iWorld
Voot Select set to stream ‘Apharan 2’ on 18 March
Mumbai: OTT service platform Voot Select is set to stream the second season of “Apharan 2” on 18 March.
Produced by Ekta R Kapoor and Jio Studios, the show features a stellar cast Arunoday Singh, Nidhi Singh, Snehil Dixit Mehra, Saanand Verma and Sukhmani Sadana and spans across 11 episodes. The show is directed by Santosh Singh, and it is written by Siddharth Sengupta, Umesh Padalkar, Anahata Menon.
“Apharan is a cult series that was a runaway success,” said Viacom18 Digital Ventures head SVOD and international business Ferzad Palia. “We couldn’t be happier than to bring the second edition exclusively to Voot Select members and play home to this popular franchise. Apharan Season 2 marks the start of a heavy line up of top-quality Originals with probably the most robust slate that India will witness in 2022.”
A special screening was held for the launch of the show attended by industry honchos on Wednesday. The star-studded affair was attended by Ekta R Kapoor along with the entire cast of the show.
“This is my first collaboration with Jio Studios and Voot Select and I am thrilled to associate with them for an unconventional show like Apharan,” said Kapoor. “After the overwhelming response received from the audience for the first season, it only made sense for us to take them by surprise with Season 2 by steering away from the mainstream action-thriller genre. With never-seen-before plot twists, the sequel is sure to make many jaws drop. Be ready – Kyunki Sabka Katega Dobara!”
Set against the backdrop of India and Serbia, “Apharan 2” follows the story of a cop Rudra who sets out on a journey to kidnap an intelligent criminal Bikram Bahadur Shah who wants to eliminate India from the world map. The trailer of the show on YouTube crossed 35 million views over 12 days, according to the streaming platform.
“The Apharan 2 trailer has risen viewers’ curiosity for the sequel, but the wait is not too long now,” said actor Arunoday Singh. “Playing the character of Rudra Srivastava has been an unforgettable experience for me. The entire cast has kept every minute detail in mind while getting into the skin of our respective characters. We embodied their physical as well as emotional traits. All I can say is that it will leave you at the edge of your seat. Hoping that you guys like it.”
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iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
