News Broadcasting
Zees Buddha wows buyers
CANNES: Mipcom presents the perfect opportunity to mix business with pleasure. And so it was that the producer of Zee TV’s latest series Buddha, BK Modi, hosted a lavish bash at Cannes’ La Mandala Beach on 8 October to introduce the series to the international market even as his guests partied the night away.
The party was organised by Indiantelevision.com’s ITV 2.0 Productions on behalf of Buddha Films.
One couldn’t have asked for a better setting, what with the glistening waves, cool breeze and interim light showers coupled with scrumptious snacks and drinks that flowed freely.
While the first episode of Buddha played out on the mammoth screen, the invitees – Indians as well as lovers of all things Indian from across the globe – set the dance floor on fire with some signature Bollywood moves. The party continued till the wee hours of the morning and Buddha surely impressed – with its costumes, sets, graphics and more so, its production quality.
For those among the industry who’ve been waiting to see the actor who plays Buddha, here’s some dope: “He’s a debutant,” according to Modi and will be announced on 13 October. Apparently, he had to undergo rigorous training to get under the skin of the Buddha.
News Broadcasting
Book Cricket gets a digital century on News18 amid T20 fever
Nostalgic classroom game revamped in English, Hindi plus Telugu on web and app.
MUMBAI: When the T20 World Cup fever hits fever pitch, News18 decides to flip the script straight back to the classroom. The digital news platform has revived the timeless schoolyard favourite Book Cricket as an interactive online game, perfectly timed to ride the cricket wave gripping fans across the globe. The reimagined Book Cricket ditches textbooks for smartphones, blending old-school nostalgia with modern gameplay. Once a sneaky recess pastime played by flicking book pages to score runs, the digital version now offers seamless fun for anyone craving a quick cricket fix between overs.
Available in English, Hindi and Telugu (with more languages planned across News18’s network), the game sits within the platform’s fast-growing gaming portfolio of over 20 titles, all built in-house. It joins event-driven hits like ‘Kursi Catcher’ and ‘Result Rewind’ during the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, plus festive specials such as ‘Durga’s Astras’ for Durga Puja and ‘Mouse Modak’ for Ganesh Chaturthi.
News18 Digital CEO Mitul Sangani said, “Gaming is a key pillar of our engagement strategy. At News18, we uniquely combine our newsroom agility with immersive gaming experiences. By blending credible content with interactive formats, we are creating meaningful engagement in an era defined by shrinking attention spans and evolving consumption habits.”
Select titles have expanded beyond News18.com to CNBC-TV18.com and Firstpost.com, reflecting the network’s push to deepen user interaction across platforms. The Book Cricket game is live now at https://www.news18.com/games/book-cricket/.
In a tournament where every boundary counts, News18’s digital Book Cricket proves the simplest games can still deliver the biggest smiles no syllabus required, just pure cricket joy one page-flip at a time.
