iWorld
OTTplay Awards 2025 takes centre stage with a star-studded celebration
MUMBAI: Mumbai’s entertainment scene sparkled brighter as the OTTplay Awards 2025 rolled out the red carpet at JW Marriott on 22 March, bringing together the finest in digital storytelling under its ‘One Nation, One OTT Award’ banner. The third edition of the only pan-India OTT awards was a grand spectacle, uniting stars and creators from across languages and regions to honour the best in streaming content.
The night was a triumph of storytelling, with major accolades going to Panchayat, Paatal Lok, Girls Will Be Girls, Poacher, Freedom at Midnight, Black Warrant, and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.
The acting honours saw Manoj Bajpayee (Despatch) and Anupam Kher (Vijay 69) take home Best Actor (Popular and Critics, respectively), while Kajol (Do Patti) and Parvathy Thiruvothu (Manorathangal) claimed Best Actress titles.
The web series category delivered emotional highs, with Jyotika (Dabba Cartel) winning Best Supporting Actor (Female) and presenting the Critics’ Best Actress award to Nimisha Sajayan (Poacher) in an on-stage moment that radiated camaraderie.
Other winners included Jaideep Ahlawat (Paatal Lok 2) and Raghav Juyal, bagging Best Actor (Male) in the Critics’ and Popular categories, respectively, while Aditi Rao Hydari earned recognition for her performance in Heeramandi.
The evening also saw a blend of generations, with industry veterans Anupam Kher and Shekhar Suman cheering on Patralekha, who won Breakthrough Performance (Female) Series for IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, while her husband Rajkummar Rao led a standing ovation.
Adding a touch of nostalgia, Kunal Kohli presented Kajol with her award, reigniting Fanaa memories for Bollywood buffs.
The night was filled with iconic reunions, including The Family Man trio Manoj Bajpayee, Priya Mani, and Neeraj Madhav, sharing the stage for the first time since Season 1. They were joined by Jaideep Ahlawat, the antagonist of the upcoming season, making for a momentous OTT crossover.
Regional representation shone bright, with Sriimurali and Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar receiving special felicitations, while Miheeka Daggubati accepted the Best Talk Show Host award on behalf of her husband, Rana Daggubati.
Commenting on the significance of the event, OTTplay, CEO and co-founder Avinash Mudaliar said, “At the OTTplay Awards, we honour the creators who challenge convention, the performers who redefine excellence, and the stories that resonate across languages and regions. With our ‘One Nation, One OTT Award’ vision, the OTTplay Awards are designed to transcend linguistic, regional, and platform-specific boundaries—recognising the finest in web series, OTT films, and digital storytelling from every corner of India’s dynamic entertainment ecosystem. This is more than an awards ceremony for me; it is a celebration of a cultural shift—a tribute to a golden era of streaming that is not arriving but already here. OTTplay Awards – Where India’s stories find their spotlight.”
As the curtains closed with Raghav Juyal’s signature slow-motion hook step, the OTTplay Awards 2025 stood as a powerful testament to India’s ever-evolving digital entertainment landscape, where creativity knows no borders.
The event was co-presented by Real Juice and Kuhl, powered by StockGro, and held in association with HT City. With Zoom as the official broadcast partner, and Flipkart Spoyl, D Pauls, Amante, and Propshop among key sponsors, the evening was a seamless blend of entertainment and industry excellence.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
