iWorld
Zee5 premiers ‘State of Siege: Temple Attack’ in three languages
KOLKATA: Zee5 original film State of Siege: Temple Attack has premiered in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu simultaneously on 9 July. To create buzz around the film, the OTT platform has deployed an extensive 360-degree campaign consisting of print, TV, digital and on-ground promotions.
From multiple print ads and an on-air promotional plan to a stimulating digital plan including a UGC activity where people sent in their gratitude in the form of a message to NSG commandos, ZEE5 left no stone unturned to promote the film, the platform said in a statement.
Inspired by true events, State of Siege: Temple Attack pays tribute to our soldiers, salutes the brave Indian spirit, and continues the legacy of the Siege series. It stars Akshaye Khanna in the lead role, alongside Vivek Dahiya, Gautam Rode, Sameer Soni, Parvin Dabas, and Manjari Phadnis.
“After receiving an overwhelming response from audiences across the country for State of Siege: 26/11, we are extremely thrilled to bring forth another story from the successful State of Siege franchise that will captivate the audience’s attention,” ZEE5 India chief business officer Manish Kalra said. “We take immense pride in telling stories of valour and unwavering grit, and this film, which is based on NSG commandos’ sacrifices, pays a befitting tribute to these real-life heroes who risk their lives to save ours.”
State of Siege: Temple Attack is produced by Contiloe Pictures led by Abhimanyu Singh, and Ken Ghosh who previously helmed ZEE5’s web series Abhay 2 has directed the film. With a generous dose of thrill, action, drama, and suspense, this latest offering from ZEE5 promises the audience an edge-of-the-seat experience.
iWorld
Schmooze launches AI matchmaker Riya to personalise dating
300,000 users try feature as retention doubles on Gen Z dating app.
MUMBAI: Love might be blind, but now it’s also algorithmically curated and apparently quite chatty. Schmooze has introduced an AI-powered personal matchmaker named Riya, marking its latest push to move beyond swipe-led dating into deeper, personality-driven matchmaking. Unlike traditional matching systems, Riya interacts directly with users through conversations asking about everything from lifestyle and humour to relationship goals and family values. The idea is simple but ambitious: understand users beyond surface-level preferences and recommend matches that actually fit.
The feature builds on a pattern Schmooze had already observed. Its earlier AI tool, People Finder, allowed users to describe their ideal partner in detail and users did exactly that. Requests ranged from “an extrovert who works in tech and likes to cook” to hyper-specific traits, signalling a clear shift towards intent-driven dating.
That insight exposed a gap. While dating apps typically rely on probability-based algorithms, many users already know what they want they just lack a system that can interpret it meaningfully.
Riya attempts to fill that gap using a conversational approach. Instead of rigid inputs, it gathers signals organically sometimes through casual questions about weekend plans or social habits while mapping deeper compatibility markers in the background.
To support this, Schmooze has built its own end-to-end voice AI stack and large language model, rather than relying on third-party systems. The move is aimed at keeping costs in check while handling scale, and ensuring tighter control over user data and privacy.
The early numbers suggest traction. More than 300,000 users have already interacted with Riya, with those users showing 2× higher retention compared to others on the platform. While the system is designed for short interactions, some users are spending up to 40–50 minutes in conversation occasionally even asking for date ideas, prompting the company to add personalised recommendations.
The launch is the latest step in Schmooze’s broader attempt to rethink dating for Gen Z. Founded by Vidya Madhavan and Abhinav Anurag, the platform initially stood out by using memes as a proxy for personality tracking over 3.5 billion meme swipes across its base of more than 5 million users.
In a market dominated by global players like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge, Schmooze’s approach signals a shift from visual-first discovery to interaction-led compatibility. And with AI now stepping in as a digital wingman, the dating game may be moving from swipe right to speak right.
