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Optimystix Entertainment & Ashwin Varde join hands to launch ‘Wakaoo Films’
MUMBAI: Optimystix Entertainment, India’s flagship television production company, announced a strategic partnership with Ashwin Varde, one of India’s most prominent film producers, to launch a new film production company, ‘Wakaoo Films’. The joint venture will comprehensively engage in content development and production across feature films and digital media. The new entity will produce a minimum of 3 to 4 feature film projects this calendar year and a few web-series for OTT platforms.
Optimystix Entertainment founder & chairman Vipul D.Shah said, “We have been successfully scripting our success story in highly competitive TV arena with an array of leading fiction & non-fiction shows since almost two decades. Having produced 125+ prime-time TV shows including the long-running Comedy Circus & Crime Patrol we have created an ecosystem of Comedy & Crime that currently exists in the TV space. Our vision is to build a similar content driven ecosystem in the film & OTT business. I began my career as a film writer & it feels good to finally come back home. I am equally very excited to announce this joint venture with Ashwin Varde who is a credible force to reckon with in the film industry & this association will help us further in creating more significant value in our business and will channelize us to harness the growth across Feature films & OTT content business.”
Ashwin Varde, who produced one of last year’s biggest blockbusters Kabir Singh, also has to his credit prominent movies like Mubarakan, Boss, The Shaukeens, Notebook and others, is excited about this new development. He said, “I am extremely happy to form this joint venture with Optimystix, one of India’s leading content creators. With Wakaoo Films, the idea is to redefine content and create your own dazzle in the film and digital world. The word ‘Wakaoo’ is an expression of joy; it’s a burst of innovation. That’s what we intend to do with the content we create. The best part is that both Vipul and Rajesh share the same vision – to create something exceptional. Let’s say Wakaoo to a great new beginning”.
Further elaborating on Optimystix Entertainment's first ever creative collaboration with Indian producers to form a film production company, Optimystix Entertainment director & group CEO Rajesh Bahl said, “Wakaoo Films is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Optimystix. At the heart of this partnership is our love for cinema and content creation. With so much to his credit, Ashwin Varde brings immense knowledge, industry relationships and unique insights about the business of cinema and storytelling. I am sure with this collaboration, Wakaoo Films will be able engage & entertain the audience with a range of films and web shows.”
He added, "We have been working on our slate for next 2-3 years and a number of big and interesting feature film and digital projects are in the works that we will be announcing shortly under this partnership.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
