COVID-19: RCB promises financial help for oxygen support, to also raise funds
Ahmedabad, May 2: IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday pledged financial assistance for infrastructure "related to oxygen support" in India's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and will also raise funds by auctioning special blue jerseys to be worn by players in an upcoming match.
India skipper Virat Kohli, who leads the RCB, said in a video posted by the franchise on its twitter handle that they had had "focussed discussions" on how they can help at the ground level.
"RCB has identified key areas where much needed help is required immediately in healthcare infrastructure related to Oxygen support in Bangalore and other cities, and will be making a financial contribution towards this," Kohli said in a video posted by the franchise.
The team will also raise funds to tackle the mayhem unleashed by the second wave of COVID-19 infections and an inadequate health infrastructure.
"The RCB is going to be sporting a special Blue jersey in one of the upcoming matches with key messaging on our match kits to pay our respect and show solidarity to all the front line heroes who have spent majority of last year wearing PPE kits & leading the fight against the pandemic," Kohli said.
"RCB will also auction all the signed player jerseys from this game to raise money and add to our earlier financial contribution supporting healthcare infrastructure. We urge all of you to stay safe at home and get vaccinated at the earliest opportunity," he signed off.
RCB are due to take on Kolkata Knight Riders here on Monday.
India recently recorded four lakh fresh coronavirus cases in a single day with the states of Maharashtra and Delhi being major contributors.
Several IPL players have come forward to make contributions as India deals with the crisis that is claiming more than 3,000 lives daily, as per official data.
Australia pacer Pat Cummins was the first to forward to help and donated USD 50,000 for the cause.
Support has been trickling in also from other franchises and individual stars.
RCB has identified key areas where much needed help is required immediately in healthcare infrastructure related to Oxygen support in Bangalore and other cities, and will be making a financial contribution towards this. pic.twitter.com/jS5ndZR8dt
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 2, 2021
This season RCB is going to be sporting a special Blue jersey in 1 of the upcoming matches with key messaging on the match kit to pay our respect & show solidarity to all the front line heroes who have spent last year wearing PPE kits & leading the fight against the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/HUOAL12VVy
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 2, 2021
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JioHotstar to invest Rs 4,000 crore for South Indian content push; unveils 25-title slate
Chennai (PTI): Streaming service JioHotstar on Tuesday announced that it will invest Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years to strengthen South India’s creative economy, unveiling a 25-title slate as part of a major push for regional content.
In one of the biggest announcements by an Indian streaming platform for the southern markets, the company showcased its “South Unbound” vision at a high-profile event here.
Sushant Sreeram, Head – SVOD Business & Chief Marketing Officer at JioStar, said the investment forms part of a broader collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government.
“Earlier today, JioHotstar formalised a Letter of Intent with the Government of Tamil Nadu in the presence of the Chief Minister M K Stalin. This outlines a shared commitment to invest in talent, expand infrastructure and build a future-ready creative economy from the South.
"As part of this vision, JioHotstar will invest Rs 4,000 crore to nurture creators, strengthen the production ecosystem and build a pipeline of stories that are ready for India and ready for the world,” he said.
Calling South India the “heartbeat of Indian storytelling”, Sreeram said the investment signalled the platform’s long-term commitment to local creators.
"JioHotstar started as a dream — to build entertainment rooted in India’s storytelling heritage and powered by cutting-edge technology. The resplendent storytelling traditions of the South motivate us to keep championing authentic, rooted narratives while offering greater accessibility and choices for every viewer," he said.
The event was attended by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, veteran actor and MP Kamal Haasan, senior state officials, and leading stars and filmmakers from across the southern industries.
Deputy CM Stalin said the partnership will generate “1,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs”.
“Cinema in Tamil Nadu has always been a force for social change. OTT is not replacing cinema; it is expanding it. Today, a filmmaker in Madurai or Salem can upload a story and reach audiences across the world. The cultural and economic impact of this partnership will be massive," he added.
aasan said Indian media and entertainment was undergoing a fundamental transformation driven not by technology alone, but by the audience itself.
“We gather at a moment when India’s media and entertainment is not merely growing, it is transforming. For the first time, this shift is not driven by device or format, but by the audience itself,” he said, adding that storytelling today is “screen agnostic”.
“Regional is becoming the new national, and ethnic the new international. Stories born in Madurai, Malappuram or Machilipatnam are no longer regional cinema; they are national cultural events,” Haasan said, giving the example of movies such as “Kantara”, “Drishyam”, “Baahubali”, “Pushpa” and Tamil hits like “Vikram”.
The event was also attended by Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Aishwarya Rajesh and others -- along with directors Jeethu Joseph and Ahammed Khabeer
The streamer's ambitious content slate, unveiled as part of its “South Unbound” initiative, includes sequels to blockbuster franchises, new long-format shows, films, adaptations, and high-engagement reality formats.
The Tamil slate features a mix of returning favourites and new originals, led by "Bigg Boss Tamil", now hosted by Vijay Sethupathi, and "Good Wife S2", the legal drama starring Priyamani.
The lineup also includes "LBW – Love Beyond Wicket", a relationship drama; the family comedy "Cousins and Kalyanams"; the psychological drama "Resort"; and "Heartbeat S3", which brings back Anumol, Karthik Kumar and Deepa Balu.
Other Tamil offerings include "Lingam", an action-drama; "Love Always", a multigenerational love story; the marquee title "Kaattaan" starring Vijay Sethupathi and Milind Soman; and "Second Love", a non-fiction relationship series.
In Telugu, the platform returns with "Bigg Boss Telugu" hosted by Nagarjuna, alongside new originals such as "Moodu Lantharlu" starring Aishwarya Rajesh; the police procedural "Vikram on Duty"; "Varam", a mystical relationship drama; and the hit comedy-drama "Save The Tigers S3" with Chaitanya Krishna.
The slate further includes "Vishakha", the Telugu adaptation of "Aarya" led by Kajal Aggarwal; the relationship-based non-fiction format "Mad for Each Other"; and the Telugu debut of the iconic adventure franchise "Roadies".
From Malayalam, the platform brings back "Bigg Boss Malayalam" hosted by Mohanlal; "Kerala Crime Files S3" featuring Aju Varghese; the mystery drama "Secret Stories: Roslin"; "Anali", "1000 Babies S2" with Neena Gupta and Rahman; and the hard-hitting drama "Pharma" starring Nivin Pauly.
The Kannada lineup includes "Bigg Boss Kannada" hosted by Kichcha Sudeepa; "Batchmates", a nostalgic friendship drama; and the food-and-humour-based non-fiction series "Comedy Cooks".
Across languages, the platform also announced new films such as "Lucky The Superstar", featuring GV Prakash, Anaswara Rajan and Meghna Sumesh, and "Kenatha Kaanom", positioned as broad-appeal mainstream entertainers.
