iWorld
SonyLiv’s Scam gets season two, will tell The Telgi Story
MUMBAI: After delivering a monster hit with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, SonyLiv and Applause Entertainment are looking to recreate the magic with the second season of the Scam franchise.
Tentatively titled Scam 2003: The Curious Case of Abdul Karim Telgi, the show will be adapted from the Hindi book Reporter ki Diary authored by journalist Sanjay Singh, who broke the story of the 2003 stamp paper scam by notorious counterfeiter Abdul Karim Telgi.
The series promises to be an intriguing watch as it will capture the life of Telgi, born in Khanapur in Karnataka, and his journey to becoming the mastermind behind one of India’s most ingenious scams spread across multiple states which shook the entire country. It is estimated that the scam value was allegedly around Rs 20,000 crores.
Applause has roped in the talented Kiran Yadnyopavit, known for his contribution to the Marathi film industry, to write and develop the story along with author Sanjay Singh, with Hansal Mehta back at the helm.
Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair said, “Scam 1992 has helped establish a solid ground for the Scam franchise where we aim to tell stories about the various scams that our country has witnessed, the people behind it, their motivations and machinations. The success of Scam 1992 endorsed our belief about the audiences’ interest in such stories. We are extremely thrilled to announce The Telgi Story as the next season. There is some great potential we see in this story and are absolutely delighted to partner once again with StudioNext, SonyLiv and Hansal Mehta in taking forward this franchise.”
Sony Pictures Networks India Sony Entertainment Television, SonyLiv & StudioNext EVP & business head Danish Khan said, “We are delighted to partner with Sameer Nair and his fantastic team at Applause for season two of Scam. We look forward to collaborate with Hansal Mehta to bring an absolutely compelling show for our SonyLiv premium subscribers.”
Director Hansal Mehta said, “I am delighted to be back with exploring yet another fascinating story following the immense success of Scam 1992. The new season of this franchise will focus on another riveting story that shook the country a few years ago – the stamp paper scam. I am looking forward to collaborating again with team Applause, SonyLiv and StudioNext, partners who think alike and encourage creative thought.”
Scam 2003: The Curious Case of Abdul Karim Telgi, is being produced by Applause Entertainment in association with StudioNext. The riveting series will be hitting the shoot floor later this year and stream exclusively on SonyLiv.
iWorld
Spotify spotlights Premium with AI DJ and Lossless Audio push
Five week campaign highlights personalisation and high fidelity listening.
MUMBAI: Your playlist just got a promotion and it now comes with a DJ who never sleeps. Spotify is turning up the volume on its Premium proposition, rolling out a new campaign that places product features not just music centre stage.
At the heart of the push are two upgrades: AI DJ and Lossless Audio. Rather than pitching them as add-ons, Spotify positions these as the engines quietly reshaping how people listen, moving the experience from passive playback to something far more intuitive and immersive.
The campaign unfolds through two feature-led films rooted in everyday listening moments. One spot leans into AI DJ as a hyper-personalised curator, adapting in real time to mood, taste and listening patterns essentially turning algorithms into something that feels almost human. The other film zooms in on Lossless Audio, emphasising richer, high-fidelity sound that captures nuances often lost in compressed streaming.
It’s a strategic shift in storytelling. Instead of selling access to content, Spotify is selling how that content feels smarter, sharper, and more tailored to the individual listener.
The rollout is equally expansive. The five-week campaign spans digital video, connected TV, audio, out-of-home, social media and in-app integrations, ensuring visibility across both digital and physical touchpoints. The idea is clear: meet users wherever they are, and remind them that Premium is designed to follow.
There’s also a strong regional layer baked in. With integrations across Tamil and Telugu music, Spotify is leaning into India’s linguistic diversity, acknowledging that personalisation in this market is as much cultural as it is technological.
The broader play is hard to miss. In an increasingly crowded streaming landscape, differentiation is no longer just about catalogue size or pricing. It’s about experience. By foregrounding AI-led curation and high-quality audio, Spotify is betting that the next phase of competition will be won not by what users listen to, but how they listen to it.
And if this campaign is anything to go by, the platform is keen to ensure that every tap of the play button feels a little more like a performance.
