Event Coverage
Online innovations can reduce film piracy
 |
MUMBAI: If piracy is the biggest impediment in distributing Indian movies internationally, online innovations could be very effective in dealing with the problem, emphasised Google Japan and Asia Pacific media and platform head Shailesh Rao.
Speaking at the Ficci-Frames summit, Rao said: “When an Indian movie is released in the US, it is not available in every major metropolitan city. If the South Asian population wants to watch the movie, they have to go to a local shop to buy a DVD, which is in most of the cases pirated, or the ask someone from India to send a copy over.” Rao cited the example of Dabangg that was released on Youtube along with its television release, as one of the most effective ways to deal with this problem. Adding to which he said, the other ways to distribute movies on the net would include tools like pay-per-click for those seeking it, which would generate fair amount of revenue.
UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur said that in the current times of social networking, the best way to promote a movie would be through word of mouth publicity and very effective Public Relations activities.
The second most talked about topic was low-budget movies. Film producer from UK Michael E Ward said, “No One Killed Jessica made half a million dollars in the US, which would have been unthinkable some years back.”
Amplifying the importance of Indian movies abroad, he said Rajneeti made $1 million in the US.
Kapur added, “The South Asian movie is the biggest after the local British movies—and its very important to make sure that this market is tapped into.”
The panel agreed that low-budget movies are not taken seriously by major distributors.
Kapur clarified, “It might be unaffordable for an Indian living in the US to watch every Indian movie release, and so he would choose to watch a film that gives him a complete Indian experience—which would mean a movie with major stars and all the masala that a usual Hindi movie offers.”
On being questioned about Google’s indifference towards various websites that distribute illegal content on the net, Rao said: “Google is merely a channel that gives content to those seeking it, if one has objections against any specific site, on grounds of copyright infringement, they can always notify us.” On the role of various researches in making movies and distributing it, Kapur said: “Research plays an important role when it comes to distributing the movie and marketing it; they shouldn’t, however, be contributing to the creation of movies. The concept of the movie or a serial is mostly driven by gut and not through any research. An audience might like something after they watch it and would have never imagined about it. Albeit when it comes to marketing and distributing the content, researches can be used strategically.”
On this Rao made a point that trailers released on YouTube create a lot of curiosity.
In India, broadband speeds are a major roadblock towards legal digitisation of movies, the panel concluded.
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.
