iWorld
Netflix Hosts LA screening of Heeramandi with Sanjay Leela Bhansali Q&A
Mumbai: On Monday, 29 April (PST), Netflix hosted a special screening and Q&A with series creator, director, and producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, moderated by Lilly Singh to celebrate the upcoming series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.
Created and directed by one of India’s most celebrated filmmakers, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is his first-ever series premiering globally on 1 May only on Netflix.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series debut marks the first Indian series to be showcased at the historic theater, The Egyptian. The evening began with opening remarks from Netflix chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, followed by a screening of the first episode of the series and a lighthearted Q&A moderated by Lilly Singh. Notable attendees included Rushi Kota , Punam Patel, Nisha Ganatra, Joya Kazi, Tesher, Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, Kevin Kreider and many more.
Speaking to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Lilly Singh shared her admiration for the upcoming series and how she was mesmerised after watching the two episodes of the show. She expressed, “On behalf of all the audiences here, I can say that it was spectacular and so visually stunning.”
Reflecting on the project’s journey, Bhansali revealed, “The script for Heeramandi was charming, vast, and epic. The story was too long for a film, and I had the concept 18 years ago, but there were no OTT platforms then. I finally saw an opportunity to do it properly on an OTT platform, where you can develop it and enjoy each character. This story has taken the longest—18 years of nurturing, cherishing, and living it.”
Bhansali continued “Working with Netflix on my first series was a completely different experience. In 30 years of my career, I have never met producers as beautiful as them. They are tough, and relentless, and ask for honest directors to create content with the same passion. It’s good karma as a filmmaker to meet such producers, and I’m grateful to them.”
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar releases globally on 1 May only on Netflix.
http://www.netflix.com/Heeramandi
iWorld
Telcos push for unified rules as spam shifts to OTT platforms
Over 80 per cent fraud moves online, operators seek common framework.
MUMBAI: The spam may have left your phone network but it hasn’t left you alone. India’s telecom operators are once again dialling up the pressure for a unified regulatory framework, warning that fraud is rapidly migrating to internet-based platforms where oversight remains far looser. According to industry communication, a leading operator has written to multiple arms of the government including the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance arguing that tighter controls on traditional telecom networks are inadvertently pushing bad actors towards over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
The concern is not new, but the framing has sharpened. What was once an industry grievance is now being positioned as a consumer protection issue. Operators say that tackling spam in silos no longer works, as fraudsters seamlessly shift across platforms, exploiting regulatory gaps. The result: a moving target that traditional safeguards struggle to contain.
Executives point to a clear shift in fraud patterns. OTT platforms are increasingly being used for phishing links, impersonation scams and bulk unsolicited messaging, with industry estimates suggesting that over 80 per cent of spam activity has now migrated online. In this environment, the lines between telecom networks, messaging apps and financial fraud are blurring fast.
At the heart of the industry’s demand is a call for a technology-neutral regulatory framework, one that applies consistently across telecom and internet-based communication services. Operators argue that the absence of uniform safeguards, such as sender verification systems, robust spam filters and clearly defined accountability mechanisms, has created enforcement blind spots that fraudsters are quick to exploit.
The proposal is straightforward but far-reaching. Telcos are pushing for baseline anti-fraud measures across all communication platforms, alongside faster response systems and deeper coordination between ministries. Given the interconnected nature of telecom networks, digital platforms and financial systems, they argue that fragmented oversight only weakens the overall defence.
The broader issue is regulatory arbitrage, the ability of bad actors to hop between platforms based on which is least regulated at any given time. Without harmonised rules, operators say, efforts to curb fraud risk becoming a game of whack-a-mole.
As digital communication continues to expand, the debate is shifting from who regulates what to how consistently it is regulated. For now, telecom operators are making their case clear: in a world where spam travels freely, regulation cannot afford to stay fragmented.
