iWorld
hoichoi launches live TV with FTA channels
MUMBAI: hoichoi has another innovation up its sleeve – it’s incorporating a Live TV section on the hoichoi App and website.
As the name suggests, Live TV will have certain ‘Free-To-Air Channels’ that will simultaneously broadcast on hoichoi. However, hoichoi went up a notch to create its own segment titled ‘hoichoi Channels’ which will have carefully curated content from hoichoi’s vast library of movies and shows where the user does not have to go through discovering or searching a specific content. This segment is differentiated by genres; an initiative by hoichoi to increase engagement on the platform, to cater to audience of all ages.
Over time, hoichoi has seen significant growth in its consumption on TV devices like Fire TV, Android TV, Mi TV, Apple TV and Roku. A major reason for this spike has been the growth in its 35+ users who have now become one of the top demographic segments for hoichoi. Most of these people prefer and enjoy the functionality of a TV channel. As such, hoichoi decided to curate some of the best content from its library to cater to these users.
Though a few OTT platforms in India have already consolidated a Live TV section, hoichoi stands out as the first OTT platform to create its own segment of Live Content Binge Watch; the user gets the look and feel of television with various premium movies and web series, all in one app.
The hoichoi channel sections have been divided genre-wise and is part of the current hoichoi subscription. The FTA (Free-To-Air) segment is free of any cost for customers along with the hoichoi free tab. The details given below:
hoichoi Blockbusters
A channel that promises to keep you entertained with its blockbuster Bengali movies, non-stop! Get closer to your favourite Bengali actors from Prosenjit to Dev, Anirban Bhattacharya to Mimi, Abir to Parambrata, and their superhit films like Durgeshgorer Guptodhon to Amazon Obhijaan, Shah Jahan Regency to Crisscross, Chander Pahar to Baishe Srabon and the list is endless. For the first time, you have never-ending collection of Bengali Blockbusters at your fingertips, curated to your taste.
hoichoi Comedy
A channel to provide you endless laughter…enjoy a laughter riot with a bouquet of Bengali web series like Eken Babu, Japani Toy or Dupur Thakurpo and an array of films starting from classics like Sharey Chuattor, Mouchak or Bhanu Pelo Lottery, to recent hits like Bibaho Obhijaan, Roga Howar Sohoj Upay, Obhishopto Nighty, Haripada Bandwala and so on. Take a tour through this channel and let the laughing saga continue.
hoichoi Free
Non-stop entertainment and that too for Free, isn't that a stellar deal? Here's the one stop location for all genres of entertainment starting from Bengali movies, like Bidhatar Khela, Aandha Prem, Agni Juddho to Bengali Short Films, like Biulir Dal o Alo Posto, Audition and Wallet. On top of that get a taste of their Originals like Hello, Dhanbad Blues, Charitraheen for which some the episodes are available for free consumption and so much more.
hoichoi Family
Binging on blockbusters or classics, with the whole family around – what's better than that? A one-stop destination for non-stop Bengali entertainment, perfect for your family with variety of Bengali movies like Posto, Mukherjee Dar Bou, Shubhodrishti, Prem Amar, Bibaho Diaries, Haami and the list is endless. Fix a movie date and enjoy binge watching with the youngest and the eldest member of the household.
hoichoi Classics
Take a trip down the memory lane with characters from Pather Panchali, Sanyasi Raja, Mouchak or with the iconic duo Goopy Bagha in Hirok Rajar Deshe. Let Sata Bose from Chowringhee welcome you to a plethora of Bengali classic cinemas, anytime, anywhere. So, if you want to submerge yourself into non-stop nostalgia, this is the place.
hoichoi Thrillers
If you are in the mood to have a chill run down your spine with mind-bending thrillers, search no more! Be it the eccentricities of Byomkesh or your next door Bouma Detective, spend your day solving mysteries and busting crimes with your favourite sleuths. From the drama and thrill of Hello or Paap, from the darkness of the internet in Dark Web or Six, hoichoi has lined up a crazy list of top-notch thrillers to keep you hooked to #WatchFromHome.
In addition to the above, hoichoi will have several TV channels on the platform, all free to watch, for its audience. hoichoi has segregated this to 24*7 news, music and music videos and other forms of entertainment a television provides as a medium.
The TV channels section currently include:
Kolkata TV
One of the top Bengali news channels that not only provides news 24*7 but also entertainment with multiple interviews of Bengali artistes, events and latest blockbuster songs.
Sangeet Bangla
The no. 1 Bengali music channel – serves as a suitable platform for the film and music industry of Bengal, acting as a perfect media partner to reach the target viewership. It is an endeavour to showcase the resplendent Bengali culture through its music and movies, which is unique and typically a characteristic of the land.
Bangla Talkies
Good packaging, high production standards and quality content have positioned the channel as one of the most preferred choice of the Bengali music loving audience. From break-free compilations to karaoke and retro to romantic, BT offers a variety of shows showcasing different genre of music and moods serving an audience of all age groups.
DD Bangla
The classic Doordarshan in Bengali language. The network’s programming consists of a library of serials, infotainment series, cartoons, news and current affairs, social programs and even films. the network's programming consists of soap operas.
Aamar Cinema
A 24-hour Bengali Movie Channel for the mass! It is a mirror of daily life, happiness and sorrow, struggle and enjoyment, relations and deviation. All kinds of flavours are explored in this channel – “Bangliana” will be reflected like a spectrum through this kaleidoscope.
Sadhna News
Catering to the contemporary and the traditional viewers, this Hindi 24*7 news channel focusses on News and Entertainment.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
