iWorld
MX Player wins ‘Best OTT platform award’ at Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence 2022
Mumbai: India’s largest advertising supported video on demand (AVoD) OTT platform MX Player received three awards at the recently held Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2022 for the platform and its original series Aashram.
While MX Player was awarded the Best OTT Platform, Prakash Jha was awarded the Best Director for web-series Aashram and Chandan Roy Sanyal was given the Best Supporting Actor Award for his portrayal as Bhopa Swami in Aashram.
Operating on an ad-supported model, MX Player has a large and diverse audience base in India and a global reach of 33+ markets and a keen understanding of the pulse of the audience. It has recently launched several record-breaking web-series like Aashram, Bhaukaal Matsya Kaand, Samantar, High and Campus Diaries.
MX Player is the only OTT platform to deploy H.266 technology that cuts down video streaming data consumption into half. According to the App Annie State of Mobile Report -2022, in terms of the downloads in video streaming, MX Player ranks #2 in India and #6 Worldwide.
MX Player chief operating officer Nikhil Gandhi said, “At MX Player, we believe that relevant and strong narratives have the ability to provoke thought and entertain audiences at the same time. Winning the Best OTT platform and winning two more awards for our successful series Aashram reaffirms our belief. Thank you, Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2022, for the honour in recognising our work in bringing hugely appreciated stories for our audiences in India, and across the world. Our congratulations to Prakash Jha and Chandan Roy Sanyal on their respective wins too.”
MX Player launched the third season of Aashram on 3 June 2022. With all the quintessential requisites of an entertaining show that combines politics, crime, and drama, Ek Badnaam… Aashram 3 revolves around the meteoric rise of godmen in India and how the masses blindly follow them in the name of religion. Beating its record of the previous two seasons, the latest season 3 garnered 100 million views within 32 hours of its release. Directed by Prakash Jha, the series features an ensemble cast comprising Bobby Deol, Aaditi Pohankar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Darshan Kumaar, Esha Gupta, Sachin Shroff, Adhyayan Suman, Tridha Choudhury, Vikram Kochhar, Anuritta K Jha, Rushad Rana, Tanmaay Ranjan, Preeti Sood, Rajeev Siddhartha, Anupriya Goenka and Jaya Seal Ghosh in pivotal roles.
The Best Director award was received by Prakash Jha Productions (PJP) CEO Sunil Agarwal, PJP creative head Madhvi Bhatt and PJP producer Disha Jha.
On winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2022 Best Director for the series Aashram, Prakash Jha said, “I feel truly honoured to be given Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2022 for Best Director for web series Aashram. It was indeed a pleasure working with the team of MX Player who supported us throughout all our decisions. Unfortunately, I cannot personally come and receive it due to unavoidable reasons. I would like to thank the Jury for considering me and giving me this award.”
Chandan Roy Sanyal won the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2022 Best Actor in Supporting Role for the series, Aashram. On receiving the award, Chandan said, “This is my first award ever, and it is because of all your support and blessings of our ‘Father of Indian Cinema,’ Dadasaheb Phalke, that today I am standing here in front of you all. It is such a great feeling to receive an award like this. I would like to thank the team of MX Player, our director Prakash Jha Sir, Bobby Deol, and the entire team present here today who believed in me and showered me with their blessings and love.”
Dedicated to the ‘Father of Indian Cinema’, the Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards is given to the entertainment industry every year to recognise outstanding contributions in different categories. Celebrating the 151th Anniversary year of Dadasaheb Phalke this year, the 18th edition of the awards ceremony held in Mumbai had reputed producers, directors, actors, writers, musicians, technicians, distributors, exhibitors and studio owners from OTT, TV and films grace the event and be recognised for their work.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
