iWorld
ZeeL’s Vibha Chopra joins Amazon Prime Video
KOLKATA: Media professional Vibha Chopra has moved on from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZeeL) to join Amazon Prime Video. She will be looking at content acquisition in her new role.
“It’s been an exciting journey at Zee, where I got to learn , grow and work on exciting projects and with amazing people. I owe my rich experience to the wonderful teams across the globe with whom I had a chance to work. The achievements by my team at Zee Studios International of building it from scratch to the No.1 international distributor of Indian films across the world will always be cherished,” she wrote on professional networking platform LinkedIn.
“ I am thankful to my seniors Amit Goenka and Punit Goenka who trusted me enough to give me different portfolios, latest being the opportunity to launch TVoD. There comes a time when you want to reinvent yourself. And with that in mind, I’m thrilled to announce that I have joined Amazon Prime Video, India. I’m super excited for this new chapter in my life and looking forward to an exciting journey with this global organization,” she added further.
At ZeeL, Chopra was leading global syndication and international film distribution. She was associated with ZeeL in various capacities since 2006.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
