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CGI and VFX supervisor Ben Cowell-Thomas joins Prime Focus
MUMBAI: Renowned CGI and VFX supervisor Ben Cowell-Thomas has joined the Mumbai commercials division of Prime Focus.
In his new role, Ben would be responsible for overseeing seamless delivery of VFX commercials in Mumbai.
Ben will work along with creative directors Huzefa Lokhadwala and Prakash Kurup to expand Prime Focus’ recently revamped Khar facility. In addition, he will further develop the international production pipeline working with Juan Pablo Brockhaus, recently appointed VFX supervisor in London, and Jake Braver managing VFX supervisor at the newly launched New York facility.
Ben has created award winning commercials and short films across a wide variety of media including CG, live action, stop-motion and interactive. Awards to his credit include a Grand Prize (Ottawa), BTAA Silver Award, Grand Prize (International 3D Awards) and an Oscar nomination. His work has taken him around the world with stints at Condor Post in London, Ambience Entertainment in Sydney, Australia and as a 3D Animation and VFX lecturer for Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore.
Some of the recent projects Ben has been involved in include Intel The Chase, Honda This Unpredictable Life, Coca Cola Avatar, Coca Cola Videogame and Toyota Scion Transformer.
Said Prime Focus co-founder and creative director Huzefa Lokhandwala, “Ben’s appointment is of great essence to us. His talent and invaluable experience will complement the incredible talent we already have at our VFX Studio. We look forward expanding our Khar VFX offering with Ben on board.”
Said Prime Focus VP for films and commercials in India Niraj Sanghai, “Ben joining the team in India is of great significance not only to what it will bring to our Mumbai offering, but also to our global offering. The appointment of Ben, Juan and Jake at our key offices in Mumbai, London and New York respectively will allow us to present high-end creativity to local markets whilst utilising our Global Digital Pipeline to unite these cities.”
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
