Latest news with #PocketEntertainment
India Today
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Mukesh Khanna returns as Shaktimaan: Thrilled to connect with today's youth
Actor Mukesh Khanna's 'Shaktimaan' was one of the most popular Hindi television shows of the 90s. It became iconic as India's first superhero series targeted at child audiences. Khanna will once again resume his character as the superhero in a brand-new format meant for today's actor will be back in the reimagined legacy of Shaktimaan in Pocket FM's all-new original audio series. Khanna will be doing the voice-over for the show. While speaking about the original stories of the Indian superhero in an audio series format, Khanna said, "'Shaktimaan' isn't just a show, it's an emotion that lives in the hearts of millions. I'm thrilled to return as the voice of the beloved hero and connect with a whole new generation of listeners through Pocket FM's vast and extensive reach across India. The platform offers a great way to reintroduce Shaktimaan's values, strength, and superpowers, but with new tales to today's youth in a format they love."advertisementPocket FM is known for audio-first fiction in genres like fantasy, sci-fi, mythology, and adventure. Pocket Entertainment, CEO and Co-Founder Rohan Nayak said, "Bringing 'Shaktimaan' to audio is a proud moment for us. It's a perfect example of how a timeless legacy can meet the power of modern storytelling. Partnering with Mukesh Khanna to revive India's most iconic superhero, who shaped an entire generation, is more than just nostalgia. It's a bold step toward building a rich sci-fi and fantasy audio universe, something that has rarely been attempted in the Indian storytelling ecosystem. With our immersive storytelling, we're reintroducing 'Shaktimaan' to a new generation that connects more with headphones than TV screens. This reflects our mission to drive storytelling in fresh, relevant, and impactful ways."In partnership with Mukesh Khanna's Bheeshma International, the show will feature a fresh adventure, original plot aimed at a reimagined world for listeners who grew up with 'Shaktimaan' and those discovering him for the first a previous interaction with ANI, Khanna spoke about bringing back the show for the new generation and said, "I am carrying out my duty, which I started in 1997 and went on till 2005. I think my work should reach the public in 2027 because today's generation is running blindly. They have to be stopped and told to catch their breath."Khanna had earlier announced a motion picture on Shaktimaan in collaboration with Sony Pictures. There were speculations regarding Ranveer Singh's possibility of playing the character. Khanna had, however, denied the reports.'Shaktimaan' was televised in Doordarshan from September 13, 1997 to March 27, Reel
Mint
13-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Is AI the end of human storytelling? Pocket FM bets on collaboration
Audio series platform Pocket FM is betting on collaboration and not competition between humans and artificial intelligence (AI). Rather than replacing human creativity, the company is using AI to support storytellers and scale high-quality audio content. Pocket FM aims to create a platform where humans and AI work together, not against each other. Talking to LiveMint, Vineet Singh, Head, Brand Marketing and Communication at Pocket Entertainment, said that of late, there has been a lot of chatter about AI replacing humans. "We always believe that human storytelling is going to be the core part of creativity," he said. 'With AI, we are going to be able to enhance it and scale it with that same quality at a huge number.' Pocket FM's proprietary tool allows users to write a story, select the background music, and choose an AI-generated voice to narrate it. The tool can also translate the story into multiple languages and change the context according to the geography. According to Singh, Pocket FM has around 50,000 AI-led audio series. The platform has around 200 million users and works on a micro-transaction model. Under the model, a certain number of episodes are free for a user daily. If they want to listen to more episodes of a series, they need to pay for them. Notably, the free episodes change from series to series. Romance remains the most popular genre on the platform, followed by drama and thrillers. However, fantasy and horror are growing at a faster pace, he added. To diversify its storytelling offerings, the company has launched Pocket Novel and Pocket Tools and rebranded itself as Pocket Entertainment. "We will continue looking at more and more formats and more storytelling options to just go out and entertain the world," Singh said. Originally launched in India, Pocket FM is now available in the USA and some European countries, such as Germany and the United Kingdom. It also plans to expand into some Latin American countries. The Lightspeed-backed platform competes with Spotify and new-age content platforms like Krafton-backed Kuku FM and Pratilipi. In 2024-25, Pocket FM's revenue rose 68 per cent to ₹ 1,768 crore. Its US business is said to be profitable, and the India business is expected to become profitable in the next one to two months.
