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Economic Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Insider job? Pirated versions of Hindi films surface days before box office release
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Mumbai: Marquee Hindi films such as Sikandar, Jaat, Raid 2 and The Bhootnii were leaked online, kneecapping their run at the box office at birth, according to film trade films were released on pirated and illegal web sites and applications on Thursday, a day before their formal release, bucking a pirating practice of releasing new films a day after their run at cinemas."There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected," said a senior Maharashtra police officer."Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job. There are three channels through which a film can get leaked. They are post-production studios, content delivery agencies and nefarious elements in exhibition companies," said Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst.A recent EY study with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) showed that 51% of media consumers access content from pirated sources. There are four key sources of piracy: illegal streaming platforms, mobile applications, spreading of pirated links on social media, and report noted that instant messaging platform Telegram is a widely preferred platform for consumers of pirated content and pirates alike as it allows transfer of files up to 2 GB. According to the report, in 2023, theatres and the streaming industry lost '13,700 crore and '8,700 crore, respectively, due to said the new trend of piracy before release is largely connected with how strong the buzz or interest that a film has generated before its release."A pre-release leak is not just piracy-it is economic sabotage. It destroys a film's theatrical potential, jeopardises digital (streaming) and satellite deals, and kills audience curiosity before the first show," said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films. "The buzz or interest around a film is a key factor whether a film's print gets leaked before or after its release," Wadhwa veterans said it was critical to follow a multi-layered approach which covers legality, technology and systemic aspects associated with piracy. They suggest that the increasing use of AI and collaboration with technology companies such as BLOCK X Technologies, which spot sites and other sources of pirated content, must be the norm in the industry to reduce piracy in the industry."To avoid piracy, with help of right stakeholders, we are working on a technology which will break a movie into three parts and these three parts can only be joined with a password," said Wankhede.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Insider job? Pirated versions of Hindi films surface days before box office release
Mumbai: Marquee Hindi films such as Sikandar, Jaat, Raid 2 and The Bhootnii were leaked online, kneecapping their run at the box office at birth, according to film trade sources. These films were released on pirated and illegal web sites and applications on Thursday, a day before their formal release, bucking a pirating practice of releasing new films a day after their run at cinemas. "There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected," said a senior Maharashtra police officer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Undo "Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job. There are three channels through which a film can get leaked. They are post-production studios, content delivery agencies and nefarious elements in exhibition companies," said Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst. Live Events A recent EY study with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) showed that 51% of media consumers access content from pirated sources. There are four key sources of piracy: illegal streaming platforms, mobile applications, spreading of pirated links on social media, and torrents. The report noted that instant messaging platform Telegram is a widely preferred platform for consumers of pirated content and pirates alike as it allows transfer of files up to 2 GB. According to the report, in 2023, theatres and the streaming industry lost '13,700 crore and '8,700 crore, respectively, due to piracy. Producers said the new trend of piracy before release is largely connected with how strong the buzz or interest that a film has generated before its release. "A pre-release leak is not just piracy-it is economic sabotage. It destroys a film's theatrical potential, jeopardises digital (streaming) and satellite deals, and kills audience curiosity before the first show," said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films. "The buzz or interest around a film is a key factor whether a film's print gets leaked before or after its release," Wadhwa added. Industry veterans said it was critical to follow a multi-layered approach which covers legality, technology and systemic aspects associated with piracy. They suggest that the increasing use of AI and collaboration with technology companies such as BLOCK X Technologies, which spot sites and other sources of pirated content, must be the norm in the industry to reduce piracy in the industry. "To avoid piracy, with help of right stakeholders, we are working on a technology which will break a movie into three parts and these three parts can only be joined with a password," said Wankhede.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From Raid 2 to Jaat: Pirates strike films just before the premiere
Marquee Hindi films such as Sikandar, Jaat, Raid 2 and The Bhootnii were leaked online, kneecapping their run at the box office at birth. These films were released on pirated and illegal web sites and applications on Thursday, a day before their formal release, bucking a pirating practice of releasing new films a day after their run at cinemas. "There is a growing trend of movies, especially Hindi and Tamil films, being leaked on the day before the release. In such cases, the role of an insider is suspected," said a senior Maharashtra police officer. "Piracy before the day of release of a film implies that it is an insider job. There are three channels through which a film can get leaked. They are post-production studios, content delivery agencies and nefarious elements in exhibition companies," said Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst. Sources of Piracy Language preferences Illegal Streamers 63% Hindi 40% Mobile Apps 16% English 31% Social Media 10% South Indian 23% Torrents 6% Others 6% Others 5% Source: EY-IAMAI anti-piracy report A recent EY study with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) showed that 51% of media consumers access content from pirated sources. There are four key sources of piracy: illegal streaming platforms, mobile applications, spreading of pirated links on social media, and torrents. The report noted that instant messaging platform Telegram is a widely preferred platform for consumers of pirated content and pirates alike as it allows transfer of files up to 2 GB. According to the report, in 2023, theatres and the streaming industry lost Rs 13700 crore and Rs 8700 crore respectively due to piracy. Producers said the new trend of piracy before release is largely connected with how strong the buzz or interest that a film has generated before its release. 'A pre-release leak is not just piracy—it is economic sabotage. It destroys a film's theatrical potential, jeopardises digital (streaming) and satellite deals, and kills audience curiosity before the first show,' said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder & director, Karmic Films. "The buzz or interest around a film is a key factor whether a film's print gets leaked before or after its release, " Wadhwa added. Industry veterans said it was critical to follow a multi-layered approach which covers legality, technology and systemic aspects associated with piracy. They suggest that the increasing use of AI and collaboration with technology companies such as BLOCK X Technologies, which spot sites and other sources of pirated content, must be the norm in the industry to reduce piracy in the industry. Country wise Online Video Piracy (2024) Country Piracy users (mn) India 90.3 Indonesia 47.5 Philipines 31.1 Thailand 18.2 Vietnam 16 Source: Media Partners Asia report "To avoid piracy, with help of right stakeholders, we are working on a technology which will break a movie into three parts and these three parts can only be joined with a password, " said Wankhede. One of the repercussions of rampant piracy is it impacts the earnings' prospects of mid-and-small budget films more than big-budget ones because even after piracy, streamers buy big-budget films.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Billdesk cofounder MN Srinivasu appointed IAMAI chairman for two years
Srinivasu replaces Harsh Jain, cofounder and chief executive of Dream Sports, who assumed the post in May 2023. Before Jain, Sanjay Gupta, vice president and country manager of Google, had held the office. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Billdesk cofounder MN Srinivasu as its chairman for the next two replaces Harsh Jain , cofounder and chief executive of Dream Sports, who assumed the post in May 2023. Before Jain, Sanjay Gupta, vice president and country manager of Google, had held the Mathur, CEO and cofounder of Razorpay, and Sameer Nigam, CEO of PhonePe, have been elected vice chairman and treasurer of the body, respectively. Srinivasu, Mathur and Nigam will form the association's executive is a not-for-profit industry body with more than 600 members, including Indian and multinational corporations, as well as 2023 elections sank into a controversy after some members accused the council of supporting Big Tech companies at the expense of local internet startups and organisations.
Hans India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
WAVEX 2025 aims to build dedicated angel network for media and entertainment startups
WAVEX 2025, part of the World Audio-Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) here, has emerged as a significant platform for startups in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry, with a special focus on creating a dedicated angel network to support innovation in this space, experts said on Sunday. Participating at a panel discussion at the event here, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Joint Director Ashutosh Mohle highlighted the vision of WAVEX to provide a national stage for startups, allowing them to scale their ideas and gain visibility within the M&E sector. He expressed hope that initiatives like WAVEX would foster innovation and entrepreneurship in a rapidly evolving industry. Internet and Mobile Association of India's (IMAI) Chief Growth Officer Sandeep Jhingran shared the encouraging response to WAVEX 2025, noting that over a thousand applications were received from aspiring entrepreneurs. "Thirty startups were selected to pitch directly to investors, with many already in active discussions," he stated. Jhingran emphasised the need for such platforms to focus on nurturing startups in the M&E sector, where unique challenges often hinder growth. Investor voices were also critical in shaping the conversation. Warmup Ventures Venue Partner Rajesh Joshi reflected on his journey from being a startup founder to an investor. He revealed that they are currently in talks with 11 startups, highlighting the significant interest in M&E startups despite past reluctance to invest in this field. He expressed his belief that WAVEX is helping change this mindset. CABIL Founder Mustafa Harnesswala echoed these sentiments, noting that many investors have traditionally shied away from the M&E space. However, WAVEX is now changing that dynamic. Harnesswala shared that they are working on building a dedicated angel network for M&E startups, further bolstered by international collaborations aimed at expanding investment opportunities. The panel also discussed some of the challenges facing the industry. When asked how investors differentiate meaningful content, Joshi pointed to "Giggle", a startup focused on preventing cyberbullying and harmful content on social platforms, as a prime example of responsible innovation. On the topic of gender representation, Jhingran acknowledged that the participation of women entrepreneurs in the M&E sector has been limited. He expressed a commitment to improving this in future editions, with a goal of attracting more women-led startups to the platform. The event format, which offered one-on-one pitching opportunities for 30 startups, was praised by industry leaders for providing startups with the chance to interact directly with investors.
