iWorld
Rise & Fall climbs to top as reality TV’s latest cultural power play
MUMBAI: When it comes to reality television, what goes up must come down but for Amazon MX Player’s Rise & Fall, the only direction right now is up. Premiering on 6 September, the high-drama reality experiment has shot straight into the Top 2 original reality shows on Ormax ratings, winning fans across both metros and rural India. And the buzz isn’t limited to television screens, the show has already racked up a jaw-dropping 500 million social media views, turning reels, memes, and reactions into a second stage of drama.
Hosted by Ashneer Grover, Rise & Fall drops 15 celebrity contestants spanning Bollywood, music, sports, entrepreneurship, and social media into a unique social experiment that examines the eternal tug-of-war between the powerful and the powerless. Over 42 days, alliances are built and broken, friendships tested, and betrayals executed with both tears and applause.
The star-studded line-up features Arbaaz Patel, Aarush Bhola, Aahana Kumra, Aditya Narayan, Arjun Bijlani, Dhanashree Verma, Kubra Sait, Kiku Sharda, Anaya Banger, Nayandeep Rakshit, Bali, Akriti Negi with the first elimination seeing Noorin Sha bow out.
“With Rise & Fall, Amazon MX Player is redefining reality television for India,” said Amazon MX Player director & head Karan Bedi. “We went back to the basics of what audiences want, not just spectacle and drama, but strategy, leadership, and emotion. By reimagining a global format through an Indian lens, we’re bringing viewers a bold, refreshing and powerful narrative that resonates deeply.”
The opulent set, designed by National Award-winning art director Omung Kumar, provides the perfect stage for the drama. Behind it all, Banijay India’s powerhouse creative team has tailored the format to spark conversation across every medium and judging by the memes flooding Instagram and Twitter, it’s working.
The show has also become a marketer’s playground. Amazon India head of advertising Girish Prabhu explained: “The response from brands has been phenomenal, they see real value in being part of Rise & Fall. Integrations feel natural and memorable, which is why sponsors like Lux Cozi, Orient Electric, Haier, Pintola, Avvatar Whey Protein, Envi, and HMD are seeing strong impact.”
With streaming on Amazon MX Player, Prime Video, Fire TV, the Amazon shopping app, Airtel Xstream and airing on Sony Entertainment Television at 10:30 pm, brands also get the bonus of multi-platform reach.
Rise & Fall isn’t just another unscripted series; it’s shaping up to be the OTT cultural moment of the year, where entertainment collides with hustle, and power shifts become prime-time spectacle. As fresh episodes drop daily at 12 pm, one thing’s clear, the only thing falling here are the contestants, while the show itself continues its meteoric rise.
Gaming
Roblox appoints Sunil Rao as India managing director to drive growth
Former AWS leader to lead creator ecosystem, partnerships and local strategy
MUMBAI: Roblox has appointed Sunil Rao as managing director for India, as the company looks to deepen its footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Rao, who will join in May, will serve as the senior-most representative for Roblox in India, leading local strategy, partnerships and day-to-day operations. His mandate includes strengthening the platform’s presence, supporting the creator ecosystem and aligning India’s market needs with global priorities.
A key focus area will be nurturing India’s growing community of developers and creators, enabling local studios to leverage Roblox’s tools for scaling and monetisation. Globally, the platform’s creator community earned over $1.5 billion in 2025, underlining the economic potential of user-generated content ecosystems.
“Roblox is at the forefront of enabling a new generation of creators and games. India’s scale, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy present a massive opportunity,” said Rao. “I’m excited to build a vibrant and inclusive ecosystem that empowers developers and creators across the country. Ensuring child safety and aligning closely with India’s regulatory framework will be among my top priorities.”
Welcoming the appointment, Roblox vice president international Zhen Fang said India represents a high-potential market for the company. “Sunil brings deep expertise in building operations across diverse markets, and his passion for community-centric platforms makes him the ideal leader to drive our next chapter of growth in the country.”
Rao brings over two decades of experience across technology platforms, venture capital and developer ecosystems. He was previously part of the leadership team at Amazon Web Services, where he led strategy and corporate business development across Asia-Pacific and Japan. He also served as a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, working closely with startups and founders.
Earlier in his career, Rao played a key role in building developer ecosystems at Symbian, Nokia and Google, contributing to the growth of major mobile and internet platforms.
With India’s large youth population and rapidly evolving digital landscape, Roblox’s latest leadership move signals a sharper focus on long-term growth, local relevance and creator-led innovation in the market.
