iWorld
hoichoi drops trailer for its 100th original ‘Tiktiki’
Mumbai: Bengali entertainment platform hoichoi has unveiled the trailer for its 100th original “Tiktiki.” Directed by Dhrubo Banerjee, the web series is slated to premiere on 18 March.
The launch event celebrated the web debut of actor-director Kaushik Ganguly as the lead cast of the series, as well as the directorial debut of Banerjee on the platform. The show also features Anirban Bhattacharya alongside Ganguly for the first time.
The trailer starts with suspense-laden visuals of a palace and goes on to show a meeting between the polar opposites, Soumendra Krishna Deb (played by Ganguly) and Milan Basak (played by Bhattacharya). Taking off on a cordial note, the meeting soon turns into a duel, absolute chaos as the characters begin to unveil themselves. The trailer ends with a gunshot, leaving the audience at a cliffhanger.
The event also witnessed the launch of the “Tiktiki Game of Chess,” where players can challenge either of the two lead characters of the series. A maximum of 150 kills within 100 seconds, will give them a chance to win a coupon code offering 25 per cent discount on the hoichoi annual subscription. The game is available on the hoichoi app.
“It is an unparalleled moment for me to showcase the trailer of my first web directorial venture in such a grand manner. I feel grateful to my entire team and hoichoi for making this day so special,” said director Dhrubo Banerjee. “Right now, I am cherishing every moment that we have spent in creating Tiktiki. I hope audiences love the show and recognise the passion that has gone into making it.”
“I am happy about not only getting to play such a powerful character as Milan Basak, but also to share the screen with an accomplished actor like Kaushik Ganguly,” added actor Anirban Bhattacharya. “‘Tiktiki’ is the kind of project that I feel will leave a mark in people’s mind. I am grateful to Dhrubo Banerjee for making ‘Tiktiki’ and making me a part of it. I will always have special regard for hoichoi for bringing in such unique content for our audience. I am looking forward to the audience reactions once the show gets released.”
Commenting on his web debut, Kaushik Ganguly shared, “It is an absolute delight for me to be marking my debut with something that is as grand as ‘Tiktiki.’ I am thankful to Dhrubo Banerjee for Soumendra Krishna Deb and simply hope that I have done justice to the character. I would also like to thank Anirban Bhattacharya for being such an amazing co-actor. I am immensely thankful to the entire team of ‘Tiktiki’ and hoichoi for making the journey of my first web series memorable.”
iWorld
Banijay Asia’s The 50 tops OTT charts with 8.1 million JioHotstar views
Reality competition becomes most watched show on JioHotstar in debut week.
MUMBAI: Fifty contestants walked into a palace, but millions of viewers showed up for the drama. Reality competition The 50, produced by Banijay Asia, has emerged as the most watched show on JioHotstar, clocking 8.1 million views in its debut week. The figure, reported by Ormax Media, places the show at the top of the OTT viewership charts and marks a strong opening for the digital reality format.
Adapted from a popular French format, The 50 brings together 50 personalities from television, digital platforms, music and reality shows inside a grand palace setting. Over the course of a 50 day competition, participants form alliances, compete in unpredictable tasks and navigate eliminations as the field steadily narrows.
Guiding the game is a mysterious figure known as The Lion, an unseen game master whose voice introduces twists, challenges and strategic turns throughout the show, adding an extra layer of suspense to the contest.
What distinguishes The 50 from typical reality competitions is its audience driven prize structure. Instead of the winner taking home the final reward, the prize is awarded to one of the winner’s registered followers through the show’s dedicated app. The mechanism effectively turns viewers into participants, allowing fans to have a direct stake in the outcome.
The contestant lineup features a mix of television actors, reality stars and digital creators, including Karan Patel, Urvashi Dholakia, Divya Agarwal, Mr Faisu and Dushyant Kukreja, each bringing their own fan following to the show.
With its blend of celebrity personalities, strategic gameplay and interactive viewer participation, The 50 has quickly carved out a strong foothold in India’s digital entertainment landscape. Its 8.1 million views in the opening week underline the growing appetite for large scale reality formats designed specifically for OTT audiences.
