Event Coverage
Media’s love-hate relation with politicians won’t change
MUMBAI: Earlier in the day the comment about the “media being sold” by Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal hit the headlines. And it was just apt for NDTV editor Vishnu Som to kick off the session – Media as Opinion-Maker – which he was anchoring at the recently concluded FICCI Frames 2014 by posing the first question to the AAP representative Shazia Ilmi, who was in the panel along with Minister of state, IT and communications and shipping, government of India Milind Deora, BJP Maharashtra state unit president Devendra Phadnavis, Reliance entertainment chairman and FICCI convergence committee chairman Amit Khanna and All India Trinamool Congress representative and member of parliament Derek O’Brien.
So, Ilmi was asked if it was right on Kejriwal’s part to shun the media as it was the media who made AAP. While she agreed that the media had been friendly to AAP, she also pointed out that it was left with no choice than to cover AAP as many others were doing it and the interest also lied there.
Deora, however, presented quite a friendly take about media as he remarked, “When someone chooses to be a politician you are placing yourself under scrutiny. It is extremely immature to talk about media being fair or unfair.”
As the discussion continued, many topics from the importance of “social media” in the general elections to the issue of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate avoiding an “one-on-one” talk with media came up.
In fact Modi took a fair share of the time during the discussion. From his style of promoting himself to his recently devised campaign “Chai Pe Charcha” formed a major part of the conversation.
“Modi believes in one way communication,” was the remark made by O’Brien to which Phadnavis retaliated by stating that Modi may not be talking to media but he is talking to the people through ‘Chai pe Charcha’.
O’Brien didn’t miss an opportunity to take a potshot at the Congress also when he wittily remarked to Deora that it was the Congress’ Mani Shankar Aiyer, who gave Modi the lollypop by calling him a ‘chaiwala’.
Even Ilmi thinks that Modi must come out and answer crucial questions as to what are his views on important policy decisions that need to be taken rather than just show his ‘model of Gujarat’.
The discussion turned towards censorship when Khanna said that our country lacked a concrete form of a regulator such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US. “We have the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) which does not actually have the mandate to regulate broadcast or content,” he said.
We are standing at the brink of a media convergence occurring right in front of eyes but O’Brien says that it won’t be just social media that will be impactful in the future. “The mobile will be an important tool in the hands of every person in this country,” he said while also highlighting the fact that the real action was happening in regional media.
Media in the country is no longer a form of public service. It is a combination of that and a business, which Som admitted himself. “If one is looking to the media as the sole repository of honest investigation of truth then unfortunately it does not exist currently,” he said.
The one point that all politicians agreed was that they needed the media as much as media needed them and both the media as well as politicians were seeking to increase the level of engagement.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
