Hindi
Superstar Xchange to launch NFT for Hindi film ‘Jhund’
Mumbai: US based Superstar Xchange in collaboration with Tezos India and TZ APAC are set to launch Bollywood industry’s first non-fungible token (NFT) ahead of the theatrical release of Hindi film “Jhund.”
Superstar Xchange will be dropping two NFTs representing two unique posters from the film “Jhund” on 3 and 4 March respectively and the worldwide NFT drops will happen on Superstar Xchange’s official website on both the days at 5 p.m IST. Each of the buyers of these two NFTs will own a piece of the movie via unique and exclusive movie posters, and these NFTs can then be traded in the secondary market and/or also be shared on social media platforms, said the statement.
Superstar Xchange is a NFT marketplace co-founded by Andrew Sternlight and renowned film producer Savita Raj Hiremath who has launched the film “Khosla Ka Ghosla.” The platform is dedicated to publishing NFTs on the Indian film industry. The Superstar Xchange platform has been built on top of the Tezos blockchain.
“We are super excited and honoured to launch premium NFTs on Superstar Xchange for a big-ticket movie like ‘Jhund’ starring the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Given that film NFTs range from old to new films, both innovation and creativity are critical for this domain; and furthermore, the concept and uniqueness of a digital asset make NFTs stand out as an art form,” said Superstar Xchange founder Savita Raj Hiremath.
“Through Superstar Xchange, we are crafting new opportunities for fans to connect with, even to participate in, the inspiring stories that stir our imaginations and shape our lives,” said Superstar Xchange co-founder Andrew Sternlight. “From an investment perspective, we expect our new creative digital asset class to offer its collectors strong, diversified returns.”
“We are delighted and proud to join hands as a supporting partner with Superstar Xchange for the ‘Jhund’ NFT project,” said Tezos India resident Om Malviya. “We truly believe that green NFTs with low carbon footprint are the future, and Tezos is the leader in this space. Being the leading force in terms of promoting the Tezos ecosystem in India, we at Tezos India foresee a huge potential for Tezos-based NFTs in the Indian film industry in the years to come.”
The film is directed by Nagraj Manjule of “Sairat” fame and features Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Produced by T-Series, Tandav Films Entertainment and Aatpat Films and distributed by Zee Studios, “Jhund” is slated for a worldwide release on 4 March. Inspired by a true story, the biographical film revolves around the life of a sports teacher Vijay Barse who took his slum soccer team to represent India in the Homeless World Cup held in Paris in 2015.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
