Event Coverage
Filmy Fundas from Bollywood’s Big Daddies
The session on The New frontiers for Film chaired by Amit Khanna, had eminent film makers Subhash Ghai, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, G Venkatesharwan (GV Films), and Abhik Mitra (Saregama),
Rajesh Bhatia (Ripples Entertainment) and Senthil Kumar (Real Image) .
Mukta Arts chairman Subhash Ghai talked about the emrgence of production houses. He said that right since 1930, with the emergence of cinema in India, film studios such as Prabhat Studios, Bombay Talkies took the lead and produced cost-effective quality movies. He gave examples of the Big Five in Hollywood- Paramount, MGM, Fox, RKO and Warner – which dominated film production and distribution in America. He felt that Indian producers should emulate the Hollywood principles of major studios corporatising and streamlining the process of filmaking.
Film Maker Vidhu Vinod Chopra spoke at length on marketing Indian movies abroad. In his inimitable informal style, he said that it’s time for Indian Cinema to look beyond the conventional domestic territories and make products for global audiences.
He said that the uniqueness of Indian films with musical songs should be positioned well and marketed rather than hidden and looked as a drawback.
He ended with a confident positive note that “let’s show the world what this part of the planet can really do.’”
He was followed by Saregama managing director Abhik Mitra who spoke on the way forward for the Indian music industry.
The Indian market through the second largest in volume teams, is positioned 14th/15th in value terms.There is a global market for Indian Music which should be tapped. “All that is needed is proper branding,” he said.
Though 2001 was the worst in the history of the music industry, he felt that the worst was behind it. The Indian music market in 2001-2002 is Rs 1,100 crores (Rs 11,000 million) roughly, he said.
In future, he expected consolidation to take place and expressed the need for film producers and music companies to work closly together.
G.V. Films managing director G.Venkateshwaran expressed his views on developing alternative sources of revenue. He felt that films should be used surrogately to promote consumer products. He also gave many ideas that industry can tap as alternate sources of revenue.
Real Images director Senthil Kumar spoke on the digitalisation of cinema. He gave a presentation on the benifits of going digital. While the initial costs for the equipment are high, the production costs significally reduce as “digi-prints” cost 10 per cent of the cost of a traditional film.
Ripples Entertainment’s Rajesh Bhatia highlighted the fact that if films are well marketed, success can’t be far behind.
Khanna stressed on the fact that cinema is all about storytelling. He said that cinema is on the cusp of the next big change. He hilariously said that films in India are sold on a territorial basis which is not based on geographically-defined boundaries as we know today but in pre-independence terms with the regions being CP-CI (Central Provinces of Central India), Nizam, Saurashtra etc.
All in all, the session generated a lot of participation and interest thanks to the presence of luminaries such as Ghai, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Amit Khanna.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
