Film Production
Ultra to premier feature film ‘Chor Mandli’ on VCD/DVD
MUMBAI: Ultra Distributors Pvt. Ltd., part of Ultra Group of Companies, has announced the release of its production comic thriller Chor Mandli – The Gang exclusively on VCD / DVD. Ultra will be handling the production and distribution of the film.
Directed by Sanjay B. Khanna, the film stars among others, Shweta Keswani and Mukul Dev. Six different characters, six different dreams, one common aim, this forms the crux of the film, Chor Mandli – The Gang, states an official release.
Speaking on the film, MD & CEO, Ultra Group of companies Sushilkumar Agrawal said, “Ultra for years has been synonymous with video publishing, however, we have now forayed into production and distribution in a big way. Our feature film Chor Mandli – the Gang will be the first-ever feature film to be premiered on VCD / DVD. This small budget comic thriller is sure to enthrall the audience and will be enjoyed by one and all.”
“There is so much of talent, so many concepts, but the question is how can the industry accommodate this? Recognizing this, Ultra has taken the initiative to produce several small budget films (comic, thrillers, family drama, action, etc) and premier them on VCD / DVD. The VCD / DVD market is catching up in a big way and the audience loves to watch movies in the comfort of their homes,” added Agrawal.
Film Production
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs under new chief executive
The entertainment giant’s freshly installed boss inherits a restructuring already in motion, with marketing and corporate roles bearing the brunt
CALIFORNIA: Walt Disney is preparing to slash up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the entertainment giant’s freshly installed chief executive moves swiftly to trim fat and tighten the ship.
The cuts, less than 1 per cent of Disney’s global workforce of 231,000, will fall hardest on marketing and corporate roles. The planning, notably, began before D’Amaro formally took the top job in March, suggesting the new boss inherited a restructuring already in motion rather than one of his own making.
Driving the push is Asad Ayaz, Disney’s newly appointed chief marketing officer, who in January assumed command of a unified, company-wide marketing operation spanning film, television and streaming. His consolidation drive has been given a suitably cinematic internal name: Project Imagine.
The move is modest by Disney’s recent standards. Between 2023 and 2025, under former chief executive Bob Iger, the company eliminated roughly 8,000 positions across several brutal rounds of cuts, saving $7.5 billion, comfortably exceeding its own targets. As recently as June 2025, several hundred more jobs were axed across Disney Entertainment, hitting film and television marketing, publicity, casting, development and corporate finance.
Disney’s structural headaches are well-documented: shrinking streaming margins, a weakened box office, and fierce competition from Amazon and YouTube gnawing at its flanks. The company is merging its Disney+ and Hulu teams into a single app, has brought in consultants from Bain & Co to guide its broader cost strategy, and is betting heavily on digital growth.
The wider entertainment industry offers little comfort. Sony Pictures, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have all taken the knife to their workforces in recent years, and further cuts loom if Paramount’s acquisition of Warner goes through.
For D’Amaro, the message is clear: there will be no honeymoon period. The magic kingdom still has some cost-cutting spells left to cast.
