Applications
Disney Movie Club launches in India
NEW DELHI: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) has partnered with HDFC Bank to launched Disney Movie Club, an online Disney movie portal designed to bring blockbuster hits to Indian fans.
Membership is currently available exclusively to HDFC Bank customers starting July till October. But beginning November, the site will become available to kids and families across India. Memberships last for 12 months and provide access to the largest collection of Disney movies, offers, discounts and promotions.
Disney movie fans can choose from three different memberships – Mickey Gold pass, Donald Silver pass and Goofy bronze pass.
Mickey Gold Pass members need to pay Rs 3,999 and get 12 movies (worth Rs 7200) of their choice, six free DVDs (worth Rs 3600) and a free DVD player (worth Rs 1900).
Donald Silver pass members need to pay Rs 2,999 and they get eight movie titles (worth Rs 4,800) of their choice along with four free DVDs and a Disney family photo frame (worth Rs 900).
Goofy bronze pass members can register for Rs 399 and they can buy any Disney movie from the catalogue for Rs 399 and get a Goofy Plush worth Rs 500 absolutely free.
Applications
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.
