iWorld
Plan B takes centre stage as Chaniya Toli plots Its OTT heist
MUMBAI: Some plans whisper their way in. Others march straight up, smirk, and dare you to keep up. Chaniya Toli firmly belongs to the second kind. After a successful theatrical run that saw it emerge as the second highest-grossing Gujarati film of 2025, the film has now made its digital debut on Shemaroome, extending its offbeat charm to home screens and reaffirming the streamer’s appetite for stories that refuse to colour inside the lines.
Led by Yash Soni alongside Netri Trivedi, Chetan Dahiya, Heena Varde, Maulik Nayak, Sohni Bhatt, Kalpana Gagdekar and Jay Bhatt, Chaniya Toli starts as a personal search for purpose and swiftly snowballs into something far more audacious. At its heart is an outrageous scheme designed to outwit those responsible for pushing a village into financial despair. The real twist, however, lies in who drives the plan forward.
As the plot thickens, it is the women of the village who step into the spotlight, dismantling expectations and emerging as the backbone of the operation. What unfolds is less a conventional heist and more a playful act of rebellion, where community spirit and collective courage do the heavy lifting. Or, as the film cheekily suggests, sometimes the best plans are the ones nobody sees coming.
Speaking about the film’s digital premiere, Soni said the story’s unpredictability was its biggest draw, noting how the narrative constantly nudges the audience into doubting the plan, only to make it work in the most entertaining ways. The strong theatrical response, he added, made the OTT release a natural next step.
With its blend of humour, tension and social commentary, Chaniya Toli positions itself as more than just a caper. It is a celebration of everyday people daring to challenge their fate, with women leading from the front and logic gleefully put on trial.
Now streaming on Shemaroome, the film invites viewers into a world where intentions blur, plans spiral, and one improbably clever idea keeps everyone guessing right till the end.
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.
