iWorld
Milan Luthria revives 60s charm in Disney+ Hotstar’s ‘Sultan Of Delhi’ series
Mumbai: The road to power, a heart-warming friendship, and the charm of the 60s, Disney+ Hostar’s upcoming power-packed series, Sultan Of Delhi has it all. Based on the book, Sultan of Delhi: Ascension by Arnab Ray, the series is produced by Reliance Entertainment and directed by Milan Luthria and co-directed and co-written by Suparn Verma. Reimagining the charm of old India and creating a visual spectacle on-screen, Milan Luthria marks his OTT directorial debut with this larger-than-life mass entertainer, ‘Sultan Of Delhi” which is all set to release on 13 October 2023. The series stars Tahir Raj Bhasin, Anjum Sharma, and veteran actor Vinay Pathak alongside Nishant Dahiya and the ladies Anupriya Goenka, Mouni Roy, Harleen Sethi and Mehreen Pirzada, making for a perfect ensemble cast.
Disney+ Hotstar & HSM entertainment network, Disney Star head – content Gaurav Banerjee said, “We are very excited to associate with ace director Milan Luthria as we aim to bring this larger-than-life cinematic experience to our platform with a series like Sultan of Delhi. The brilliance of Milan Luthria, his magic in bringing the 60’s era live on screens has been incredible and we are hoping to bring this up, up close and personal for Disney+Hotstar audiences through this show.”
Director Milan Luthria said, “Sultan of Delhi is my first web series. Set in the sexy 60’s, it has a timeless, pacy approach filled with elements of glamor, action, music, punchy one liners and entertainment. This multi-starrer traces the journey of Arjun Bhatia, (Tahir Raj Bhasin) and explores a tale of greed, betrayal, courage and the ultimate fight for power. I always strive to give audiences an entertaining experience through my stories and Sultan of Delhi is one such beautiful journey and I’m so delighted to partner with Disney+ Hotstar to bring this to life”
Producer of the series Namit Sharma expressed, “We’re thrilled to bring to life this book to screen adaptation of Sultan of Delhi. Working with a maestro like Milan Luthria has been an honor and pleasure. He has crafted a unique series which is colorful, exhilarating and full of larger-than-life characters. His ability to transport viewers to the exciting 60s is simply astounding, and we can’t wait for them to witness the visual extravaganza that is ‘Sultan of Delhi’ on the prestigious Disney+ Hotstar platform.”
Sultan of Delhi will stream from October 13th, only on Disney+ Hotstar!
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
