iWorld
“If I wanted to play only one role, then Shefali is not a bad role to follow”: Shefali Shah
Mumbai: Actress Shefali Shah, known for her versatile performances across TV, OTT, and film, has consistently delivered diverse roles spanning various genres. She recently unveiled the Dish TV Smart+ services in Delhi. The ‘Dish TV Smart+’ Service offers a comprehensive entertainment ecosystem with content, devices, and offers to ensure accessibility on ‘Any Screen, Anywhere’. At the Dish TV event, she shared insights into her journey as an artist, reflecting on the challenges she faces in avoiding repetition on screen. She also discussed her role as a mother in this tech-savvy era, highlighting her efforts to guide her children along the right path.
Opening about the challenges of repeating roles, Shah said, “It’s not difficult for me. I am an actor because I want to play different roles. If I wanted to play only one role, then Shefali is not a bad role to follow. You know, so it’s not difficult for me. In fact, that is what excites me. “Oh, this is completely different. I have done this. Let’s do this.” So, this question is not difficult for me. It’s exciting for me.”
Revealing her parenting journey and how she is trying to inculcate the right reading habit in this era of binge-watching on OTT, Shah shared, “There is a very nice thing I read somewhere: “The most important thing you give your children is roots and wings.” Now, for parents to accept that my children have grown up and are going to make their own decisions is a little difficult for parents. But it is a fact. Mene bachpan mein unhne sikhaya, padhaya. However, finally, what they will do will depend on them as they grow up. And whether they listen to me or not, they will accept what they want. So, I read a lot. And I kept telling the children, “You must read, you will love it.” Both the children were not into reading, which was very sad for me. But then, as they grew up, suddenly they started reading. And not the stuff that I read. I read everything. But they started reading a lot of stuff which tells them life hacks. You know, my older one wants to be a businessman. My younger one wants to do something else. So, they started reading on their own. This realisation happened to them when they started reading. As a parent, honestly, children do what they have to do. You can control them until a certain age. After that, they will do everything.”
The ‘Dish TV Smart+’ service offers all Dish TV and D2H customers, both new and existing subscribers, the ability to enjoy popular OTT apps alongside their selected TV subscription pack. This ecosystem enables entertainment on any screen, at any place, and at any time through Watcho, the OTT Super App, smart devices such as set-top boxes, and smart android STBs. Additionally, Dish TV will partner with leading TV and Mobile Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seamlessly incorporate their services into these devices, enhancing the overall user experience.
iWorld
Telcos push for unified rules as spam shifts to OTT platforms
Over 80 per cent fraud moves online, operators seek common framework.
MUMBAI: The spam may have left your phone network but it hasn’t left you alone. India’s telecom operators are once again dialling up the pressure for a unified regulatory framework, warning that fraud is rapidly migrating to internet-based platforms where oversight remains far looser. According to industry communication, a leading operator has written to multiple arms of the government including the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance arguing that tighter controls on traditional telecom networks are inadvertently pushing bad actors towards over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
The concern is not new, but the framing has sharpened. What was once an industry grievance is now being positioned as a consumer protection issue. Operators say that tackling spam in silos no longer works, as fraudsters seamlessly shift across platforms, exploiting regulatory gaps. The result: a moving target that traditional safeguards struggle to contain.
Executives point to a clear shift in fraud patterns. OTT platforms are increasingly being used for phishing links, impersonation scams and bulk unsolicited messaging, with industry estimates suggesting that over 80 per cent of spam activity has now migrated online. In this environment, the lines between telecom networks, messaging apps and financial fraud are blurring fast.
At the heart of the industry’s demand is a call for a technology-neutral regulatory framework, one that applies consistently across telecom and internet-based communication services. Operators argue that the absence of uniform safeguards, such as sender verification systems, robust spam filters and clearly defined accountability mechanisms, has created enforcement blind spots that fraudsters are quick to exploit.
The proposal is straightforward but far-reaching. Telcos are pushing for baseline anti-fraud measures across all communication platforms, alongside faster response systems and deeper coordination between ministries. Given the interconnected nature of telecom networks, digital platforms and financial systems, they argue that fragmented oversight only weakens the overall defence.
The broader issue is regulatory arbitrage, the ability of bad actors to hop between platforms based on which is least regulated at any given time. Without harmonised rules, operators say, efforts to curb fraud risk becoming a game of whack-a-mole.
As digital communication continues to expand, the debate is shifting from who regulates what to how consistently it is regulated. For now, telecom operators are making their case clear: in a world where spam travels freely, regulation cannot afford to stay fragmented.
