iWorld
OTT regulation: SC stays all petitions in high courts
KOLKATA: The Supreme Court has stayed all proceedings dealing with petitions filed on the matter of content regulation on OTT platforms. The court will hear the matter in two weeks after Holi.
A bench headed by justice DY Chandrachud passed the order while hearing a plea by advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, appearing for Justice for Rights Foundation, that has sought the establishment of an autonomous body for monitoring of content on online video streaming services.
Earlier, the central government filed a petition seeking transfer of OTT related petitions pending before various high courts to the Supreme Court. The apex court had issued a notice in this regard. However, the Punjab and Haryana high court continued hearing the case on merits, solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted.
Now, the court has clearly mentioned that all the proceedings of such petitions in lower courts across India would be stayed for now.
Meanwhile, the government has informed apex court in an affidavit that the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 were framed upon receiving several complaints from the public as well as lawmakers regarding content streaming OTT platforms.
The affidavit also mentioned that digital or online media, films and audio-visual programmes made available by online content providers, news and current affairs content on online platforms have been brought under the purview of the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) last year.
iWorld
Shemaroo buys OHO Gujarati’s entire content library for ShemarooMe
The deal lands over 30 original web series and 450-plus actors on ShemarooMe, with Pratik Gandhi’s Vitthal Teedi leading the charge
MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment has moved fast and moved big. The company has snapped up the entire content library of OHO Gujarati for its streaming platform ShemarooMe, a consolidation that has no precedent in the Gujarati OTT market.
The haul is considerable. More than 30 original Gujarati web series, featuring the work of upwards of 450 local actors, will now sit under ShemarooMe’s roof. For a platform that has spent years quietly building its Gujarati credentials, including originals, curated libraries, and culturally rooted narratives, this is the kind of bulk acquisition that changes the competitive arithmetic overnight.
Saurabh Srivastava, chief operating officer for digital business at Shemaroo Entertainment, made clear the company’s ambitions stretch well beyond the subcontinent. “As we bring the well-established catalogue of OHO Gujarati onto ShemarooMe, our focus remains on making high-quality Gujarati stories more accessible while continuing to invest in compelling content,” he said. “With our strong connection to Gujarati viewers across the world, we believe these stories from the OHO catalogue can travel far and create an exciting entertainment offering for viewers.”
The first title out of the traps will be Vitthal Teedi, which hits ShemarooMe on April 10th. The series stars Pratik Gandhi, a name that needs no introduction to Gujarati audiences, and has the distinction of being the only Gujarati web series he has appeared in to date. Set in the heartland of Saurashtra during the 1980s, it traces a small-time gambler torn between personal ideals and the brutal logic of his circumstances. Character-driven, culturally embedded, and backed by a soundtrack featuring folk artists Aditya Gadhvi, Jigardan Gadhavi, and Geeta Rabari, the show arrives with considerable pedigree.
For Shemaroo, the deal fits neatly into a digital growth playbook built on sustainable expansion and deeper regional engagement. The Gujarati diaspora is large, dispersed, and underserved by mainstream streaming giants. If the company can deliver the goods, the OHO library may prove to be the most valuable land-grab in regional OTT this year.
