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hoichoi presents “First Day First Show”, a new property to stream Bengali feature films; SVF produced ‘Detective’ will mark its first Direct-to-Digital release
It is official! Anirban Bhattacharya starrer “Detective” will be heading for a Direct-to-Digital release on hoichoi. hoichoi announced a new property a day before, “First Day First Show” which will helm the direct releases of Bengali movies. It was originally slated for a theatrical release but owing to the current restrictions mandated by the government for audiences to maintain a decorum of social distancing, and movie theatres abiding the same by keeping the doors of their single screens and multiplexes closed, SVF, Eastern India’s largest entertainment house, have consciously decided to take a digital route. It is in fact, also, the first direct OTT release for SVF, their first film to be released in an OTT platform this year. hoichoi announced the grand news by doing a Multiple Poster (5 posters of each lead character) Reveal in the morning followed by the Official Trailer.
Directed by Joydeep Mukherjee, Detective, is based on Rabindranath Tagore’s story and the character of the “Detective” is being essayed by versatile Anirban Bhattacharya, who in the past year has impressed the audience with his choice of roles and their portrayal on screen.
Mahendra Soni, Co-Founder and Director, SVF said, “We are excited that the film is getting a digital release and becomes the first Bengali feature to get a World Premiere on hoichoi. Although, we had planned to have a big theatrical release, the sudden pandemic compelled us to take the digital route. This decision is motivated purely by choice and hoichoi became the go-to OTT platform – as it is known for its variety of content along with being the paramount OTT platform in the Bengali community.”
Vishnu Mohta, Co-Founder of hoichoi added, ”hoichoi has started many revolutionary properties which changed the face of Bengali Cinema starting with the World Digital Premiere of blockbusters and other films. This time, it’s “hoichoi Presents First Day First Show” where we are happy to exclusively premiere one of the most anticipated films of the year starring the famous Anirban Bhattacharya. We are always looking out to embrace good content and Detective, as a film, will bring all our audiences, globally, to step up and celebrate the film along with the celebration of our Independence.”
Slated to release on 14th August only on hoichoi, Detective stars Anirban as Mahimchandra, a police-detective, who aspires to earn fame in his profession. He craves for some complex case to come his way so that he can prove his worth. Mahimchandra’s first love is his detective books (primarily, Sherlock Holmes whom he admires) and second, is his wife Shudhamukhi portrayed by Ishaa Saha. Obsessed with finding a complicated case, Mahimchandra encounters<span data-contrast="auto" class="TextRun SCXW252297204 BCX0" lang="EN-US" style="margin: 0px; user-select: text; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri Light", "Calibri Light_EmbeddedFont", "Calibri Light_MSFontService", sans-serif; font-kerning:
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.
