Event Coverage
The Intrepid Indian
The weather report has been accurate about Cannes – clear weather, cool to warm temperatures and loads of golden sunshine. Whoever can, makes sure to step outside the massive Palais Des Festivals, venue for Mipcom 2006, to soak in the bright sun bouncing off the clear blue sea.
Colourful canopies dot the beach and it seems so right to conduct business there instead of indoors underneath all that artificial lighting. Fremantle Media has large white tents hooked up right on the beach and some others are working from their sparkling yachts; but the majority have interestingly done up booths inside the large cavernous Palais.
Its Day three of Mipcom and my pace has not slackened; I was hoping to be able to catch my breath after two hectic days but being a buyer makes one liable to more meetings – everyone wants to meet you!
Mipcom 2006 – Main Entrance
The market is busy, vibrant and exciting. Some of my meetings have been so much fun, like the one with JJ from Paramount. JJ is witty and sharp and her tongue in cheek comments had me laughing through the meeting. I enjoy such informal meetings that are not strictly business!
Most companies are not reacting very well to the fact that I come from India. One of my meetings with such a company opened with the comment, “I hate being rude; I don‘t like myself when I am like that but Indians tend to bring out the worst out of me.” Taken aback, I responded that this sounded suspiciously like a threat and I was expecting him to pull out a gun on me next. He apologized profusely but went on to relate horrifying tales of his experience with Indian buyers – the screeners he sent, turned up as pirated VCD‘s in the Indian market!
At that, I held up my Mipcom badge that stated my company name in bold – Sony Entertainment Television India. And I was flooded with apologies again! But such stories abound and it‘s a shame that this is the reputation we carry abroad. As an industry (and proud Indian businessmen and women, we will have to do something about that!)
Day 1 culminated in a grand opening party at the beautiful Majestic Barriere, situated on the Croisette. All of Mipcom seemed to have descended there and the place buzzed with hundreds of people unwinding after a packed first day. Different rooms had been decorated according to different themes. There was one with a “Bollywood” theme too, dressed with Hindi film posters and bathed ( strangely ) in red lighting. The food served up was passable Indian fare and we decided to give it a miss.
In the next room, the Prisonbreak party was being conducted noisily. And with our glasses of champagne in hand, we gravitated towards the loud cheers. We were just in time to catch the good looking cast of the show, who made a hasty appearance before they disappeared as quickly. Someone should buy this hot show for Indian viewers! Hmmm wouldn‘t be surprised to catch it on AXN or Star World one of these days!
Day 2 ended in a pleasant cocktail aboard the Buena Vista yacht. It was beautiful to be out under the stars, sipping wine after a long hard day, looked after by our generous and charming hosts. The Buena Vista and Disney folks from abroad are only saying good things about India at the market. Clearly, they‘ve based a lot of their growth expectations on Rajat Jain and his team. The FTV boat along side, attracted much attention with scantily clad models and loud music. Good to see that their promotions at the trade show are consistent with what their channel offers us!
As I rest my tired feet for a moment, I ponder on how hard it is being a buyer. You get run off your feet in the huge venue and sometimes the meetings are so close, that you skip meals as well! Next time, I promise myself, its only running shoes for me.
Sony PIX programming head Gitanjali Murari on her experiences at Mipcom 2006.
(The views expressed here are those of the author and Indiantelevision.com need not necessarily subscribe to the same)
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
