iWorld
JioHotstar’s AI Mahabharat breaks records
MUMBAI: JioHotstar has stormed into a new era of digital entertainment with the record-breaking debut of Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh, India’s first AI-powered entertainment series.
The show racked up over 6.5 million video views on launch day, achieving a 2.1 times higher reach than the platform average, the biggest opening for a long-running series on JioHotstar to date.
With AI woven into its creative process, the series reimagines storytelling at scale, proving that technology can enhance human imagination rather than replace it.
The platform said the milestone marks a blueprint for the future of AI-driven entertainment, where machine intelligence meets artistic vision to create richer, more immersive narratives.
JioHotstar’s success with Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh underscores its ambition to lead India’s entertainment evolution, blending innovation, tradition, and technology in equal measure.
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.
