mansi Shrivastav said, "We believe in producing and acquiring narratives that make for universal storytelling. Our vision of ‘everytainment’ or entertainment for every mood, reason and season is now going out for global distribution and we are delighted to have 2 of our MX Original Series’ – Queen and Ek Thi Begum make their international debut via the distribution deal with GoQuest Media."
GoQuest Media co-founder Vivek Lath commented, “There’s a thirst for more premium Indian content and MX player has produced two epic drama originals which are certain to inspire and engage global audiences beyond the reach of traditional Bollywood. We aim to offer the very best content from around the globe and from India. Queen and Ek Thi Begum (The Mafia Queen) are both in their unique way uplifting and inspirational stories to watch.”
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iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
