Hindi
TOI launches TOIFA to rival IIFA
MUMBAI: The Times of India Group has announced the first edition of the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) that honors and recognises excellence in Hindi cinema at foreign locations.
Felicitating the best from the field of acting, direction, music, choreography and scripting, the awards will be held annually at diverse international destinations. In its first year, TOIFA has partnered with British Columbia to hold the awards in Vancouver, Canada, from 4-6 April.
TOIFA will rival International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA), an initiative of Wizcraft International Entertainment. IIFA is being held every year since 2000.
Times of India Group MD Vineet Jain said, “Times of India Film Awards is yet another step in getting closer to millions of Indians across the globe. The Times of India Group has always been at the center of the readers‘ mind and heart. As we celebrate our lineage of 175 glorious years of thought-leadership in the media, TOIFA will extend this to a worldwide audience. The awards come at a time when Hindi Cinema celebrates a centenary milestone of offering versatile entertainment.”
TOIFA will connect the international film communities and act as a gateway to the glittering world of showbiz. The awards give fans a chance to vote for their favorites that have demonstrated exceptional work spread across 14 different categories.
The event will be conceptualised, scripted, directed and managed by event management company The Cineyug Group of Companies.
The evening will see performances by celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra.
Hindi
Kridhan Infra enters film production with AI-led feature film
Infra firm debuts AI-powered film marking RSS centenary
MUMBAI: Kridhan Infra Limited is swapping hard hats for headsets. The infrastructure company has announced its entry into film production and media technology through its subsidiary, Kridhan Mediatech Private Limited, with the nationwide theatrical release of Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-led feature film.
With Shatak, the company is not just stepping into cinema but staking a claim in what it describes as one of the world’s early full-length AI-driven feature films. Artificial Intelligence has been embedded across the creative and production process, from script visualisation and environment creation to modelling and production design.
The film commemorates 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, tracing defining moments, personalities and historical phases that shaped its journey. By combining archival storytelling with algorithm-powered creativity, the project attempts to blend heritage with high technology.
For Kridhan Mediatech, this is only the opening scene. The subsidiary’s broader ambition spans AI, CGI, virtual production systems and scalable content models for both theatres and digital platforms. The move signals a strategic diversification for Kridhan Infra, traditionally rooted in engineering and construction.
The timing aligns with India’s growing push to become a global AI powerhouse. At the 2026 AI Impact Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi urged innovators to design in India and deliver to the world. Kridhan Mediatech’s initiative positions itself squarely within that narrative, aiming to export technology-enabled storytelling beyond domestic audiences.
India’s media and entertainment industry, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, alongside a rapidly expanding AI economy projected to cross Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the coming years, offers fertile ground at the intersection of cinema and code.
“With Shatak, we proudly present one of the world’s first AI-led full-length feature films while marking our strategic entry into film production and media technology through our subsidiary,” the company said in a statement. “Our vision is to combine India’s rich narrative heritage with forward-looking innovation. This is just the beginning of building globally competitive, technology-enabled cinematic experiences.”
From infrastructure to imagination, Kridhan’s latest venture suggests that in today’s India, even storytelling can be engineered.
