Event Coverage
Satisfying writer, client and customer is biggest challenge: Arunabh Kumar
MUMBAI: The room was jam packed. Industry specialists came in droves to support Indiantelevision.com’s flagship event, Vidnet 2016: Content on the Go, India’s first focused OTT conference.
The speaker line-up made a beefy face. Some of the biggest names shared knowledge and expertise on the podium.
And the one who rose to a thundering applause, thanks to his cult following and inimitable personality, was Arunabh Kumar, CEO & Founder at The Viral Fever.
In a one-to-one with indiantelevision.com CEO, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Anil Wanvari, Arunabh shared some valuable insights on the ever evolving content ecosystem. The session began with the airing of the promo of TVF’s upcoming venture, Tripling.
“This is the first time ever that a promo of a web-series has gone viral. With Tripling, we are touching new levels of execution,” Arunabh said with a chuckle.
Anil, snappy as ever, shot a flurry of questions to Jogi from Pitchers (character played by Arunabh). Answering why TVF is yet to partner with an established OTT platform, the beardy Arunabh said: “We are open to do so, but sadly none can afford us.”
Confident and brave…indeed!!
Arunabh revealed TVF’s upcoming ambitious venture, a full-fledged movie. Yes, a movie which will be a game-changer.
“The team is currently working on it and we assure that it will be three times better than 3 Idiots. It’s going to be a full-length feature film. Once it is complete, we will plan its distribution. All big players in the movie industry have entered web space, so we decided to do the opposite.”
The conversation proceeded with Anil and Arunabh discussing possibilities of a collaborative approach, to merge energies of different creators.
“We would love to work with others. Our aim is simple. Whoever is working with us should be creatively satisfied and feel that they have done their best work with us,” added Arunabh.
TVF has been one of the driving forces in the space of branded content. Arunabh shared his mantra on the same.
“There is more competition now, which is good. It means better content will be produced. Satisfying the triangle of the writer, the client and the customer is the biggest challenge. Though the headcount of content creators have increased, there are enough brands out there to support all of us.”
He summed up with a masterpiece: “The USP is teamwork. You need to have a good team which will believe in your project. Rest, anything can be achieved.”
Touché!!!
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.
