iWorld
Hooq expands its kids offering; to add 500 hours of content
MUMBAI: Video on demand streaming service Hooq has announced that it is tripling its content for kids and will add more child-friendly content soon.
With the demand for kids’ content growing in India, Hooq plans to be a video service that caters to everyone in a family whether they want Hollywood, local or kids content. This also ensures that a family can enjoy their own favourites across multiple devices anytime.
The VOD service is expanding its library that will constitute over 500 hours of kids’ content in the next few weeks.
Hooq marketing head Sheila Paul stated that the streaming service has already inked few deals with big names in family entertainment like Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Kids Like Us, Hasbro, Mattel Turner and MoMedia.
Kids can soon watch animated series such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go!, PAW Patrol, Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Pony, Mr. Bean, etc on their parents’ mobile devices or tablets. Fans of Hi-5 and iCarly will also be able to revisit their favorite episodes of the series.
Last Halloween, the streaming service held the third Hooq hangouts dubbed SP-Hooq-tacular event gathering young movie buffs in their spookiest costumes as they watched horror comedy Monster House produced by Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis.
Hooq’s competitors in this space like YouTube Kids, Voot, and Sony Liv too have quality content for kids and, hence, it remains to be seen how gripping would this streaming service’s kids content be.
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.
