iWorld
Mukesh Ambani pips Jack Ma to be Asia’s richest
MUMBAI: Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani overtook Alibaba group founder Jack Ma on Friday to become richest person in Asia. As Reliance Industry Ltd (RIL) share rose 1.6 per cent, the total wealth of Ambani hit $44.3 billion.
Chinese e-commerce giant Ma’s wealth stood at $44 billion at close of trade on Thursday in the US, where the company is listed.
This year Ambani has added another $4 billion to his existing emperor. RIL has reaped huge benefit from its telecom venture Jio along with doubling petrochemicals capacity too. Moreover, he unveiled plans to leverage his 215 million telecom subscribers to expand his e-commerce offerings earlier this month.
He said Reliance saw its “biggest growth opportunity in creating a hybrid, online-to-offline new commerce platform,” involving the group’s retail and telecom business.
“We need to broaden our horizon of expectation with Reliance,” a Mumbai-based analyst at Antique Stock Broking Nitin Tiwari said. “They are in for something really transformational,” he added.
On the other hand, Alibaba Goup’s Ma has reportedly lost $1.4 billion in 2018.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
