iWorld
Netflix sees 83% rise in price-related search after India-specific plan
MUMBAI: SEMrush, the online visibility management and content marketing SaaS Platform, recently conducted data analysis on three most trending media services in India – Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Tata Sky. The case study revealed amazingly interesting facts regarding the growth of traffic from different devices and an increase in the search volume. Netflix Subscription is the most searched keyword in the time duration from Jan 2018 to July 2019. After the announcement of Netflix’s new subscription plan for India, its price search volume increased swiftly by 83% between June 2019 and July 2019. Besides, Amazon Prime Subscription stands as the second most searched keyword with an average search volume of 6,878.9.
On the other hand, Tata Sky’s app has the highest searched volume of 44,826 during the same time duration. Tata Sky has the smallest traffic volume, but it has shown a tremendous year-on-year growth counting to 293 per cent. Wherein, Netflix witnessed a 146 per cent growth in its traffic volume after Tata Sky. Interestingly, Amazon Prime enjoys the biggest traffic volume from India, but its year-on-year growth is merely 70 per cent.
The desktop traffic to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in July was 11,138,893 and 13,593,504 respectively. Both the media services have grown by 36 per cent in July 2019 as compared to the previous month. Netflix shows the biggest growth of mobile traffic (15.6 per cent) between June 2019 and July 2019, after it announced its new subscription plan, however, Tata Sky and Amazon still are bigger in numbers of mobile device traffic counting to 7,537,672 and 12,290,142 respectively as compared to Netflix’s traffic count 6,244,056.
“Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Tata Sky are the new age media services which are giving tough competition to each other. All three of these media services are significantly attracting Indian audiences for the subscription with interesting packages. The data revealed in the study is self-explanatory for their accelerating popularity amongst viewers. According to this case study by SEMrush, Indian audiences are inclining more towards Netflix’s subscription in last couple of months, all credits to its interesting subscription plan,” SEMrush international market Fernando Angulo said.
iWorld
Asha Bhosle, the unforgettable voice that sang a thousand emotions
The melody that defined generations has fallen silent, but her songs will echo forever.
MUMBAI: The voice that once lit up countless silver screens and brought rhythm to millions of hearts has stilled. Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, one of the most versatile and prolific vocalists in Indian film music, passed away at the age of 92 in Mumbai on Sunday. She was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday night after suffering cardiac and respiratory issues and had reportedly been unwell for several months.
Her son, Anand Bhosle, confirmed the news on Sunday afternoon. The last rites will be performed on Monday.
Born in 1933 into the illustrious Mangeshkar musical family, Asha began her journey in the golden era of Hindi cinema. She recorded her first film song at the age of nine in 1943 and, by the 1950s, had already carved a distinct space for herself in Bollywood. While her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar often took the more melodic, heroine-centric numbers, Asha quickly became the go-to voice for energetic cabaret tracks, dance numbers, and later, the full spectrum of emotional expression.
The 1950s–60s: Rise of the Cabaret Queen In the early decades, Asha was frequently typecast for “item songs” and Western-style numbers. Yet even within those constraints, she delivered unforgettable hits such as “Aaja Aaja” from Teesri Manzil and “O Haseena Zulfon Wali” from the same film. Her playful, sassy delivery gave these tracks a magnetic energy that still feels fresh today.
The 1970s: Peak Versatility This was the decade that cemented her legendary status. Songs like “Dum Maro Dum” (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” (Caravan), “Chura Liya Hai Tumne” (Yaadon Ki Baaraat), and “Yeh Mera Dil” (Don) became cultural touchstones. Asha proved she could swing from seductive to soulful with equal ease, working with almost every major composer of the era.
The 1980s: Emotional Depth and Ghazals After marrying composer R.D. Burman in 1980, Asha explored more nuanced, introspective territory. Her National Award-winning performances in Umrao Jaan (“Dil Cheez Kya Hai”) and Ijaazat (“Mera Kuch Saamaan”) showcased a matured, velvety voice capable of profound emotion. These tracks remain among the most cherished ghazals in Indian cinema.
The 1990s–2000s: Global Collaborations and Reinvention Even as newer voices emerged, Asha refused to fade. She collaborated internationally with the Kronos Quartet and released experimental albums. Later in her career, she lent her voice to younger composers and continued performing live, often sharing the stage with her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle.
A Life Beyond the Microphone Asha’s personal journey was as dramatic as her filmography. At 16, she eloped with Ganpatrao Bhosle, her personal secretary. The marriage ended in separation in 1960 after they had three children. In 1980, she married R.D. Burman in a union that faced family opposition but brought creative synergy. RD passed away in 1994.
Throughout her life, Asha remained grounded, often crediting classical music and ghazals for keeping her voice sharp. In a 2023 interview, she admitted she rarely listened to contemporary film songs, preferring the timeless works of Bhimsen Joshi and classic ghazals to stay inspired.
Her seven Filmfare Awards and two National Film Awards are merely numbers; the true measure of her legacy lies in the thousands of songs that still play in homes, cars, and hearts across generations. From the foot-tapping energy of “Dum Maro Dum” to the haunting beauty of “Mera Kuch Saamaan”, Asha Bhosle gave Indian cinema a voice that was simultaneously bold, tender, playful, and profound.
The golden era has lost one of its brightest stars, but the music she created will continue to refresh souls for decades to come. As the final notes of her extraordinary journey fade, India bids farewell to a voice that truly defined an era.
