iWorld
Hungama OTT ramps up 2025 slate with bold, binge-ready originals
MUMBAI: Hungama OTT has stepped firmly into the big league in 2025, strengthening its reputation as one of the fastest-growing Hindi-speaking streaming platforms. Backed by a steady stream of thrillers, crime sagas, psychological dramas and boundary-pushing narratives, the platform delivered a slate designed to keep audiences glued all year.
The year opened with Personal Trainer, a dark Mumbai-set thriller led by Tinaa Dattaa. It followed an affair gone wrong and a death that unravels a dangerous maze of betrayal. February brought Pati Patni Aur Padosan, a psychological crime drama where Yukti Kapoor’s character becomes dangerously obsessed with a mysterious neighbour.
March delivered two heavy hitters. Kab Kyun Aur Kahan explored a chain of brutal murders pulling the CBI into a high-profile investigation, while Khadaan, set in a mining village, blended folklore with crime as Aly Goni’s inspector probed a chilling family mystery.
April saw the return of Hasratein 2, the platform’s most-watched original, expanding its anthology of bold, emotional stories centred on women’s desires and inner conflicts. May’s Mona Ki Manohar Kahaniyan kept the tension high with Srishty Rode as a murder suspect spinning stories inside an interrogation room.
June doubled down on deception. Judwaa Jaal featured Monalisa in a gripping dual role, while Badass Begum put Divyaa Agarwal at the heart of a gritty rise-to-power drama set in Mumbai’s underworld.
In July, Rose Garden brought mystery and romance to a Punjabi village, and August’s Let’s Play Blind took viewers into the high-stakes world of elite gambling and revenge.
September’s Rishton Ka Chakravyuh traced the transformation of a timid housewife forced into danger, while October’s Yeh Hai Sanak served a heady mix of desire, rivalry and family secrets.
November’s Dirty Scams featured five standalone stories of cons helmed by bold female leads, and the year closed with Vinny Ki Kitaab, a December drama about a housewife whose accidental literary fame sparks a powerful personal reinvention.
With a line-up spanning small towns, big cities, shadowy secrets and sharp twists, Hungama OTT’s 2025 slate shows a platform eager to take risks and ready to claim its place in India’s crowded streaming arena.
e-commerce
ITC Sunfeast, Zepto host mango-themed experiential ‘Paglu Party’
Event blends Alphonso desserts, DIY sessions and interactive formats
MUMBAI: When mango season peaks, some savour it others go full ‘paglu’. ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations, in collaboration with Zepto, turned summer indulgence into an immersive brand experience with its ‘Mango Paglu Party’, a high-energy, mango-themed event designed to blur the line between dessert and discovery. Built around the brand’s ‘Mad Over Mangoes’ universe, the space leaned into a sensory overload bright, playful and unapologetically mango-drenched. From curated installations to social-first corners, every element was designed to be as shareable as it was experiential.
At the centre of the celebration was the fruit itself, elevated into a menu crafted using fresh, carbide-free Alphonso mangoes sourced by Zepto. The spread ranged from a flaky Mango Pista Kouign Aman to Mango Coconut Serradura Pudding and a Mango Mascarpone Cake, balancing indulgence with seasonal freshness.
But this was not a passive tasting affair. Guests were drawn into the experience through interactive formats, including a DIY dessert session led by the brand’s chef, where attendees created classics like Mango Tres Leches. Zepto chief business officer Chandan Mehndiratta also joined the session, adding a touch of brand personality to the proceedings.
A quirky highlight came in the form of the ‘Aam Paglu Prescription’, a playful, doctor-themed concept that positioned mango indulgence as the only “treatment” worth taking, turning a simple insight into a memorable activation.
The event built up to a theatrical finale, with the crowning of the ‘Aam Paglu of the Day’ followed by the cutting of an oversized mango-shaped Mango Mascarpone Cake, closing the experience on a high note.
More than just a seasonal showcase, the Mango Paglu Party reflects a broader shift in brand storytelling, where products are no longer just consumed, but experienced. For ITC Sunfeast Baked Creations and Zepto, mango season was not just about flavour, it was about creating a moment that audiences could step into, engage with and, quite literally, devour.
