iWorld
iTap and HumaraMovie launch a new OTT show ‘Ex- Mates’
Mumbai: iTap and HumaraMovie have launched a new OTT show, Ex-Mates. The show depicts the drama of a breakup that spirals out of control. Shreya Prasad and Kunal Kulkarni break up due to the toxicity of their relationship, but things take a dramatic turn when the prime minister declares a nationwide lockdown.
While celebrating her freedom, Shreya soon realises that due to the lockdown, she will have to put up with her toxic boyfriend, who has been trapped a few floors below her, for another 14 days. They make a pact to divide the house and chores in order to make life easier, only for things to spiral out of control.
Ex-mates is a show for the modern age, brought to you in collaboration with One More Studios and created by Vibhav Ameta. With a total of seven episodes spanning 14 days, prepare to witness chaos in the best way possible as a toxic couple navigates their daily lives cut off from the rest of the world. The highly anticipated first episode of Ex-mates was released on the iTap app on 13 December, which can be downloaded from the Google App Store, and the HumaraMovie YouTube channel, followed by two episodes released every alternate day.
Speaking on this launch, an iTap spokesperson said, “We are eagerly looking forward to the launch of Ex-mates. We are certain that the audience will receive the show very well due to its humorous and strikingly realistic nature. Nowadays, the audience wants content that they can relate to, something that they can identify with, and we feel like this show is the perfect embodiment of that.”
Ex-mates creator Vibhav Gupta stated, “I had a vision when I created this show, I wanted to portray chaos and uncertainty in a humorous and lighthearted way. Lockdown changed lives for everyone, and it gave me the perfect opportunity to showcase that chaos and isolation in the show. I am very certain that the audience reaction will be one of appreciation and astonishment to this show.”
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
