The shocking arrest of Shilpa Shetty’s husband and business tycoon Raj Kundra has thrown light on porn content available hands on on online apps in India.
Husband of actress and businesswoman Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra has been named as a “key conspirator” by the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police in a case related to the making pornographic content and publishing it through some apps.
While the story around Kundra’s arrest develops, the police is investigating two different facets of the industry – the production of pornographic content and its publishing and broadcasting to audience through apps.
Pornography is illegal in India but that hasn’t stopped a budding app-based erotica industry to come up in the country. There are several apps which create films and TV shows showing explicit scenes, ranging from soft porn with skin show to full frontal nudity. Their audience also comes from Tier-1 but majorly from Tier-2 and 3 cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen their viewership boom as lockdowns restricted people inside their homes and kept them glued to smartphones.
How the shows are produced?
As per the police, such shows or films are shot in rented bungalows on the outskirts of Mumbai. Shot with low quality production infrastructure compared to premium content, they usually have small teams of half a dozen people or so who double up as directors, cameramen, script writers and even web app developers.
While most actors and actresses are unknown faces, some shows have even featured noted TV names.
As per Mumbai police, some of these actresses are falsely lured into making pornographic content after initially being promised roles in web series.
How it is published and monetized?
The movies are then published via mobile apps which offer subscription models like any other OTT platform. Some of these apps use servers outside India to broadcast their content. This is where Kundra has come under the scanner.
He is allegedly linked to one UK-based production house called Kenrin Production House that publishes such films and shows to an app called HotShots. Some other apps in India found publishing such soft porn and erotic content are Ullu, Kooku, Fliz Movies and Gupchup. AltBalaji platform, owned by Ekta Kapoor, is also sometimes accused of showcasing similar content in some of its shows.
Whatsapp chats reveal how money was minted through porn films?
Businessman and actress Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra has been grabbing headlines after the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police arrested him in a case relating to the creation of pornographic films and publishing them through some apps on Monday night (July 19).
Raj was named as the ‘key conspirator’ in the case by the police.
Mumbai CP in a press statement stated, “There was a case registered with Crime Branch Mumbai in Feb 2021 about the creation of pornographic films and publishing them through some Apps. We’ve arrested Mr Raj Kundra in this case on 19/7/21 as he appears to be the key conspirator of this. We have sufficient evidence regarding this. The investigation is in progress please.”
In the latest development in the case, Crime Branch sources reveal that Raj Kundra is a relative of Pradeep Bakshi who resides in the UK and operates a UK-based company, Kenrin Production House. Additionally, Bhakshi, besides being the chairman of this company, is also Raj Kundra’s business partner.
In fact, leaked WhatsApp chats between Kundra and Bakshi disclose how transactions were made and a large sum of money was minted by the creation of pornographic content.
As per reports, Raj Kundra indirectly is also the owner and investor of Kenrin production house. His former PA (personal assistant) Umesh Kamat worked as a representative of the firm in India and the company gave contracts to agents for making porn films and reportedly also facilitates funding. 
Model-actress Gehna Vashisht and Umesh Kamat made porn films, produced by Kenrin Production House. The same company used to give them advance payments in order to make different types of porn films. These porn films were uploaded on the social media app Hotshot. 
During the investigation, it also came to light that Kenrin production house is carrying out its pornography business and is funding pornography through different agents across the country.
Meanwhile, Raj appeared before the Property Cell of Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch on Tuesday. He was taken for medical examination at JJ hospital by the Property Cell of Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch in the early hours of Tuesday.
