iWorld
SC seeks Centre’s response on regulating OTT platforms
KOLKATA: It seems that when it comes to self-regulation, OTTs have a tough long road ahead, as the supreme court has sought the centre's response on a public interest litigation (PIL) for regulating these platforms by an autonomous body.
According to a PTI report, a bench of the apex court comprising chief justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian has issued notices to the central government, the ministry o information and broadcasting (MIB) and internet and mobile association of India (IAMAI) on the possibility of setting up a proper body for monitoring and management of content across OTT and digital media platforms.
The plea was filed by advocates Shashank Shekhar Jha and Apurva Arhatia. The petitioners have requested the court to order the government to constitute an autonomous body to monitor and regulate online video content. The petition added that the board should be headed by an IAS officer and have members from various fields.
“With cinema theatres unlikely to open anytime soon in the country, OTT/Streaming and different digital media platforms have surely given a way out for the filmmakers and artists to release their content without being worried about getting clearance certificates for their films and series from the censor board,” the plea stated.
The PIL has claimed that lack of legislation governing those platforms is turning out to be more prominent with several incidents.
According to the petitioners: “The government is facing heat to fill this lacuna with regulations from the public and the Judiciary; still the relevant government departments have not done anything significant to regularise these OTT/Streaming Platforms.”
None of the OTT/streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee5, and Disney+Hotstar have signed the self-regulation provided by MIB since February 2020, the plea said.
However, the government recently stated it is not under the process of framing laws for these platforms. It added that the matter may be looked into afresh when more clarity emerges in international jurisdictions.
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
