iWorld
Supreme Court puts OTT and social media sleaze on notice
MUMBAI: The supreme court on Monday fired a warning shot across the bows of the government, streaming giants, and social media platforms, flagging the unchecked spread of obscene and sexually explicit content online.
A bench led by justice B R Gavai and justice Augustine George Masih issued notices to the Centre and a who’s who of Big Tech — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Meta, X Corp, Google, Apple, Ullu, and ALTT — after a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by journalist Uday Mahurkar and others called for urgent curbs on indecent material floating unchecked across digital platforms.
“This petition raises an important concern,” said justice Gavai, cautioning that the issue was best left to the executive or legislature lest the court be accused of overreach. Nevertheless, he nudged solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, to act: “Do something… something legislative.”
Mehta did not dispute the concerns, describing some content as so perverted “that even two respectable people cannot sit together and watch,” but stressed that censorship was not an option. He added that regulations under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, were in place — and more were under contemplation.
The petitioners, represented by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, called for the establishment of a National Content Control Authority to monitor and regulate streaming and social media output until a comprehensive law is enacted. The plea warned that without action, the flood of sexually explicit, paedophilic and perverse material could corrupt young minds, fuel deviant behaviour, and trigger a rise in crimes against women and children.
“What was once an individual vice has now become a public menace,” the petition thundered, accusing platforms like X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, and Ullu of promoting explicit content without adequate checks.
While the Supreme Court has not set a timeline for the next hearing, the Centre’s response will be pivotal in shaping how India reins in its booming but increasingly controversial digital content ecosystem. For India’s streaming giants, the party might just be about to face a reality check.
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
