iWorld
Planet Marathi OTT brings on Oscar jurist Ujwal Nirgudkar
MUMBAI: Planet Marathi’s OTT platform has been going from strength to strength. After onboarding seasoned entertainment prodigy Amit Bhandari and a considerable investment from Singapore-based Vistas Media Capital, Planet Marathi has roped in Academy Award jurist Ujwal Nirgudkar to serve as an advisor.
Ujwal Nirgudkar is the first Indian to be invited by the Academy to join as a member in the technical category (Members-At-Large) in 2017. He was pivotal in bringing Oscars president John Bailey to India in 2019 and opening the avenues of global recognition for the Indian film industry. Being a dignified industry fellow who has dedicated his life to nurturing the heritage, technology, and art of motion pictures globally, he is an asset to the Planet Marathi team. His role with Planet Marathi would be in an advisory capacity to take Marathi content, talent, and filmmaking art, to global heights. During his career, he has won several accolades his accolades of a number of fellowships and national-International awards for his work in preserving, restoring, and transcribing great works of art.
Nirgudkar said, “I am very happy to join Planet Marathi as an advisor. Marathi language has a rich content in the form of literature, which is still not explored to its full potential. Planet Marathi’s OTT platform has the technology and marketing capabilities to make it possible.”
Planet Marathi CMD Akshay Bardapurkar said, “The way Marathi industry has worked over the years needed a nudge in the right direction. We have immense talent, state of the art filmmaking technology, expertise that can create meaningful and entertaining content, yet we lacked the skill to package our art and pull the audiences to the theatres. Planet Marathi OTT revolutionises the way Marathi films, shows, and digital content is marketed, presented, and consumed. The recent association with Ujwal Nirgudkar is going to give Planet Marathi the right resources, expertise, and fuel to grow. I am glad that not just Marathi or Hindi, but global bigwigs demonstrated their faith in a Marathi platform understanding the value that we bring to the table.”
The recent developments in Planet Marathi OTT’s portfolio have piqued the curiosity of entertainment enthusiasts, industry professionals, filmmakers, investors, and audiences globally. There is an eagerness to experience the Planet Marathi OTT platform and the positive momentum it brings to the Marathi entertainment industry.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
