iWorld
Mrinal Kulkarni joins Planet Marathi’s board of founders
Mumbai: Film and television actor-director Mrinal Kulkarni has joined Planet Marathi OTT as part of its board of founders.
“Kulkarni is aligned with Planet Marathi OTT’s vision as she comes with a mission to take Marathi web and OTT content to new heights,” said the statement.
Kulkarni has decades of experience in both Hindi and Marathi entertainment and is known for numerous roles in hits like Avantika, “Yellow”, “Farzand”, “Ye Re Ye Re Paisa” to name a few. She has written films like “Rama Madhav”, “Prem Mhanje Prem Mhanje”, “Prem Asta”, and “Ti and Ti”. She is most fondly recalled as Indian TV’s famous character ‘Sonpari’.
Kulkarni was recently seen on screen in “The Kashmir Files”. She has worked across genres and content formats and is one of the most talented professionals in the Indian entertainment industry.
“It gives me great pleasure to assume this honourable position. I understand the great responsibility which comes with this role,” said Mrinal Kulkarni. “Web content is a great space to showcase the potential and power since it is a global platform with few barriers. I applaud the Planet Marathi OTT team for setting high benchmarks, not settling for less and creating new avenues for the Marathi web space. With my new role, I am glad I will be able to share my ideas and experience to take forward the platform’s efforts. It brings me great pleasure to say, we are poised for the next level in the OTT space.”
“We are excited to have an industry veteran and expert like Mrinal Kulkarni onboard,” said Planet Marathi OTT producer and founder Akshay Bardapurkar. “With Mrinal joining us, we have upped the level of great expertise we have in our team. Mrinal embodies a sharp sense of business, innovation and craft, which is much needed in the OTT space. Her experience and vision will add to our mission of taking Marathi content to the world. She staunchly believes in the potential of Marathi content and it is an honour to have a powerhouse like her as a part of the Planet Marathi family.”
Kulkarni begins her role starting from June along with other board of founders at Planet Marathi OTT.
Singapore-based Vistas Media Capital is an investor in Planet Marathi OTT.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
