iWorld
ShemarooMe partners with Indian embassy in Paris
MUMBAI: As the world adapts to the new normal of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ShemarooMe, the video streaming platform of Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, has collaborated with the Indian embassy in Paris to connect with Indian nationals and people of Indian origin in France with a view to reinforce their eternal bond and love for Bollywood.
Following a campaign similar to that in the US launched in association with the consulate general of India in New York, ShemarooMe – #SociallyDistantVirtuallyConnected, the OTT platform partnered with the embassy of India in Paris to organise a watch party on 5 April 2020, of the iconic comedy film, Chupke Chupke. It, thereafter, offered two weeks’ of free subscription of ShemarooMe, particularly to ensure that interested audiences could keep themselves entertained when they are locked down within the confines of their residences practising social distancing and quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative of live streaming of the film received an overwhelming response with well over 26,000 Bollywood enthusiasts glued to the event. For the embassy of India in Paris and ShemarooMe, this was a perfect way to celebrate and unite people through their love for Bollywood during these unprecedented challenging times. One expects that this initiative will gain further popularity in the coming few days and more and more enthusiasts will avail themselves of the opportunity to see Bollywood and other regional film classics over the upcoming fortnight.
Embassy of India in Paris charge d’affairs Ankan Banerjee commented, “As we stand together to combat the spread and negative impact of the novel Coronavirus, I am pleased to see the love and solidarity that individuals are expressing across the globe. While we religiously follow social distancing, at the same time, we should also make efforts to unite to strengthen the human bonds through a virtual connection. This notable initiative by ShemarooMe to bring people together as one big family and watch its content with a two-week free subscription will further bind the Indian families closer together. We greatly admire SheemarooMe’s unique offer and look forward to watching the iconic movie Chupke Chupke through this newly created virtual connect to our favourite Bollywood.”
Embassy of India in Paris minister (consular) Shrila Datta Kumar noted, “With tough times ahead for all of us, we need to find newer incentives to keep the morale high and keep ourselves motivated and happy. I appreciate ShemarooMe’s unique initiative to connect us virtually to Bollywood and other Indian regional movies. As we practice social distancing, two weeks of free subscription of the App, along with hosting a watch party for Bollywood lovers, the all-time favourite classic movie Chupke Chupke, will surely connect across all age groups. It is a laudable effort by Shemaroo to bring the people together through this campaign #SociallyDistantVirtuallyConnected, in these difficult times.”
iWorld
Tips Music CEO Hari Nair to step down
Girish Taurani and Sushant Dalmia to jointly steer the company as the hunt for a new chief begins
MUMBAI: A leadership shuffle is under way at Tips Music. Hari Nair, the company’s chief executive, will step down on April 30 as the music label begins the search for a successor.
The company said Girish Taurani, executive director, and Sushant Dalmia, chief financial officer, will jointly oversee operations during the transition while the board identifies a permanent replacement.
Nair joined Tips Music in 2023 and set about reshaping the veteran music label into a more digital, data-led enterprise. During his tenure, the company secured licensing and partnership deals with global platforms including Sony Music Publishing and TikTok, while renewing agreements with Warner Music Group.
Drawing on earlier experience in technology and entertainment, including a stint at ByteDance, Nair pushed the organisation towards a performance-driven culture. He built a brand partnerships division and introduced proprietary software systems aimed at strengthening digital distribution and data capabilities.
Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, credited Nair with embedding a data-led culture within the company and driving revenue growth in line with shareholder commitments.
In his resignation note, Nair said that after helping transition the label into a modern, digitally focused and process-driven organisation, the time had come to pursue his next leadership challenge.
The leadership change comes as the broader Tips Films group shows signs of financial stabilisation. In the third quarter of FY26 the company reported a net loss of Rs 2.86 crore, narrowing sharply from Rs 14.2 crore in the previous quarter. For the nine months ended December, losses stood at Rs 12.37 crore.
Yet revenue told a more volatile story. Income from operations slid to Rs 4 crore in Q3 FY26 from Rs 56 crore in the preceding quarter, taking total operating income to Rs 4.56 crore.
For a company built on a catalogue of more than 34,000 tracks and decades of Bollywood hits, the next chief will inherit both a digital engine and a volatile music market. The playlist may be familiar, but the next act at Tips Music is only just beginning.
