Event Coverage
Relativity Media upbeat on Make In India; could shoot ‘Immortals’ in India
MUMBAI: Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India’ dream has made a headway in the entertainment space. Relativity Media in association with B4U is looking at the possibility to shoot the sequel of the blockbuster movie Immortals in India. The entire movie will be shot across the country and will be distributed globally. The association will back the initiative by offering significant roles to Indian actors to attract Indian audience in theatres.
The Relativity – B4U joint venture, which was inked last year, is also set to remake global hits like The Best of Me, 3 Days To Kill,Masterminds, and horror thriller Oculus in India for the Indian market, which also complements the ‘Make In India’ campaign and Make For India concept of RBI governor Raghuram Rajan. The Best of Me is already in the production stage and overseen by Balaji Telefilms, where as Zahak the Bollywood version of Oculus has been already shot featuring Huma Qureshi and Hawa Hawai star Saquib Saleem and is in the post production stage.
While delivering a keynote on FICCI Frames 2015 Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh said, “We associated with B4U in order to understand the Indian market, which is one of the biggest in the world. We have 120 partnerships with B4U where they educate us about India and we use our distributing muscles to promote Indian movies. Content plays the biggest role in success, but the content has to be created after detailed research, which includes segmentation, targetting and positioning.”
B4U CEO Ishan Saksena added, “The association with Relativity is huge as it breaks many barriers and opens up new possibilities for us. B4U with the help of the distribution muscle of Relativity took Queen to areas where Indian movies have never reached before and that’s the beauty of this partnership. We will, in future, ensure that Indian content is distributed abroad and Hollywood movies reach Indian theatre with ease. As a result of this association, soon we will see Indian actors working in Hollywood movies and American superstars featuring in Bollywood films.”
The association will also launch a new online content platform B4U online. “The number of hits Hotstar got in recent time shows us how digital is going to be the next big thing in India and that brings us to our new venture. Unlike other American companies, I don’t want to change the culture. I want to suit myself in it and hence I think Relativity has a future,” concludes Kavanaugh.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
