iWorld
SonyLiv’s & Indian Magic Eye’s Lampan triumphs at IFFI 2024
MUMBAI: There were five of them in contention, but Marathi series Lampan finally bagged the best OTT series award (we at Indiantelevision.com refuse to use the term web series for reasons best known to all) at the International Film Festival of India in Goa on 28 November 2024. Produced by Shrirang Godbole and Hrishikesh Deshpande of Indian Magic Eye, the series airs on SonyLiv.
The best series award was received by the jubilant team of Lampan including a beaming SonyLiv programming commissioner and head of content Saugata Muherjee, Shrirang Godbole, and its cast and crew. The award also entails a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh which is to be shared between the producers and SonyLiv.
A jury consisting of Madhur Bhandarkar, Krishna Hebbale, Harish Shankar and Rupali Ganguly went through a difficult process of adjudicating the winner amongst the five finalists which included: Kotta Factory (TVF, Netflix), Kaala Paani (Posham Pa Pictures, Netflix), Ayali (Estrella Stories, Zee5), Jubliee (Andolan Films with Reliance and Phantom Studios, Amazon Prime Video).
However, Lampan (set in rural India) which explores the emotional and social struggles of a young boy navigating his identity within the complex dynamics of his community came out on top for its remarkable storytelling, high production values, and exceptional performances.
The series directed by Nipun Avinash Dharmadhikari is based on stories written by Prakash Narayan Sant. It stars Chandrakant Kulkarni, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Mihir Godbole, Kadambari Kadam, Pushkaraj Chirputkar and Avani Bhave. The writer of the show is Chinmay Kelkar.
iWorld
WPP Opendoor and Snapchat launch AI Lens for Prime Video India
Generative AI Lens personalises content discovery with real-time user integration.
MUMBAI: In the age of main characters, Prime Video is handing users the script and the spotlight. WPP Opendoor, WPP’s dedicated Amazon unit, has teamed up with Snapchat to roll out an India-first generative AI-powered Lens for Prime Video’s latest campaign, ‘Stories for Your Every Era… it’s on Amazon Prime’. The activation taps into the rising “era-core” trend, where identities shift with moods, moments and mindsets and content is expected to keep up.
The Lens does exactly that. Using generative AI, it places users directly into the worlds of popular Prime Video titles such as Maxton Hall, Beast Games, The Boys and The Traitors, embedding their faces into key visuals in real time. The result is less browsing, more becoming.
The idea is rooted in a behavioural shift: audiences increasingly see themselves as the centre of their own narratives, especially on social platforms. By turning viewers into participants, the campaign blurs the line between content discovery and content experience.
It also introduces a layer of personalisation that goes beyond algorithms. Whether someone identifies with a “trust no-one era” or an “infinite aura era”, the Lens curates recommendations that align with that evolving identity making discovery feel intuitive rather than instructed.
This marks a shift in how streaming platforms approach engagement. Instead of pushing titles, the focus is on pulling users into the story itself transforming passive scrolling into interactive storytelling.
The collaboration also underscores how platforms like Snapchat are becoming key playgrounds for content marketing, particularly when paired with emerging technologies like generative AI. The format is native, immersive and built for participation three things traditional discovery often struggles to deliver.
In a crowded streaming landscape, where attention is the real currency, Prime Video’s bet is clear, if viewers feel like the story is about them, they are far more likely to press play.
