Category: Press Release

  • Dineout Unveils India’s Virtual Cookoff ‘Home Masterchef’ With Celebrity Judges

    Dineout Unveils India’s Virtual Cookoff ‘Home Masterchef’ With Celebrity Judges

    The extended countrywide lockdown has made cooking restaurant-style food at home the most common trend in households across the country. With millions actively flaunting their newly found culinary skills across social media, India’s largest dining out and restaurant tech platform, Dineout has announced the launch of the country’s first virtual cookoff with celebrity chefs. The contest would see participants upload home-cooked dishes & recipes to stand a chance to win exciting prizes every week. 

    Since restaurants across India have been closed for the last 2 months, Dineout has been engaging with its users promoting “Dineout later, stay home now” as the key message to practice social distancing. Home Masterchef is their initiative focused on keeping their 5M user base active on the app and giving them a platform to flaunt their culinary skills via their unique feature – Dineout Stories. Cooking shows have always been an engaging format with a nation full of foodies, and a virtual cooking challenge like this will help Dineout to connect with the existing and new users in these trying times. 

    Taking cues from digital trends, Dineout has launched the campaign by creating a video on the very popular social media format called #DontRushChallange. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhktOQAHg_4

    Boasting of an illustrious panel of celebrity judges including Gourmet Passport’s Founder Rocky Mohan and celebrity chef Sabyasachi Gorai aka Chef Saby, this online contest live until 11th June 2020 would see food enthusiasts uploading photos & videos of their most creative & delicious home recipes using the Dineout app on https://www.dineout.co.in/home-masterchef. The bumper prize winners with the highest skills & creativity would win Redmi 8 smartphones, Amazon Echo devices, Mi Bluetooth earphones and gift vouchers from Cult.Fit, Rebel Foods, and Udemy among others.

    Ankit Mehrotra, Co-founder & CEO – Dineout said, “It is important for brands to stay relevant to their audience in these challenging times. The COVID-19 lockdown and a lack of socialising with friends & family including visits to our favorite restaurants has triggered our nation’s culinary skills in more ways than one. Our key insight was that from distressed dads to young couples to scrappy bachelors living away from home, people are trying their hand at cooking their favorite dishes and going the extra mile by creating new recipes. The sheer range of culinary creativity on display across social media is heartening. In our effort to tip our hats to these quarantined masterminds making the most of their time at home, we have launched the country’s first ever virtual cookoff ‘Home Masterchef’ that will give a platform to nurture this growing talent.”

    "Over the past 60 days, I have noticed that the Gen Z and millennial population living away from home yearning for ‘ghar ka khaana’, it was surprising to see them own up to the challenge. Cooking up a storm in their kitchens and flaunt their achievements on their social media with #toughlife and #homechefsforlife hashtags. Our Home Masterchef contest is the country’s biggest virtual platform for all those who once disliked entering the kitchen but are now ruling it to showcase their skills and lay claim to this coveted title that they have so rightfully earned for themselves”, Mr. Rocky Mohan, Founder & Mentor of Gourmet Passport said.

  • Get ready for a laughter riot with the World Television Premiere of ‘Freaky Ali’ on &pictures this Saturday

    Get ready for a laughter riot with the World Television Premiere of ‘Freaky Ali’ on &pictures this Saturday

    This Saturday, &pictures is all set to take you on a freaking laughter riot with the World Television Premiere of ‘Freaky Ali’. Touted as the perfect family entertainer, the story traces an underdogs inspiring journey from a small basti to becoming a ‘gulf’ a.k.a ‘golf’ sensation. Directed by Sohail Khan, the light-hearted comedy features the versatile actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Arbaaz Khan and Amy Jackson in the lead along with Nikitin Dheer, Seema Biswas and Asif Basra essaying pivotal roles. So, this 16th May at 9 pm, get set for a freaky roller coaster ride with Freaky Ali.

    Speaking about the idea behind the movie, Director Sohail Khan said, “When we were in the initial build up phase of the movie, we came across an insight about golf where people said that it is the game of the elite and can only be played by them. This struck us so hard that through our movie we wanted to break this myth and establish golf as a common man’s game. With Ali’s character we wanted to inspire people to keep striving for their dreams no matter what their social backgrounds are because in the end your talent is the one that bears fruit. Hope the viewers enjoy watching Freak Ali this 16th May on &pictures as it’s dedicated to the freak in each one of us who tried to achieve success from nothing.”

    Filled with ample dose of masala, the 2016 film narrates the story of Ali, who makes a living by selling undergarments and extorting money along with best friend Maqsood (Arbaaz Khan). However, his fate turns when he discovers golf accidently while collecting money from a businessman playing the game. Looking at his fabulous shots, his neighbour Kishanlal (Asif Basra) who is a caddy by profession trains Ali to be a professional golf player. With time, Ali starts topping the charts with his game, which starts to annoy the prevailing golf champion Vikram (Jas Arora). Vikram challenges Ali in the Golf championship and tries to put Ali down by stating Golf is a rich man’s game. To prove Vikram wrong and break the stereotype, Ali puts in all his efforts in winning the championship.

    To witness Ali’s fun filled journey, hop on to the hilarious roller coaster ride with the World Television Premiere of ‘Freaky Ali’ on 16th May at 9 pm only on &pictures!

  • ZEE5 Global Brings Together Top Bangla Artistes  to Recreate ‘Abar Jombe Mela’ in a message of hope for Bangladesh

    ZEE5 Global Brings Together Top Bangla Artistes to Recreate ‘Abar Jombe Mela’ in a message of hope for Bangladesh

    Amid the global pandemic comes a song of hope, of looking forward to a better day.

    ZEE5 Global brings alive again the ever-popular folk song “Abar Jombe Mela” in an all-new format rendered by Bangladesh’s youth icons. The song is being released today across all ZEE5 platforms. The initiative is in association with Dettol & supported by Nestle.

    In January ’20, at a huge event in Dhaka, ZEE5, the largest global video streaming platform for South Asians and beyond, shared its plans for Bangladesh and announced the rollout of various initiatives to drive growth in the market through strong local collaborations. The intent was encapsulated in the theme ‘Stronger Together’, thereby kickstarting a journey of deep collaboration and partnership that’s only grown from strength to strength over the last several weeks.

    The current situation, however, has caused some of the on-ground initiatives, that were well underway and even scheduled to launch like the Bangladesh Talent Hunt and shoot of the Originals, to be pushed out by a few weeks till the situation stabilizes. The joint team working on these initiatives was further disappointed with the traditional Pohela Boishakh and Ramadan celebrations being marred due to the pandemic.

    However, in the darkest of times, the resilience of the Bangladeshi people has always shone through. “Biswa Obak Cheye Robe: Towards Hope” – A ZEE5 initiative in collaboration with Good Company – An Asiatic 360 Content Initiative is a song that salutes this resilience in these difficult times.

    Amit Goenka, CEO, ZEE International and ZEE5 Global said,” Bangladesh is a hugely important market for us, and this song, symbolizing hope, is being launched with the specific intent of celebrating the spirit and resilience of the people of Bangladesh as they navigate these challenging times. We look forward to rolling out our plans for this exciting market soon.”

    Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “With the world going through a difficult time during this lockdown period, we wanted to share a special message of hope with the people of Bangladesh. Music has always played a significant role in Bangladesh traditions, and this song has a strong historical significance for Bangladeshis. With this reimagined song, we want to share a message of hope amongst the people to look beyond today towards a brighter future, especially during the auspicious month of Ramadan, and that we will get through this time soon.”

  • BasicFirst announces the launch of the World’s First ‘Doubts on Video’ feature for Students in India

    BasicFirst announces the launch of the World’s First ‘Doubts on Video’ feature for Students in India

    BasicFirst Learning OPC Pvt. Ltd – an aptitude-based personalized e-learning platform – today announced the launch of the world’s first ‘Doubts on Video’ service on its mobile application for students from classes 6th to 12th across all major Education Boards in India (including CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE and other State Boards) and major competitive examinations such as IIT Main, JEE Advance, NEET, AIIMS, NTSE, Olympiads and more.

    In the current scenario with schools shuttered and exams on hold, the new ‘Doubts on Video’ feature is poised to empower students for engaging in self-study and clarifying doubts by uploading a video or submitting the question on the mobile application. The unique feature empowers students by conveniently resolving their doubts via face-to-face communication. Students receive personalized attention from an experienced mentor in either Hindi or English – making BasicFirst the world’s first company to nurture and strengthen student-mentor relationships by venturing beyond the confines of conventional classrooms.

    Announcing the launch, Mr Randhir Kumar, Founder and Chief Mentor – BasicFirst Learning OPC Pvt. Ltd said, “True learning begins when doubts are aptly addressed and resolved – enabling students to gain a good grasp over the concept as well as the subject. While schools are now switching to online learning, students are missing the personal touch. With our new feature, we are providing clarity of concepts to students through individualized attention. Our ‘Doubts on Video’ service will ensure the growth of students remains unaffected even during the lockdown while being enhanced in some ways.”

    BasicFirst is offering its ‘Doubts on Video’ service at reasonable monthly subscriptions beginning from INR300, providing students 60 minutes of video call time. Early subscribers can avail an extra 30 minutes of video time across all packages. BasicFirst releases students from long-term monetary commitments by offering an easy pay-as-you-use model through a simple recharge, whereby students can connect with a teacher over video call. No other platform offers such convenient subscriptions.  

    The ‘Doubts on Video’ feature will encourage students to participate in self-study, eliminating herd learning. Since doubts turn up suddenly, students should have the flexibility to address them as and when they occur. BasicFirst is enabling digital collaborations between students and teachers so the former can enquire about textbook questions, concepts, projects and similar issues through simple video calls. The new feature simplifies education because we believe learning should be encouraging rather than a daunting task.

    Once a question is posted on the BasicFirst app, depending on its complexity, the coordinator allocates a teacher within 15 minutes. There is no limit to how many questions a student can ask within the allotted time. Since all discussions are archived, students can refer to them again, if required. Students are also asked to give feedback after every call, helping redirect students to a different teacher, if necessary, improving the quality of service. Teachers are available from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm.

    Link to download the app – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.basicfirst.student

  • With 15 original podcasts for India, Spotify continues to cater to local pop culture

    With 15 original podcasts for India, Spotify continues to cater to local pop culture

    After launching the first three Spotify Original podcasts in India last December, the audio streaming platform now has an additional 12 podcasts. Predominantly non-fiction content, these podcasts explore news, heroes across communities, candid conversations, and a slice of life in India. Spotify has also added content from radio channels Radio City and Big FM, and Aawaz.com, an Indian podcasts and spoken-word audio network; all of this will be exclusively available on the platform.

    The 12 new podcasts include the recently launched originals such as Special Mission with Gul Panag, Maha Bharat with Dhruv Rathee, Zindagi Unplugged, Our Last Week with Anuvab & Kunaal, Off Script with Salil, with a total of over 200 episodes, all of which are already live. Several of these Spotify Original podcasts have regularly featured on the app’s podcast charts in the country, including Zindagi Unplugged, Off Script with Salil, and Special Mission with Gul Panag, with listeners not just in India, but also in the US, the UK, and Australia, among other countries.

    Amarjit Batra, Managing Director at Spotify India, said, “It has been heartening to see the growing traction for podcasts on our platform in India. We’ve continuously analysed what users are listening to, and gradually commissioned Original podcasts that our local users relate to, and want to engage with. Much of this content is non-fiction, but we are also open to fiction.  Besides the original content, we now have exclusive access to over 600 hours of content from Radio City, Big FM, and Aawaz.com, giving our growing listener base more reasons to make podcast listening a habit.”

    Over the year, Indian listeners have been consuming lifestyle-based content with ‘Society & Culture’ emerging as the top genre on the platform. The top 10 podcasts showcase this trend, being mostly themed around self-improvement and motivation, including The Ranveer Show, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, TED Talks Daily, Sadhguru, 7 Good Minutes Daily Self-Improvement, among others. There is also a healthy dose of comedy with some of the more popular podcasts being Simple Ken, VIEWS with David Dobrik and Jason Nash, Office Ladies, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend and The Misfits Podcast. Additionally, recent times have seen users streaming News, Health & Fitness and Kids & Family content, as well as podcasts with the words “cooking” or “recipes” in the title or description.

    “Creating high quality podcasts is a relatively new phenomenon in India, and at Spotify, we are keen to work with committed creators and production houses to bring relevant, local content for not only listeners in India, but also for our millions of users across 78 other markets. We’ve already worked with over 20 creators for Spotify Original podcasts in India, and have brought global best practices to them, increasing operational and creative efficiencies”,  added Amarjit.

    Spotify has over one million podcast titles on the platform today. In India, the company already has several more original podcasts and subsequent seasons of successful podcasts lined up over the remaining year.

  • Amazon Prime Video reveals character posters from the highly anticipated Amazon Original Series Homecoming Season 2

    Amazon Prime Video reveals character posters from the highly anticipated Amazon Original Series Homecoming Season 2

    A week before the critically acclaimed Amazon Original Series Homecoming returns for its second season, Amazon Prime Video gives a glimpse into all key characters of the show. The new season stars Janelle Monáe, Stephan James, Oscar-winner Chris Cooper and Emmy-winner Joan Cusack, Hong Chau among others. The second season of critically acclaimed International Amazon Original Series Homecoming launches on 22nd May, 2020 across 200 countries and territories exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

    Janelle Monae

    Things can’t seem to be any worse for Jackie as she wakes up on a boat having absolutely no idea how she got there. And here begins her quest to figure out her own identity. Watch the singer-songwriter step into the spotlight as she goes head-to-head with the Geist Group as the suspense series returns on Amazon Prime Video.

    Stephan James

    With no faith in his own memories, but eager to leave his traumatic war experiences behind him, one can’t wait to see if Walter Cruz will be able to solve the mystery behind the Homecoming Initiative's guileful methods? Get set for a fascinating watch as Stephan James returns to unfold new mysteries in Amazon Prime Video's thriller Amazon Original Series Homecoming Season 2.

    Chris Cooper

    An eccentric botanist, more at home in his greenhouse than in the boardrooms of the company he created, Leonard Geist's quiet existence is all about to be disturbed. Catch the Oscar-winner playing the role of Leonard Geist, the company’s strange founder, in Amazon Prime Video's gripping thriller Homecoming Season 2.

    Joan Cusack

    Eccentric, yet so ambitious, Army Officer Francine Bunda does not shy away from unconventional tactics to get what she wants. Get ready to be kept at the edge of your seat as the Emmy winner Joan Cusack carries out/executes the nefarious purposes of Geist Group and the Homecoming Initiative in Amazon Prime Video's acclaimed drama Homecoming Season 2.

    View the character posters here: https://www.webcargo.net/l/1B6jKMfZdB/

    View the character posters on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAFUUMFAoC1/

    Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/D9NO0dhCSAg

    Synopsis:

    NEW MYSTERY. Good intentions. Erratic bosses. Mounting paranoia. Unforeseen consequences spiraling out of control.

    Homecoming’s co-showrunners and executive producers are Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, who are also the creators of the Gimlet Media podcast upon which the show is based. All episodes of the second season are directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez, who also serves as Executive Producer. Homecoming Season stars, Janelle Monáe, Stephan James, Oscar-winner Chris Cooper, Emmy-winner Joan Cusack and Hong Chau among others.

    Homecoming Season 2 will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue, including Indian produced Amazon Original series such as The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven, and award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series including Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all on Prime Video, which is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.

    Prime members will be able to watch all episodes of Homecoming Season 2 anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, Airtel, Vodafone, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India  at no extra cost to a Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at  www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

  • Word of Mouth media launches new digital series ‘The Quintessential Sunshine Man Rd Burman – Lessons for Lockdown’

    Word of Mouth media launches new digital series ‘The Quintessential Sunshine Man Rd Burman – Lessons for Lockdown’

    Word of Mouth of Media launched its 7th project recently ‘The Quintessential Sunshine Man Rd Burman’. In this digital series Vineet KKN 'Panchhi’, Founder, Word of Mouth Media talks about some ‘Lessons for Lockdown’.

    “I grew up listening to RD Burman Saab's music, collecting anecdotes about his life, and positivism. For the last few weeks, his music has been my constant in these uncertain times. I believe that RD Saab’s life and what he stood for has served a great lesson for all of us and we have tailor-made some of these in the latest series,” said Vineet.

    In this context, Word of Mouth Media started ‘The Sunshine Project’ to help people stay positive during these tough times. While the website is a repository and not a destination in itself, the team constantly brainstorms on various items that can help people cope during this difficult times.

    “Sunshine in so many ways is the closest Metaphor to what we are trying to do. We want people to stay positive and hopeful especially during current circumstances when we know that our problems are way bigger than we can handle. Our latest initiative is more about bringing sunshine to ourselves, our minds, and our communities,” He added.

    Through the latest project, Word of Mouth Media is trying to spread smiles by putting up podcasts, interviews with stimulating people, and a few initiatives that can support. It’s an ongoing project that will continue to build more positivity and bring a ray of sunshine to people’s lives.

    In the link below, Mobius Films and Word of Mouth Media brought back our hero; for all of us, so we can all learn how he continued to be creative and 'sunshine' like, even through the toughest of times. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuntVPjUHp4 

    Some of the previous projects by Word of Mouth Media:

    Sunshine Project 1- India Care Collective:

    It was a small initiative started by a group of citizens to raise funds for the poor during the Covid-19 crisis.

    Sunshine Project 2 – The Sunshine podcast:

    This podcast is truly everything sunshine featuring Vineet KKN 'Panchhi', every podcast talks about life anecdotes that can turn this gloomy time into a positive one.

    Sunshine Project 3 – Elders First, Ghar pe Rahiye:

    This initiative encourages people to volunteer for the elderly in society in association with EMOHA eldercare. 

    Sunshine Project 4 – The Sunshine Mindset:

    The Sunshine Mindset initiative is in collaboration with Niti Gupta of You Turn Consulting, Singapore, which helps to cope with mental health during the lockdown period.

    Sunshine Project 5 – The Sunshine Nazm:

    This initiative focuses on the fact that no matter what life must go one with various Nazms being a part of this initiative.

    Sunshine Project 6 – Sunshine poetry hour:

    The 'Sunshine Poetry' Hour is an attempt to spread some sunshine and 'Roshni' to those who are away from their traditional work environment.

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • How to recharge your mobile through PhonePe

    How to recharge your mobile through PhonePe

    PhonePe is a leading digital payment platform in India. Using PhonePe, users can send and receive money, recharge mobile, DTH, data cards, make utility payments and buy gold. Did you know that doing a mobile recharge takes just a few seconds on the PhonePe app?

    Here are the steps you can follow to recharge your mobile. 

    Step 1: Click on Recharge under Recharge & Pay bills

     

    Step 2: Select or enter the number you wish to recharge

     

    Step 3: Verify your phone number, circle & operator details

    Step 4: Enter the recharge amount or select from a list of plans under View Plans section

    Step 5: Pick the payment option for the same

    Step 6: Click on recharge to complete the transaction

     

  • How to find stores that are open & delivering to your homes on PhonePe

    How to find stores that are open & delivering to your homes on PhonePe

    PhonePe is India’s leading digital payments platform with over 200 million registered users and is accepted at over 10 million merchant outlets across 400 cities. PhonePe acts as a one-stop-shop for users seeking to send and receive money, recharge mobile, and data cards, as well as make utility bill payments, buy gold and make investments.

    In order to help people adhere to social distancing norms and purchase groceries easily during the lockdown, PhonePe recently launched a few new features under the “Stores” section of the app. These features allow users to identify stores or shops in their vicinity that are up and running, while also offering home delivery. Furthermore, users can also make payments for their purchases through the app for contactless payments.   

    Here is a step-by-step guide on how to find stores that are open & providing home delivery services via PhonePe.  

    To start with: Download the PhonePe app if you haven’t already and proceed as outlined below:

    Step 1: Open the PhonePe App and click on the ‘Stores’ section at the bottom of the homepage

    Step 2: To see the stores that are open around you, click on the ‘Currently Operational’ filter

    Step 3: Then click on the ‘Home Delivery’ filter to view stores that provide the service in your area

    Step 4: Select the store of your choice to view its contact details 

    Step 5: Place the order of the desired items with the store over a phone call and pay directly to the store without QR Code via PhonePe using the “Pay Now” feature

    Congratulations! You have successfully placed your order and can expect delivery depending on the store.
     

  • How to pay your electricity bills through PhonePe

    How to pay your electricity bills through PhonePe

    PhonePe is a leading digital payment platform in India. Using PhonePe, users can send and receive money, recharge mobile, DTH, data cards, make utility payments and buy gold. Did you know that paying your electricity bill takes just a few seconds on the PhonePe app? 

    Here’s how to pay your electricity bills with a few simple steps. 

    To start with: Download the PhonePe app if you haven’t already and proceed as outlined below.

    Step 1: Open the PhonePe app and click on ‘Electricity’ under the ‘Recharge & Pay Bills’ section

     

     

     

    Step 2: Select your Electricity board

     

    Step 3: Enter your bill details

     

     

     

    Step 4: Pay your bill with UPI/Debit Cards or Credit Cards

     

     

    Congratulations! The transaction is successful. 

     

    AutoPay Option: To make recurring bill payments convenient and friction-free, customers can enable the AutoPay option on PhonePe. With Autopay, customers need not worry about the due dates of their multiple utility bills or fret about incurring late payment charges. The due amount shall get automatically debited from the customer’s chosen payment method. 

    Payment modes: PhonePe lets consumers pay for their bills using the mode of payment they are most comfortable with; UPI or Debit or Credit Card and Wallet. On PhonePe customers can pay electricity bills for over 70 electricity boards/companies a few of which are listed below:-

    ●    Maharashtra: MSEDCL Mahavitran, Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited, Tata Power Mumbai
    ●    Andhra Pradesh: Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited, Southern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited
    ●    Telangana: Southern Power Distribution Company Of Telangana Limited ( TSSPCL), Northern Power Distribution Company Of Telangana Limited (TSNPCL)
    ●    Rajasthan: Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited, Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited, Ajmer Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited
    ●    Delhi: BSES Rajdhani Private Limited, BSES Yamuna Private Limited, Tata Power DDL
    ●    Karnataka: BESCOM, HESCOM, GESCOM, CESCOM, MESCOM
    ●    Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Limited
    ●    Punjab: Punjab State Electricity Board Ltd (PSPCL)
    ●    West Bengal: CESC Kolkata, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd