*By Bridgette Webb*
Since its founding in 1951, the Film Censor Board in India has kept Bollywood light and non-threatening.
Enter Amazon, which is partnering with Excel Entertainment to produce "Mirzapur," a new, darker variety of Indian entertainment.
"Amazon ($AMZN) has provided us a platform where we are able to circumnavigate a lot of restrictions that we had in the mainstream media platforms, like television,” series creator Karan Anshuman said Monday in an interview on Cheddar.
According to Anshuman, the series, an action-packed mafia drama, represents a first for Indian television.
"This is the first time we have a mafia gangster drama, that's got a lot of blood and gore that's in your face. That's what really sets it apart from what we have seen so far," he said.
Anshuman his producer, Ritesh Sidhwani, and Amazon veered darker in their first collaboration, the inaugural Indian Prime original series, "Inside Edge," which earned a nomination for Best Drama series at this year's international Emmy awards.
For Amazon, India and its population of 1.3 billion represents a massive new market for the streaming service.
To Anshuman, his partnership with Amazon also presents a rich opportunity ー one he acknowledged is less possible in his home country.
"We have the talent, they are just shackled in many ways ー they're are just too many hurdles to get past. It's only platforms like Amazon that has given us the opportunity to really shine in terms of writing and producing good content."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/amazons-latest-bet-on-indian-content-hits-the-masses).
Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
