iWorld
Supriya Pathak shines in Auntypreneur by Pratik Kothari
MUMBAI: If ambition had an age limit, Auntypreneur joyfully tears it up and starts again. ShemarooMe’s new Gujarati premiere turns everyday aunties into unlikely achievers, led by a sparkling performance from Supriya Pathak Kapur.
Directed by Pratik Rajen Kothari, the film follows Jasuben Gangani, a 65-year-old homemaker living in a modest Mumbai society. When her building faces demolition, Jasuben refuses to accept defeat. Instead, she rallies a lively group of homemakers, caretakers and quietly determined women to dive into the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship and stock trading.
What begins as a desperate attempt to save their homes soon becomes a spirited journey of rediscovery. With humour, heart and a nostalgic charm, Auntypreneur celebrates women who have spent decades nurturing families and now dare to nurture their own dreams.
Supriya Pathak Kapur brings Jasuben to life with warmth, subtlety and an unmistakable spark, making her one of the most endearing characters to grace the screen this year. She is supported by a strong ensemble featuring Ojas Rawal, Brinda Trivedi, Margi Desai and Yukti Randeria. Together, they deliver a story that balances gentle comedy with meaningful insight, proving that resilience can be as powerful as reinvention.
Reflecting on the film, Supriya Pathak Kapur said that courage can quietly brew in the corners of ordinary lives and that Auntypreneur honours women who challenge expectations, especially when life demands a fresh start. She hopes viewers recognise their mothers, grandmothers or even themselves in these characters who turn crisis into confidence.
Streaming now on ShemarooMe, Auntypreneur redefines entrepreneurship as something that belongs to anyone with a dream and determination. It offers a cheerful reminder that every day is an opportunity to begin again, no matter the age.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
