iWorld
Telugu OTT platform Aha to recreate TVF’s Permanent Roommates
KOLKATA: Aha, a Telugu OTT streaming platform brings a pleasant festive surprise for its viewers. In a first of its kind association, the Telugu streaming platform has joined hands with The Viral Fever, popularly known as TVF to recreate the magic of its widely appreciated series, Permanent Roommates. As a part of this association, Aha will remake the show as CommitMental for its Telugu speaking audience. All set to premiere on 13 November, the series is directed by Pavan Sadineni, an acclaimed film director in the Telugu Movie industry and will feature Punarnavi Bhupalam and Udbhav Raghunandan in the lead roles.
In a pool of numerous love stories, which might feel unrealistic at times, Permanent Roommates stands out with its engaging slice-of-life narration. The remake of India’s first web series, tailor-made for the digital audience, Permanent Roommates had become a trendsetter in no time. aha through its remake, named CommitMental aims to replicate the same success in the regional segment. With CommitMental, Aha seeks to expand its content bouquet by introducing a youth-centric show to build resonance and relatability amongst its audiences.
Aha is amongst the fastest emerging homegrown OTT platforms in the regional entertainment category. Keeping the audience at its core, the OTT platform hosts a wide-array of content ranging from web series- fictional and non-fictional, exclusive movie premiers, animated content for kids and many more. This association also marks TVF's entry into the regional entertainment space after catering to the Hindi speaking audience across the country.
Aha promoter Allu Aravind said, “We have always believed that great content must reach audiences, irrespective of any geographical or language barriers. We are glad to associate with a platform such as TVF for their popular show Permanent Roommates. Youth being our primary audience, this is a strategic alliance with an aim to connect with the viewers by bringing the kind of show which is entertaining and extremely relatable.”
TVF founder Arunabh Kumar said, “Permanent Roommates was India’s first web-show and it gives immense joy as it now also becomes the first Indian web series to be recreated in another language. We would like to extend our gratitude to aha for deciding to recreate the show and bringing it to the Telugu-speaking audience. We are proud to partner with Aravind Sir and have new avenues for TVF to tell great stories beyond Hindi speaking markets and explore a new region.”
Launched in February 2020, aha is capturing the Telugu masses swiftly with its diverse content and has become one of the top-grossing apps in the market in just few months of its launch. A complete family entertainer, aha is gradually becoming the first choice for the Telugu speaking audience across the world.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
