iWorld
Kunal Lakhara promoted as chief financial officer of Pocket Aces
Mumbai: The digital entertainment company, Pocket Aces, has elevated Kunal Lakhara to the new position of chief financial officer. Prior to this, Kunal was the vice president of finance & operations and a key member of the executive leadership team at the company.
Kunal joined Pocket Aces in 2017 as one of the earliest leaders in the management team, and has helped spearhead tremendous growth at the company, including $75 million raised in equity and debt across Pocket Aces and the company’s gaming arm Loco, and the successful spin-off of Loco into a separate entity in July 2021.
He leads a team of 10 that manages investor reporting, cash flow management, bank relationships, lawyer relationships, audit, production finance, brand copyrights, IP rights, and legal matters at Pocket Aces.
Kunal has a rich experience of over 16 years in the fields of finance and accounts, with an overall eight years spent building the finance domain in well-regarded startups such as Citrus Pay, which was acquired by Naspers in 2017.
Kunal started his career with Citigroup in its investment banking team, helping clients raise money through equity and debt instruments. Kunal is a chartered accountant and graduated with a first class degree in finance from Mumbai University.
Commenting on his new role, Kunal Lakhara said, “I am humbled and thrilled to take up the new role as the Chief Financial Officer of Pocket Aces. It has been a fantastic journey so far working with Aditi on the company’s mission of solving boredom. It is a proud moment to see how the company has grown from length to length in these years, and I’m truly thankful for all the support and hard work of my team members. I look forward to making significant contributions to further scaling Pocket Aces.”
Commenting on the appointment, Pocket Aces co-founder and CEO Aditi Srivastava said, “Kunal has been a trusted partner and friend, instrumental to our growth from an early stage startup in 2017 to now becoming the biggest new age media player in India. His function is like an army-if his team maintains the right checks and balances, the rest of us can sleep peacefully at night. With Kunal in this new role as our Chief Financial Officer, our focus is to demonstrate a hugely profitable new age media company that benefits all stakeholders, including audiences, talent, employees, clients, and investors.”
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.
