iWorld
Vikas Boni appointed Crunchyroll’s India lead for global distribution & partnerships
MUMBAI: Vikas Boni has taken on the role of senior director and India lead for global distribution & partnerships at Crunchyroll, the world’s leading destination for anime and fandom. Based in Mumbai, Boni’s mandate is to shape the next phase of growth for Crunchyroll in the region. He commenced his new role in July 2025.
With over 16 years of experience across the media and digital landscape, Boni specialises in building high-impact partnerships, driving revenue growth, and leading content-driven businesses at scale.
Prior to joining Crunchyroll, he served as business head & chief operating officer at Stars N Stripes, an award-winning digital marketing agency, from April 2023 to June 2025. In this capacity, he was responsible for developing and implementing the agency’s go-to-market strategy, aiming for a tenfold expansion within five years. His responsibilities included managing the agency’s overall profit and loss and establishing four distinct growth services: Studio SNS (branded content division), Social Circle (social media management), Shortcuts (short video content and tech solutions), and In The Air (creator platform).
Boni also held significant leadership positions at Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd for over 13 years. His roles there included vice president and head of content licensing & partnerships for JioTV & JioTV+, where he led content licensing, acquisition, and partnerships to enhance the content portfolio and drive value for Jio Platforms Ltd.
He also served as vice president and head of partnerships for Voot Select & Voot Shots, leading global partnerships for Voot and launching the short-form video product Voot Shots. Additionally, he was vice president and head of MTV Beats, business planning & content partnerships (YME), overseeing business planning and strategic partnerships for Viacom18’s Youth, Music & English Entertainment cluster. He played a pivotal role in launching and scaling youth-focused platforms like MTV Beats, MTV Indies, and Voot Shots.
He began his career as an assistant manager in the strategy group at TAM Media Research from December 2007 to March 2010. Boni holds an MBA in marketing and a BE in information technology from the University of Mumbai.
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
