iWorld
MX Player ropes in Abhishek Joshi as CMO and head of business partnerships
MUMBAI: Times Internet’s MX player has roped in Abhishek Joshi as CMO and head of business partnerships. The media executive with over 17 years of experience had a long stint with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and left the leading company last month.
Earlier to this new position, he worked as head of marketing, subscription, content and licensing of digital business at SPNI. Back in 2015, Joshi joined SPNI as VP & head – marketing & analytics, digital business. He had been a core member of digital business leadership team and also looked after global monetisation and syndication of SPN’s content across digital platforms in addition to heading marketing for SonyLIV.
The media executive has had experience n business development, marketing and content partnerships, strategy business planning and execution expertise spanning television networks, internet video, content distribution, Ad Agencies and brand licensing & marketing.
Prior to SPNI, Joshi was the CEO of Zenga Media. He was also associated with Reliance Big Pictures, SAB TV, ABP Group.
With an ambition to step into the growing OTT space, Times Internet acquired a majority stake in Seoul-based MX Player. Though the exact time has not been revealed till now but for certain the last quarter of this year will have this new player in the market.
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.
