iWorld
Shirish Kunder’s ‘Kriti’ to release exclusively on Muvizz.com
MUMBAI: Kriti a short film produced by Muvizz.com and presented by actor Manoj Bajpayee, will be launched exclusively on Muvizz.com a video on demand platform. The poster which was released recently is a prelude to the 18-minute psycho-thriller which is scheduled to release in the month of June. Shirish Kunder’s debut short film will showcase the three leading actors, Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte and Neha Sharma in a very mysterious and spine-chilling manner as portrayed in the poster.
Manoj Bajpayee who will be seen in a completely unusual role as compared to his previous short films, Taandav, and Jai Hind, commented, “Acting in short films gives me an opportunity to work with different film makers and the digital medium offers such creative satisfaction”.
The film is an intriguing mix of drama and suspense which will keep the audience hooked throughout. It revolves around a writer (Manoj Bajpayee), who after an unexpected set of events finds himself in the middle of a psychological drama. Radhika Apte and Neha Sharma’s characters will further add to this mental whirlpool. Manu Rishi, who will be seen also in the film, will play a pivotal role as a police officer.
Piiyush Singh, Co-Founder, Muvizz.com says, “We are very excited to work with such immensely talented actors. Shirish has done a great job and we hope to create such amazing content with him again. ‘Kriti’ has been written in such a way that it will not only have a lasting impression but will also keep you thinking about the film long after it ends. We are sure the audience will enjoy the film and get to know about the work that a portal like Muvizz is trying to accomplish.”
Muvizz.com is a platform which aims to assist innovative filmmakers and quality cinema to gain global exposure as it is doing with ‘Kriti’.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
