Entertainment
Disney announces 100 original shows for Indian OTT market

As content streaming heats up in India, The Walt Disney Company has revealed that it is working on 100 original shows in local content for the country where its Disney+Hotstar OTT platform is currently the leader.
The company, which added 7.9 million new subscribers to Disney+ in the March quarter (Q1), taking the total to 137.9 million, said during the earnings call late on Wednesday that it has about 500 shows in the pipeline for local content outside of the US or English speaking.
“When you look at that 500, I’ll give you some broad breakdowns. In the Asia-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia, of that 500, 140 is in that region. In EMEA, it’s 150. In India, it’s 100. And in Latin America, it’s 200,” said Christine McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and CFO, The Walt Disney Company.
Disney’s video streaming service Disney+Hotstar added 2.6 million paid subscribers for the quarter ended January 1, taking its total base to 45.9 million users.
Although the company did not break down the recent figure of 7.9 million new subscribers, it is obvious that a bulk of new users are coming from India where the OTT consumption has exploded.
“We ended Q2 with more than 205 million total subscriptions after adding 9.2 million in the quarter. That includes 7.9 million Disney+ subscribers, keeping us on track to reach 230 million to 260 million Disney+ subscribers by fiscal 2024,” said Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
The announcement of 100 new original shows for the Indian market came after Amazon Prime Video said last month that it will launch 40 new titles in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu across original shows, movies and co-productions in the next two years.
“Our world-class creative teams are focused on creating content that will drive subscriber growth in targeted segments and deeper engagement across the platform. This includes leveraging our existing intellectual property. Also, we’re intent on creating new franchises,” said McCarthy.
Entertainment
Andrew Garfield speaks up on his return as ‘Spider-Man’

Los Angeles, April 22: Hollywood actor Andrew Garfield, who has openly expressed his desire to return as Spider-Man, has said that the idea has to be very novel.
If the actor returns as the web-slinging superhero, it will be his fourth movie following 2012’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, 2014’s ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ and 2021’s ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, the latter of which powered to $1.9 billion at the worldwide box office on the strength of Garfield teaming up with fellow web-slingers Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire, reports ‘Variety’.
However, Andrew Garfield said at Middle East Film & Comic Con that coming back as Spider-Man hinges on an offbeat story idea.
He said (via Entertainment Tonight), “It would have to be very weird. I would like to do something very strange. Something very unique, and offbeat and surprising, kind of like the creative freedom they have with the animated ‘Spider-Verse’ movies”.
In an interview with Esquire magazine last year, the two-time Oscar nominee said he was “left dangling” when his Spider-Man role came to such an abrupt end after ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ disappointed at the box office.
As per ‘Variety’, that film’s lackluster performance resulted in Sony coming to an agreement with Disney to share ‘Spider-Man’ so that the superhero could officially enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Tom Holland took over the role with 2017’s ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. But the success of ‘No Way Home’ proved there’s still a lot of love for Garfield’s iteration of the comic book hero.
“For sure, I would 100% come back if it was the right thing, if it’s additive to the culture, if there’s a great concept or something that hasn’t been done before that’s unique and odd and exciting and that you can sink your teeth into”, Garfield told Esquire.
“I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I’m joyful in return”, he added.
Tom Holland’s next ‘Spider-Man’ movie is officially titled ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and is set to hit theaters July 31, 2026.
Bollywood
Indian cinemas biggest stars rally behind WAVES 2025 event in Mumbai

Mumbai, April 19: The who’s who of the Indian film industry are set to attend the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) in Mumbai.
On Saturday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways of India took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a promotional video featuring the biggest stars of Indian cinema including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Vikrant Massey and Nagarjuna.
In the video, the actors talk about the upcoming event, and also reveal that the conversation will be taken forward by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
It’s also revealed in the video that the event will see thought leaders from the entertainment industry, and pioneers across the industries lending their inputs to the event.
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) is a global platform that unites pioneers, visionaries, and aspiring creatives from the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry.
The event is organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Create in India Challenge, and is poised to be a groundbreaking forum for discussions, collaborations, and transformative innovations.
It is sponsored by Netflix and orchestrated by Reskilll, and is set to redefine the future of storytelling, filmmaking, and digital content creation.
Waves Summit 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary. With over 3,000 applications, only the top 600 candidates were meticulously selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The ‘Trailer Making Competition’, the event’s crown jewel, saw an overwhelming 134 entries, showcasing an array of creative talents eager to make their mark in the industry.
The event has seen over 3,000 applications, of which top 600 candidates have been selected and trained, ensuring a pool of highly skilled and passionate participants. The event is set to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4 in the BKC area of Mumbai.
Bollywood
A.R. Rahman reveals how news about his personal life affects his mental state

Mumbai, April 17: Music maestro A.R. Rahman, currently preparing for his ambitious “Wonderment” tour, has admitted that news and rumours about him do take a toll on his mental well-being. In an exclusive conversation with Media, A.R. Rahman opened up about his preparation for the ‘Wonderment’ tour, the use of AI in music, his mental state, and much more.
When asked, “Music requires a happy state of mind, do news and rumours about you that circulate everywhere affect you?”
Rahman replied, “I think every artist goes through this. Sometimes they are in a very, very sad state, and they have to do ‘Chhaiya Chhaiya’ or ‘Hamma Hamma’. You can’t say I’m not in the mood. They will go to somebody else. Sometimes you are very happy, and they want you to do the saddest song. You should be ready for it. In music, you have to be in a very neutral condition. You are almost like an actor. You are sad inside but you have to play happy.”
When further inquired , “But as an artist and as a human being, does it really affect you when you read so much about yourself.” Opening about it Rahman quipped, ‘It does, It does affect but it’s part of the game. The ups and downs.”
For the unversed, A.R. Rahman’s wife announced her divorce with him in the month of November 2024. Soon a social media post went viral accusing Rahman of having an extra-marital affair with one of his band members which led Rahman to issue a statement. He also announced to take a legal action against those spreading defamatory news about him.
Further during the conversation, A.R. also spoke about his health and shared a message with his fans stating “Thank you for all the love. Sorry to have scared you. The hospital gave something which went viral. I am here healthy with all your prayers and love. See you on the 3rd at D.Y. Patil stadium.”
In the month of March, A.R. Rahman was admitted to the hospital in Chennai due to chest pain.
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