Category: Press Release

Gaana Originals unveils Love Edition Season 3 with India’s Most Popular Musicians

MUMBAI: Music is undoubtedly the most universal language of love. After the success of Gaana Originals Season 2 last year which achieved more than 220 mn playouts, the music app touted to be one of India’s largest has now launched the third edition of its Originals – Love Edition, and it promises to be bigger and better this time around.

The album features an impressive lineup of artists, ranging from Salim – Suleiman, Papon, Meet Bros, Tony Kakkar, Ankit Tiwari, Arko, Sonu Nigam, Kumar Sanu, Dev Negi, Nikhil D’ Souza and Sonu Kakkar among others, the latest season has already launched 4 tracks – ‘Aawara Shaam Hai’, ‘Neendo Se Breakup’, ‘Follow Me’, and ‘Zaroori Hai Kya Ishq Mein’. These tracks are based on the common theme of love and longing are the perfect feel-good ballads that'll remind you of your first crush or celebrate the special connection you enjoy with your other half. These tracks have delivered more than 40 mn playouts in the last 1 month.

Speaking on Gaana Originals, music composer Salim Merchant said “Originals are the best and purest form of music that comes straight from the heart of an artist. It requires dedication and continuous effort to keep on innovating and staying relevant over time, which is really difficult and rare in today’s scenario. I really appreciate the efforts of the Gaana team in putting together a platform for Independent artists to showcase their talent and creativity”.

“Love is best set to music—no matter where you may be. It's hard to think of a more universal human emotion than love, and over the last two years we have delivered a great list of love tracks for our users to fall back on, no matter the circumstance. With Gaana Originals Love Edition, we have collaborated with some of the most gifted musicians in the country to ensure that in the throes of 2019, music lovers have the choicest of melodies to fuel their love lives”, Prashan Agarwal, CEO, Gaana said

September 26, 2019

RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group & Virat Kohli announce the date of the second edition of the Indian Sports Honours (ISH)

MUMBAI: The second edition of the Indian Sports Honours, an initiative by Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman, RP-SG Group and Virat Kohli, will be held on 27th September 2019 at Dome, NSCI, SVP Stadium, Mumbai. The annual ceremony, which was supposed to be held in February, was postponed as a mark of respect to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans who were martyred in Pulwama in a terrorist attack.

Indian Sports Honours aim to recognize and honour Indian athletes for their exceptional performances, sportsmanship and spirit of sport through a felicitation ceremony. This year, 17 Honours will be given to athletes who have high achievements in their respective sport for the period of January – December 2018.

The winners of 11 categories (Jury Honours) were decided by ISH Jury members, which comprised of eminent leaders and sporting champions including the likes of Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, Pullela Gopichand, Abhinav Bindra, Sardar Singh, Mahesh Bhupathi, PT Usha and Anjali Bhagwat. Apart from the Jury Honours, there are six ‘Popular Choice Honours’ and winners were decided through an online voting process on Twitter. The nominations in all the categories were shortlisted by 200 journalists from Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI).

The ceremony will be a black-tie red-carpet event, with members of India’s sporting fraternity, celebrities and guests in attendance.

Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, said, “We are thrilled to host the second edition of the Indian Sports Honours. Indian athletes showcase hard work and perseverance consistently to put India on the world map for their sport. It is very important for us to recognize and celebrate these athletes in order to motivate them to continue their excellent performances.”

Mr. Bunty Sajdeh, CEO, Cornerstone Sport said, “In February Virat, Mr. Goenka and myself took a unanimous decision as a mark of respect to indefinitely postpone the Indian Sports Honours due to the horrific and tragic Pulwama attack that had just occurred. 7 months later we are proud to bring together again the second edition of the ISH to duly recognize our country’s top athletes on a global scale.”

Virat Kohli said, “Indian Sports Honours is a platform for multi-disciplinary sportspersons where sporting talent and achievements are recognized, promoted and celebrated in an unprecedented manner. I always believe that sports is an integral part of every individual’s life starting from school and eventually translating to supporting their favourite athletes on TV and during sporting events. I am confident that these awards are a stepping stone which will further encourage talent to excel in their own category of sports.”

Indian Sports Honours Categories
Jury Honours		Popular Choice Honours
Emerging Sportswoman	Team of the Year	Breakthrough Performance of the Year – Female
Emerging Sportsman	Sportswoman of the Year (Team)	Breakthrough Performance of the Year – Male
Differently Abled Sportswoman	Sportsman of the Year (Team)	Comeback of the Year
Differently Abled Sportsman	Sportswoman of the Year (Individual)	Spirit of Sport
Lifetime Achievement	Sportsman of the Year (Individual)	Fan Club of the Year
Coach of the Year	–	Club of the Year

September 26, 2019

SonyLIV brings Season 3 of the popular American drama series The Good Doctor

MUMBAI: “Disability need not be an obstacle to success”. These words by Stephen Hawking are words to live by! When one’s passion and spirit remain undeterred, no challenge can come in the way of excelling in life. A similar story of Dr. Shaun Murphy is all set to take you through an eventful journey, yet again. SonyLIV, India’s first premium video on demand (VOD) service, brings to you the third season of the popular American drama series, The Good Doctor, which will go live on the platform, one new episode every Tuesday at 8:00 AM.

The Good Doctor is a story of a talented young surgeon, Dr. Shaun Murphy, played by popular actor Freddie Highmore, with savant syndrome, who is on a mission to save lives, amidst the many roadblocks that take a dramatic turn of events during the series. Picking up from the thrilling finale of Season 2, where Dr. Shaun acts out to the new Chief of Surgery Dr. Jackson, as he gets demoted, Season 3 of the hit series will unfold the drama that will come in Shaun’s way and his brewing relationship with co-worker, Dr. Carly Lever, played by actor Jasika Nicole. While season 1 and 2, replete with thrill kept viewers on the edge, Season 3 will showcase a journey of hope, love and goodwill in its own extraordinary way.

The launch of The Good Doctor Season 3 will further build onto the English content catalogue of SonyLIV, which is home to some of the top rated and quality shows like Power, Mr Mercedes Unforgettable, The Handmaid’s Tale, Community, Counterpart, Riviera amongst many others. Home to some of the most prestigious titles such as the ASCAP Screen Music Awards, Seoul International Drama Awards for Most Popular Foreign Drama of the Year and the Best Drama series of all time at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, The Good Doctor is back with its third instalment that promises to be another exciting watch on SonyLIV.

The Good Doctor S3 will be available for viewing under the Premium umbrella of SonyLIV for INR 99 per month or INR 499 per year.

September 26, 2019
As gully boy paves its way to the Oscars, celebrate this moment of pride with &pictures premiere of ‘Gully Boy’ on 28th September

MUMBAI: Apna Time Aayega!’ This line created an emotion that spread like a wildfire in the entire nation. Giving wings to many youthful dreams, Gully Boy, an inspirational tale chronicles the journey of an underdog, who goes from an ordinary ‘gully boy’ to becoming an extraordinary rapper of India while fighting all the odds. Directed by Zoya Akhtar and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, the film stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead along with Siddhant Chaturvedi, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Raaz, Vijay Varma and Amruta Subhash in supporting roles. While the movie successfully ruled over the box office, now it is all set to charm the world with its enigmatic narrative as India’s official entry to the 92nd Academy awards a.k.a Oscars 2020 in the Best International Feature Film Category. Celebrate this moment of pride with &pictures – Naye India Ka Blockbuster Movie Channel as it premieres Gully Boy on Saturday, 28th September at 8 pm under the channel property ‘Saturday Premiere Nights’.

Gully Boy is a dedication to real life rappers Naezy and Divine and subtly highlights their journey of becoming the most loved rap-stars of India. The film gives voice to Mumbai’s unexplored rap culture, revealing in a beautiful narrative, real struggles of these artists. Through the infectious music and lyrics, the film brings to the fore, real life thoughts, emotions and the never die attitude of the youth of India. As a part of the movie promotion, &pictures has deviced a digital engagement activity called #ApniGullyKaGullyBoy, where fans will be sharing a rap/dance/dialogue video to a Gully boy track.

On the groundwork that went into making Gully Boy, director Zoya Akhtar says, “When Gully Boy was in its initial stage, none of us were sure of how the film would be received. Most people were not even aware of the rap scene in the country so we just hoped what had moved us would transmit to a bigger crowd. I have to thank Naezy and Divine for letting us into their lives and sharing their stories and process. We did our best to represent these talents and their distinctive voice. We are all extremely overwhelmed with the feedback Gully Boy has received. The news of it being the official entry for the Oscars has been very exciting.”

Siddhant Chaturvedi on playing the part of MC Sher, and on working with Ranveer Singh said, “I really believed in my character and I was completely aware of the kind of space I was in. To be a part of such a big project was absolutely earth-shattering for me. I felt blessed, lucky, and happy. I did not expect myself to come out of the cocoon in such a manner. When my dad saw the film, he was in tears. My family has already seen it multiple times and will watch it again when it premieres on &pictures. To have been given so much love and respect for the character I played, credits must, of course, go to Zoya Akhtar, but moreover, Ranveer Singh. He motivated me throughout. It was rather ironical that I play a mentor to his character Murad on-screen when in reality he was my MC Sher. He mentored and advised me throughout, even off-screen and to top it all off, my debut on the big screen got nominated as India's official entry to the Oscars, when I heard it, I was over the moon and no words can express the gratitude I feel for having been a part of such an amazing journey”

Set against the backdrop of Dharavi slums, Gully boy traces the life of Murad Ahmed (Ranveer Singh), a young lad who is passionate, ambitious, yet emotional and is mostly seen refraining from expressing his thoughts. If a dysfunctional family was not enough, Murad has his hysterical, short-fuse girlfriend and support system, Safeena (Alia Bhatt) to contend with. But, after coming across a local rapper MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi), Murad develops an inclination towards rapping which becomes an outlet for him to express his feelings. He turns his happiness, grief, discomfort and disappointment into hard-hitting lyrics which makes him an overnight internet sensation. But due to family pressures, he is torn between his passion for rapping and his responsibility towards his family. Will Murad manage to rise above all the odds?

September 26, 2019
Mr. Ashu Madan appointed as Co-Head – Business Affiliate Group and Managing Director at JM Financial Services

MUMBAI: JM Financial Services Ltd. the dedicated financial services arm of the JM Financial Group, counted amongst the most respectable names in capital markets has announced the appointment of Mr. Ashu Madan as Co-Head – Business Affiliate Group and Managing Director. Ashu brings with him more than 29 years of senior management experience including strategic development and execution in capital markets.

The appointment of Ashu is in line with the Company’s plan to further strengthen its retail network in the region and to expand its customer base in India. Leveraging his extensive business development experience, capital market proficiency and go to market expertise, Ashu will lead the India wide expansion of JM Financial Services in the already successful franchisee business. He will also focus on fueling new client acquisition strategy. JM Financial Services now has a presence in 340 plus locations across the country.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Subodh Shinkar, the CEO and Managing Director of JM Financial Services said “Ashu understands the equity based business, sales, risk management, client satisfaction, in a way that few executives do and he has got a proven track record of maximizing the growth potential of a range of businesses, He is joining an already successful, energetic team at the right time to spearhead client and Franchisee expansion”

Mr. Ashu Madan said, “I am excited having joined the JM Financial Services team”. I believe that the greatest brands are those that find a way to deliver value to clients apart from offering great products in a large market. JM Financial Group while being rooted in its value system, has a great business model, extensive product range and a talented management team that uniquely positions the company to capitalize on the evolving capital markets landscape. It is poised to even greater success and I am looking forward to take the business to the next level.”

Ashu comes with over 29 years of experience in the financial services sector. Prior to joining JM Financial Services, he was associated with Religare Securities for over 18 years where he was responsible for leading equity broking business, while developing new products and strategies to drive the business. He has also served as AVP at the Gadgil Western group managing Retail Distribution & sales in both strategic and operational roles.

September 26, 2019
Havells India and TATA Power – DDL come together to ensure safety against hazards of electricity

MUMBAI: To ensure safety of users against hazards of electric leakage, Havells India Ltd. and TATA Power-DDL today signed an MoU to strengthen the distribution of electrical protection devices in North and North-Western parts of Delhi. Along with that, both companies have also planned an extensive awareness and training program to encourage adoption of proper installation of circuit protection devices – ELCB and MCB. The MoU signing ceremony saw the presence of Mr. Sanjay Banga, CEO, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. and Mr. Saurabh Goel, President, Havells India Ltd.

The synergy between prominent electrical distribution company and leading electrical brand in the country shall ensure safety from electricity hazards.

Welcoming the association, Sanjay Banga, CEO, TPDDL, said, “Tata Power-DDL is committed to consumer safety and has joined hands with Havells to drastically reduce the electricity related accidents which result in loss of life and property. I urge all consumers to install a suitable device for earth leakage protection at their homes/ premises. To further reinforce the need of electricity safety, we will also be sensitizing consumers and arranging for trainings of local electricians on the importance and implementation of safe technology.”

ELCBs are extremely critical in ensuring human safety as they protect us from current leakage. Today, we are surrounded by electrical devices and most of us are not aware about the hazards that come along, due to lack of proper protection devices not being used. Delhi has recorded maximum electrical related fatalities over the last decade. Deploying Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB) is the most common practice that is followed to ensure protection of electrical devices from short circuit and overload. However, MCB does not ensure safety of the users when it comes to current leakage. As per the Regulatory Guidelines (DERC) ELCB are a must, as no new connection will be energized in Delhi unless a suitable earth leakage protection device has been installed at consumer premises.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Saurabh Goel, President, Havells India Ltd said “We are extremely delighted to partner with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd for distribution of electrical protection devices in their distribution region. Havells being a responsible company always prioritizes user safety and hence is the only company which provides a 6-year warranty on Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB) and Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB/RCCB) if used along with Havells Distribution Board. The association will help us sensitize consumers on the need to incorporate best in class protection devices in their homes and together we shall ensure that consumers are aware of the use of Earth-Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) through TATA Power-DDL Customer Care Centers.”

Havells plans to reach out to the 6000 consumers applying for new connections every month on an average along with 17 lakhs residential and industrial users of Tata Power-DDL. The primary focus of Havells lies on human safety devices which includes Residual Current Circuit Breaker (ELCB/RCCB), Socket Residual-Current Device (RCD) and Portable Residual Current Device (PRCD).

Being a power distribution company for North and North-West Delhi, Tata Power-DDL works closely with electricians, Resident Welfare Associations and Industrial Welfare Associations to spread awareness about various good practices for installation and usage. Generally electrical problems are caused due to short circuits, overload, current leakage and voltage fluctuations. Necessary precautions such as ELCB/RCCB of 30mA sensitivity must be taken so that human life is not harmed from any such threats. The electrical leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) will be made available across all 12 Tata Power-DDL Customer Care Centers at subsidized price from Oct. 1 2019 onwards.

September 26, 2019
Zee Telugu presents a Dussehra special show

With lots of fun, sweets, laughter, drama, splendid acts and performances of your favorite television artists, Zee Telugu gears up to celebrate the biggest festival of the year in grandeur and in style! The channel welcomes the festive season with ‘Vijayadashami – Prathi Roju Pandage’ on 29th September at 2:00 PM only on Zee Telugu and Zee Telugu HD channel.

‘Vijayadashami – Prathi Roju Pandage’ will be a grand affair with television celebrities in their celebratory best – dressed in festive finery, dancing to superbly choreographed performances, on the grandest sets ever. All the members of Zee Kutumbam such as Siddhu, Pranavi Manukonda from ‘Ganga Manga’, VJ Sunny , Meghna Lokesh and Bhavana from ‘Kalyana Vaibogame’, Marina Abraham and Nirupam Paritala from ‘Prema’, Siddharth Varma and Jyothi from ‘Raktha Sambandham’, Akarsh Byramudi from ‘Attarintlo Akka Chellalu’, Abhi Pratap and Madhubala from ‘Ninne Pelladatha’ and many other popular faces like Yamini, Karuna Bhushan, Suhasini, Sudheer, Ram Prasad and Seenu will make their presence felt.

There is a surprise element in the show with the Tollywood actress Nabha Natesh, who making a special appearance. She will not only be seen dancing to the tunes of her latest movie, ‘Ismart Shakar’, but also joining the festivity with Zee Kutumbam. Additionally, there is a splendid act by Nirupam, Abhi, VJ Sunny, Anchor Ravi, Akarsh, Siddharth Varma and Siddhu where they try to woo the ravishing Nabha.

Anchor Ravi, Shyamala and Sameeksha get ready to tickle some bones with their ‘dance comedy’ grooving to some hit Tollywood numbers. There is a special dance performance by Shiva Parvati, Uma, Chaitra Rao, Sheela Singh, Bhavana, Usha Rani, Brundha, Madhavi Latha and Jyoti Reddy on Nava Durga. To ensure that there is more than a generous dose of entertainment, Pooja Moorthy will be seen performing a classical dance act, and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil’ Champs, Mangli and Dhanunjay will be singing melodies, adding to the festive fervor.

September 26, 2019
Get ready for ‘No Shave November’ with the Kabir Singh look

MUMBAI: Shahid Kapoor’s latest blockbuster Kabir Singh seems to show no signs of moving out of the limelight. Fans from across India fell for the character that Shahid portrayed – but most of all, they loved his new rugged and scruffy look. Even celebrities like Alia Bhat and Siddharth Malhotra amongst many others had taken to twitter to share their appreciation for the character’s look. With ‘No Shave November’ right around the corner, Kabir Singh’s massively appreciated beard has set beard goals across the nation.

Bearded looks define a character and also create a signature style; from Amitabh’s iconic French beard to Ranveer Singh’s perfectly shaped goatee, Bollywood has set a benchmark for aspirational facial hair looks. Enter Shahid Kapoor with his Kabir Singh look which took months of dedication and grooming from one of Bollywood’s best hairstylists, Aalim Hakim.

Giving Bollywood’s boy-next-door a new look was to define his persona as Kabir Singh. The director, Sandeep Reddy Vanga insisted that Kabir Singh’s beard should be similar to Arjun’s from the Telugu make of the film – Arjun Reddy.

Getting the bearded look right is a tedious task but with the right routine, achieving maximum results just requires sheer dedication and patience; or in the case of Shahid Kapoor – the added element of charisma and a charming smile.

Jokes apart, Shahid has set the temperature high and his transformation should give every beard-aspirer something to look forward to. Get ready to share your own #NoShaveNovember posts with your favorite Kabir Singh quotes and catch the hunk in all his glory as Sony MAX gears up for the World Television Premiere of Kabir Singh on 29th September 2019 at 12PM.

September 25, 2019
‘RentoMojo Upgrade’ is the Best Possible Way to Own a Smartphone

MUMBAI: RentoMojo, a pioneer in lifestyle subscription and consumer leasing business, introduces an industry-first mobile upgrade feature, enabling users to change their smartphones every 12 months, at 60% of market value. The cost associated with purchasing a branded phone largely impedes people from trying new models before 18 or 24 months of use, making RentoMojo’s upgrade feature, the best possible way to own a smartphone in India today.

Customers can select the latest smartphones from Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, Google, Redmi, Vivo, Oppo, Nokia and Honor, from RentoMojo’s catalogue and acquire it on lease for 12 or 18 months, by paying their rental monthly instalments (RMI). The total RMI paid for 12 months, equals about 60% of the price of the phone, post which the user has the option of returning the device to obtain the latest one in the market. Through this facility, users spend significantly less than an outright purchase, or through EMI’s, with additional benefits such as 100% data security and maintenance, among others. It also enables users to be up-to-date with devices and technology, and clearly demonstrates the advantages of subscription, over purchase.

Speaking on the occasion, Geetansh Bamania, Founder & CEO, RentoMojo, said, “The sales of smartphones will continue to rise as it is no longer a lifestyle choice, but an essential, integrating a number of vital facilities, including banking, shopping, payments, booking, among others. People are hence unwilling to compromise on devices and latest technology, to ensure safety and hassle-free user experience. RentoMojo’s mobile upgrade proposition, makes this possible at about half the cost of traditional buying.”

“We have seen the sales of premium smartphones booming over the last three years and this year, a lot of people will be looking at changing their phones, making this the best time to launch RentoMojo’s upgrade feature” – he added.

According to the recent reports, the growth in sales of smartphones is expected to continue, despite the current economic stress, with the cumulative industry growth expected to reach double digits. The number of smartphone users in India is expected to reach 859 million by 2022, registering 84%. The average price of a premium smartphone in India is Rupees 35,000 and 40% of the users want to change their phones within 12 months of purchase.

Apart from mobiles, RentoMojo also offers household appliances, furniture, and electronic devices on lease for flexible tenures, beginning from 6 months onwards. The RMI payable on these products factor in the tenure, with lesser monthly pay-outs on longer tenures and vice versa. By creating an innovative financial option in the form of RMI, RentoMojo has made a mark for itself in the fintech lending space. It has also implemented advanced algorithms using Machine Learning, for risk assessment and optimum stock utilization.

September 25, 2019
The popularity of fantasy cricket: from England to India

MUMBAI: Whenever you get caught up in the conversation with an Indian, it somehow gets to the topic of the most popular sports in India and you are most likely to not know the right answer. As surprising as it may seem, Indians are crazy about cricket and play it as their national sport. However, once you get to know the history of the mighty South Asian subcontinent it will not seem that surprising anymore. In this article we will explain the roots of the cricket in India and why does it have to do with the British.

First things first, what kind of a game is cricket. This is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players. These two teams take it in turns to bat and bowl. In the end, it is all about scoring more than the opposition. And now we are going to find out more about fantasy cricket (the virtual version of this game) in different countries.

From the British Islands to Hindustan: How Did It Come So Far?

The game itself is traced back to as early as the 16th century. By the 18th century, the game has already been shaped in terms of England’s national sport and was played by different clubs. In 1721, this game was recorded to be played in India for the first time owing to the efforts of British sailors of the East India Company. The first official club, though, dates back to 1792. It was called Calcutta Cricket Club with membership restricted to Europeans only.

The rise of the British Empire in the 18th century was key for the establishment of cricket as an international sport. However, such a prominent success of the sport in India was unexpected even for the British. The very first Indian team was vividly discussed in the British press. There are still sarcastic sayings that cricket is “an Indian game accidentally invented by the English”. Even if it is so, the most important thing here is that Indians absolutely enjoy playing it and belong to one of the best teams in the world.

Enough with the history. Let us look at some of the most interesting facts about this kind of sports and learn more about its developments nowadays:

● This game is played all day, from morning to evening, with breaks for lunch and tea. The real cricket is played for 5 days straight. So if someone claims to be “watching cricket,” you can be sure that they have no time left for work and family;

● A person who is not familiar with the game can watch it all day long but still have a poor understanding of both the tactics and the rules;

● Canada is the only country in the British Commonwealth where cricket has not been such a prominent success. The only European country that has a national team (though a very weak one) is the Netherlands;

● Unlike football and rugby, the United Kingdom is represented at the world cricket arena by one team called England;

● The Ashes is the most prestigious test match series in cricket. This is the name given to the biannual meetings between England and Australia. As the main prize the winning team is awarded not a cup, but a small urn, symbolizing the long defeat of England, whose ashes have since rested there (on the usurper).

All in all, cricket is the most popular national sport in the Republic of India as well as many other Commonwealth nations. It came to be so due to the expansion of the British Empire back in the 18th century. Nowadays, however, it is the Indians and other countries which make this sport incredibly interesting to watch and cheer for.

September 25, 2019