iWorld
Star disrupts programming; moves Plus’ youth show ‘Badtameez Dil’ to hotstar
MUMBAI: ’Tis the age of disruption and leading from the forefront is Star India. Even as media pundits have been shouting from rooftops about how over-the-top (OTT) platforms are poised to disrupt the Pay TV business, Star Plus has gone ahead and done the unthinkable.
In a first of sorts, the network is uprooting Star Plus’ youth fiction show Phir Bhi Na Mane Badtameez Dil from the channel and moving it exclusively to its OTT platform – hotstar.
The show will be available on hotstar exclusively from Monday, 28 September. New episodes of the show will be released every weekday morning.
Produced by Tequila Shot Productions’ Saurabh Tewary, Star Plus launched the show on-air on 29 June. It was being aired six days a week from Monday to Saturday in the 8.30 pm slot.
In an earlier interaction with Indiantelevision.com, Tewary had said that it would be a finite show with 300-350 episodes. “It is impossible to narrate a love story for ages and ages. Love stories are always finite shows and cannot be kept running for a longer period otherwise the show will lose its relevance and visibility,” he had said.
While internationally, seasons of shows like House of Cards amongst others have been exclusively released on the online platform Netflix, India is just waking up to the OTT game. A few baby steps have been taken by Indian OTT players like Sony Liv, ErosNow, DittoTV etc to churn out innovative and exclusive original content for the platform. However, this is the first time that a show from a linear channel is being uprooted and put on an OTT platform.
Phir Bhi Na Maane… Badtameez Dil is a love story between a VJ and a business head. The story revolves around the two, who get separated because of their misunderstandings and the manipulations of others only to meet again after seven years to resolve unsettled issues.
Star India has taken this step keeping in mind the fan following that Phir Bhi Na Mane Badtameez Dil has attracted on hotstar amongst digital users in the 18-24 age group.
The OTT space in India is rapidly picking up pace with companies churning out innovations and exclusive content. With competition heating up amongst players, disruption will be the only way forward to stay ahead in the game.
iWorld
OpenAI hits back at Elon Musk’s lawsuit ahead of trial
Company calls claims “baseless” and accuses Musk of trying to disrupt a rival.
MUMBAI: When the stakes are measured in billions and egos are involved, even Silicon Valley titans can turn a courtroom into a battlefield. OpenAI has issued a sharp public response to Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit, accusing the billionaire of filing the case to harass a competitor rather than address genuine concerns. In a strongly worded statement shared on its official X account, OpenAI described Musk’s allegations as “baseless” and suggested the lawsuit is an attempt to disrupt the company as the case heads toward trial later this month in Oakland, California.
The response comes after Musk’s legal team recently amended the complaint, proposing that any damages potentially exceeding $150 billion should go to OpenAI’s nonprofit entity rather than to Musk personally. OpenAI questioned the timing and motive behind this change, calling it a late-stage attempt to “pretend to change his tune” on the nonprofit structure.
The company further labelled the lawsuit a “harassment campaign”, arguing that Musk’s actions are driven by personal rivalry, ego, and a desire for greater control and financial upside.
At the heart of the dispute is Musk’s claim that OpenAI has abandoned its original nonprofit mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. A co-founder who left in 2018, Musk is seeking governance changes, including the removal of CEO Sam Altman from the nonprofit board, and the return of certain financial gains linked to Altman and President Greg Brockman.
OpenAI has firmly rejected these allegations, maintaining that its current hybrid structure, a public-benefit corporation overseen by a nonprofit parent remains true to its long-term goals. The company has also previously accused Musk of anti-competitive behaviour aimed at weakening its leadership.
As the case prepares for a jury trial, this public exchange highlights the deepening rift between two of the most influential figures in the AI revolution and raises broader questions about governance, mission, and power in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence.
In the high-stakes game of AI, it seems the real drama isn’t just inside the models, it’s playing out in courtrooms too.
