iWorld
Gujarati film Hellaro now streaming on ShemarooMe
Mumbai: The acclaimed Gujarati film Hellaro, directed by Abhishek Shah, is streaming on ShemarooMe from 2 October 2024, coinciding with Navratri. It made history as the first Gujarati movie to win the National Award for best feature film, telling a powerful story of women’s resilience and transformation in a repressive society.
Since its debut, Hellaro has gained attention at various film festivals and won multiple awards, including the National Film Awards’ special jury Award for its 13 leading women and a special mention at IFFI for its music and choreography.
The cast includes Shraddha Dangar, Kaushambi Bhatt, Niilam Paanchal, and others. The film follows a group of suppressed women in Kutch whose lives change after meeting a stranger with a dhol in the desert, leading them on a journey of freedom and self-discovery.
Director Abhishek Shah reflects on this remarkable journey: “Creating Hellaro has been a deeply personal experience for me and the entire team. We have seen how the film resonates with audiences, shedding light on the struggles women face in our society. Winning Best Film National Award for the first time for a Gujarati language is an incredible honor, but I truly hope ‘Hellaro’ inspires meaningful conversations about empowerment and resilience. It wasn’t easy to bring this story to life; we built an entire village in a barren landscape, complete with fifteen traditional bhungas, a chowk, and a temple—something you can still see on Google Maps!”
Shraddha Dangar expressed her excitement about the film coming on ShemarooMe: “Hellaro is a very special movie for me. As it streams on ShemarooMe, we’re thrilled for fans in India and around the world to experience the powerful performances and vibrant storytelling that make our film so special. The movie beautifully used Garba to represent women’s journey from suppression to liberty in a patriarchal society. We practiced Garba barefoot in the scorching sands of Kutch, but the love we received from the audience made it all worthwhile. Since Hellaro, I’ve encountered many inspiring stories that have motivated me to take a stand. Playing Manjhri transformed me; it awakened a strength within that encouraged me to draw courage from the incredible women around me. I feel empowered to advocate for change and share their stories, and I hope our film inspires others to do the same.”
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
