ITV

Category: Press Release

  • Webchutney co-founder &CEO, Sidharth Rao reveals the incredible stories of India’s most successful digital entrepreneurs in his first book, ‘How I Almost Blew It’, published by Westland

    Webchutney co-founder &CEO, Sidharth Rao reveals the incredible stories of India’s most successful digital entrepreneurs in his first book, ‘How I Almost Blew It’, published by Westland

    MUMBAI: CEO and Co-Founder of India’s leading digital agency, DentsuWebchutney, Sidharth Rao today, announced the releaseof his first book ‘How I Almost Blew It’, an anthology of the myriad stories of India’s highly admired entrepreneurs. Encapsulated by this well-known digital honcho and published by Westland Publications (an Amazon company), the book narrates the heart-stopping stories of speckled industry tycoons and their critical life lessons. 

    The book is an account of how some of the most successful entrepreneurs of India built their businesses such as Sanjeev Bikhchandani (Info Edge and Naukri.com), Deep Kalra (MakeMyTrip), Deepinder Goyal (Zomato), Ashish Hemrajani (BookMyShow), Sahil Barua (Delhivery),Kunal Shah (FreeCharge), MurugavelJanakiraman (Bharat Matrimony), Ajit Balakrishnan (Rediff.com), Anupam Mittal (People Group), Brijesh Agarwal (India MART), Jitendra Gupta (Citrus Pay), Pradeep Kar (Microland), SatyanGajwani (Times Internet), Rajesh Jain (IndiaWorld), Alok Mittal (JobsAhead.com), R. Ramaraj (Sify) and Girish Mathrubootham (Freshworks)  —that will shock, reveal and inspire.

    Delighted to being a first time author, Sidharth Rao, CEO and Co-Founder of DentsuWebchutney, says, “I consider myself privileged to have had the opportunity to pick the brains of so many icons of India's internet story. Webchutney and I have both been on the other side of the table with some of these founders and their companies as marketing partners, and now I'm excited to tell their stories about their fortitude, courage, hard work and sometimes dumb luck that helped them succeed. I will forever remain grateful to them for freewheeling conversations with me that helped me write the book. I hope it will be liked by the readers and to those who have the potential to start their own businesses.”

    How I Almost Blew It is a light, non-fiction read and a guide containing lessons, wisdom and insight into the industry for your own start-up. Alluring to young and older readers of the business world, these spell-binding and intriguing stories of near-fiascos are industry wisdom, yes, but also critical life lessons.
     

  • Peter England Joins Forces with the Upcoming Bollywood Movie ‘Mission Mangal’ To Style Akshay Kumar

    Peter England Joins Forces with the Upcoming Bollywood Movie ‘Mission Mangal’ To Style Akshay Kumar

    MUMBAI: Peter England, the leading menswear brand from Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. has styled the lead actor Akshay Kumar who plays Rakesh Dhawan in the first space film of Indian cinema Mission Mangal, releasing this Independence Day August 15. In the movie the protagonist, who is the torchbearer of a team, stands against all odds and leads India to become the fourth country to successfully complete a mission to Mars. The versatile actor well-known for portraying brave and insightful roles will be sporting tailored formalwear from Peter England, as he pilots a team of 5 women scientists to make one of the toughest missions in history of ISRO successful, with modest investments and resources. To commemorate the partnership the brand has unveiled a limited edition Mission Mangal Collection across leading stores in the country along with a 30 seconds co-branded video in over 2100 cinema screens, televisions and digital platforms, across India.

    The Mission Mangal Collection is a celebration of the finest quality formal wear, rooted in functionality and style which will cater to the dynamic lifestyle of contemporary professionals from different walks of life. The range will feature shirts with clean aesthetics ranging from Rs. 1399 to Rs. 1699. This exclusive association between India’s leading fashion powerhouse for men and the most awaited movie of the year is unique owing to the coordination between Peter England, Fox Star Studios, Cape of Good Films, Hope Production and MATES – the entertainment unit of Madison World. This will further highlight Peter England’s deep-rooted commitment to impeccable style, dynamism, determination and versatility; identical to an astute leader portraying grit and resilience.

    Speaking on the association, Mr. Manish Singhai, Chief Operating Officer, Peter England, said “We have been styling the progressive men of the country for over 20 years now. We are excited about our partnership with Mission Mangal as it is a natural fit to our core proposition. Peter England’s brand philosophy has always reflected a winning mindset. The brand is devoted to create an unparalled fashion experience at an unmatched value. In the movie, Akshay Kumar exudes a sense of winning style that is fashion-forward, aspirational and innovative. We are delighted to translate the same energy and style through our Mission Mangal collection. Our journey with this movie is a well-stitched partnership, a brand story which values commitment to craftsmanship. The whole mood and narrative around the protagonist brings the character out with perfection.”

    Jagan Shakti, Director, Mission Mangal said “Mission Mangal resonates with the brand’s ethos who are making their mark in the real world. Be it fighting for success or never giving up on your dreams. Peter England boosts confidence with their clothing that stands for “Great Fashion at Great Value.”

    The brand has launched an extensive digital and ATL campaign, which includes a 30 seconds co-branded video, which puts the spotlight on Akshay Kumar aka, Rakesh Dhawan who in the film is sporting the finest Peter England shirts in classic colours. The visuals reassert his undefeated spirit similar to his fashion choices, which convey determination and fortitude. The campaign is live across television channels and social media platforms bringing forth innovative content for fans pertaining to the movie. This also includes promotion across select venues including high streets and over 2100 cinema screens.

  • VMLY&R India and Swaraj Tractors dedicate the latest campaign to Indian farmers

    VMLY&R India and Swaraj Tractors dedicate the latest campaign to Indian farmers

    MUMBAI: VMLY&R India, an award-winning digital marketing, advertising and transformation agency, has conceptualized an illustrated and emotional film dedicated to Indian farmers for Swaraj Tractors.

    Swaraj Tractors is first indigenously manufactured agricultural tractors in India, aptly named as Swaraj – giving a new dimension to the concept of self-reliance put forth by Mahatma Gandhi. The Swaraj brand has a rich history and over the last 40 years it has longstanding reputation amongst the farmers and the brand is synonymous with trust, power & reliability.

    This year India is celebrating its 73rd Independence Day and like every year, all Indians will be excited about the day in their own big and small ways. 

    For majority of the Indians, celebrating this day is all about wearing that quintessential white kurta and attending their respective functions in their society, buying tri-color flags for kids, chilling at home and scrolling through patriotic movies on cable TV and maybe eating some special food.

    Amandeep Singh- Business Director, VMLY&R India had this to say on the campaign, ‘While celebrating this day in the most exciting way possible, how often do one realize that there is an entire community for whom Independence Day is just another day, as they are busy toiling hard for something, which is arguably the most important thing for our survival – growing food for us! This film shows the contrast in the ways of celebration of a common man and a farmer. Just that, a farmer’s celebration and hard work for nation is not for one day, it’s for his entire lifetime.’

    As the voice – over and audio talks about the regular Independence Day Celebration in small towns and cities, the visual is a contrast departure from the same as it shows what Independence Day is for a regular farmer.

    While Indians celebrate Independence Day with all the zeal and fanfare, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the contribution of these farmers in making us the great nation we are today.

  • myNK brings British comedy series ‘Witless’, the story of Leanne and Rhona and the murder that brings them together

    myNK brings British comedy series ‘Witless’, the story of Leanne and Rhona and the murder that brings them together

    MUMBAI: Imagine living life undercover where your every movement in tracked and fear is your only constant companion in a grotty Swindon flat in England. And what happens when you put Leanne and Rhona under that roof, the odd-couple who weren’t meant to be together? For a situation as grave as this, it is macabrely funny to say the least, with dramatic twists and turns and roars of laughter.

    Watch ‘Witless’ to understand how the lives of two ‘poles apart’ room-mates Leanne (Kerry Howard) and Rhona (Zoë Boyle) change when they’ve recently been ripped off their original selves, given new identities and left to fend for themselves in a grubby house as part of ‘witness protection’ programme because they witnessed a gangland shooting. And if that’s not all, the gang has assigned two teenagers to tail the girls, leaving them in more trouble than they ever thought.

    Premiering on myNK, India’s world entertainment VoD platform, ‘Witless’, since its release in The UK,  has been considered one of the funniest British sitcoms of recent times because of its extremely smart concept and sharp writing. The series is written by Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf and stars Zoë Boyle and BAFTA Best Comedy Actress nominee Kerry Howard. The makers wanted to combine the comedy talents of the actresses with Joe and Lloyd and the concept of ‘Witless’ felt like the perfect project to do that.

    ‘Witless’ joins in the new wave in comedy series with women in leading roles, achieving stupendous success, namely- ‘Fleabag’, ‘Chewing Gum’, ‘The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel’ and ‘Jane the Virgin’. These are not your regular run-of-the-mill stories where girls discuss boy problems or bad hair days, these are comedy adventures that have women in lead roles. Zoë Boyle and Kerry Howard are two of those women.

    It’s often difficult to see two opposites try to co-exist. But it is also endearing when despite the odds, they make it work. Sometimes it’s the wonderful weirdness of a relationship that keeps them invested, just like Leanne and Rhona. Watch ‘Witless’ and see how the hapless women thrown into disarray make it work amidst a life and death situation, in a manner that’s only laughable.

  • Celebrate Independence Day with a special line up of sports programming on the Star Sports Network

    Celebrate Independence Day with a special line up of sports programming on the Star Sports Network

    MUMBAI: This Independence Day Star Sports magnifies India’s ‘shock and awe’ impact in the world of sports through the lens of a diverse line-up of exclusive programs. The exclusive sports programming broadcast which starts from 7:30 AM will feature India’s glorious moments across multiple sports over the ages, with stories of sporting renown specially curated for viewers. The cricketer who made India proud globally; Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar reminisces the moments of glory for Team India from his cricketing days to now – fan reaction, the feeling of patriotism and lots more. The programming line-up will extend across channels – SS1, SS 1 HD, SS1 Hindi, SS 1 Hindi HD, SS Select 1 and SS Select 1 HD, and would encompass all sports, adding to the patriotic sentiment that is rampant throughout the country on this day.

    A burst of flavor to a sporting fan’s palette, this festival of sports offered by Star Sports on the 73rd Independence Day will see the best of sporting stories, historic rivalries, throwbacks to memorable matches that are close to the hearts of sports fans, India’s heady rise in cricket and much more. The wide spectrum of offerings not only magnify India’s athletic grit but also bring to fans an exclusive line-up of legendary stories that redefined the country’s role in the world of sports.

    The host of exclusive, original programs offered by Star Sports on this illustrious day include:

    Game Plan: West Indies v India (Tests) 

    Star Sports’ experts preview the squads and the key battles to watch out for, ahead of the 2 match test series between West Indies and India

    Sachin Presents: 7-0

    Sachin Tendulkar debuted as an on-air expert with ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Master Blaster Sachin is known to be a destructive opening batsman whose 25-year-long career and his life beyond cricket is an impeccable display of excellence. This Independence Day fans will be in for a never-before-seen side of the master where he will relive all the India’s victories against Pakistan in ICC Cricket World Cup exclusively on Star Sports 

    Follow the Blues

    Catch all the updates of your favorite men in blue from the West Indies and listen to what Virat Kohli/Ravi Shastri have to say about their Independence Day memories

    The Winners’ Way

    Showcasing some of India’s greatest wins in ICC tournaments

    Legends

    Independence Day Special India’s biggest sporting superstars over the last few decades share their experiences on what it’s like to represent the nation at the highest level

    Tune in to the Star Sports Network on 15th of August 2019, 7:30 AM onwards on SS1, SS 1 HD, SS1 Hindi, SS 1 Hindi HD, SS Select 1 and SS Select 1 HD.

  • This Independence Day, celebrate Azaadi with soulful music, only on MTV Beats

    This Independence Day, celebrate Azaadi with soulful music, only on MTV Beats

    MUMBAI: It’s the 72nd Independence Day and the nation is set to regale in the patriotic fervor yet again. But no celebration is ever possible without music. As an ode to the incredible valor of India, MTV Beats brings a day packed with diverse offerings celebrating India’s diversity and vibrance coupled with a dash of comedy.

    Here’s a rundown on the properties set to air on MTV Beats on 15th August –

    Freedom Beats                                   

    MTV Beats celebrates azaadi by playing patriotic songs under the property ‘Freedom Beats’

    INDEPENDENCE DAY MUSIC VIDEO

    On the eve of Independence day, MTV BEATS will celebrate music in a very different avatar, inviting dancers/ choreographers to make their OWN music video on our patriotic song called ‘Khushnaseeb’. This will be aired across all Social media handles.

    BEATS TOP 10

    MTV BEATS will celebrate Independent Music as the THEME under its popular property – BEATS TOP 10. Hosted by Bollywood singer Akasa, this episode will have a special guest in singer- song writer, Arjun Kanungo and will feature 10 independent songs raging the nation coupled with a fun tête-à-tête around it.

    Buddhu Banaya  – Independence Day Special

    MTV Beats’ popular property Buddhu Banaya will be a comical splash to the celebrations. The in-house VJ’s will hit the streets to play ‘Independence Day’ themed pranks on the aam aadmi.

    Paanch Ka Punch

    In this infotainment property, Akasa, the host interacts with young crowd (college, park, street) asking the next gen 5 GK questions around India. Those who are not able to answer get a punch.

  • Experience the joy of Indian Food with Parveen’s Indian Kitchen this August on FYI TV18

    Experience the joy of Indian Food with Parveen’s Indian Kitchen this August on FYI TV18

    MUMBAI: Indian food is one of the most loved cuisines across the world. With its array of spices and condiments it is also one of the most diverse and complex cuisines. Parveen Ashraf the ‘Asian Nigella’ will be showcasing her family recipes and taking the audiences through the streets of India giving viewers a taste of authentic Indian Cuisine in “Parveen’s Indian Kitchen” premiering on 15th August, 9PM on FYI TV18.

    Indian food, while being full of favour is perceived as ‘difficult’ due to its complexity.  Parveen Ahsraf, a home cook and cookery teacher, hopes to demystify Indian cooking, with her simple, easy-to-follow recipes.

    In this 10 episode series, Parveen will learn about authentic Indian cooking by visiting chefs and restaurant owners to know more about recipes that have influenced them and those handed down through generations. She will showcase her top favourite family dishes in her kitchen along with tips on how to make Indian cooking easy, any day of the week.

    Parveen’s culinary adventure in India will involve her navigating through the bustling streets of Delhi, the vibrant and flavour-packed Punjab, the majestic lands of Rajasthan and the sunny coast of Mumbai. The show will also see her connect with locals who’ll give a culinary guided tour of their regions. Local chefs and mothers from these regions will give a taste of how Indian cuisine is so much more than typical curry and rice!

    Don’t forget to tune in this Independence Day, as Parveen Ashraf deconstructs Indian cuisine, creates easy to follow recipes and adds her modern touch to traditional Indian dishes

  • Nickelodeon clebrates Independence Day with a heart-warming initiative ‘Mera Wala India’

    Nickelodeon clebrates Independence Day with a heart-warming initiative ‘Mera Wala India’

    MUMBAI: This Independence Day, the Nickelodeon will address the challenges India is facing despite of being in the 73rd year of Independence through their innovative campaign– ‘Mera Wala India’.

    Taking a cue from what the ideal India should be from a kid’s point of view the channel brings alive the sentiment and a child’s version of an ideal independent country.

     Independence Day is celebrated in grandeur every year with ceremonies across the country as well as celebrations in all schools. Nickelodeon – India’s leading kids’ entertainment channel has always ensured to celebrate every occasion with a twist reinforcing the significance every festival by reinventing its true meaning.

    As a part of the initiative, the campaign witnessed children across schools conducting a REVERSE MARCH taking up issues like water conservation, safety, cleanliness, education for all & stereotyping despite of being in the 73rd year of Independence.

    The most popular Nickelodeon characters Shiva lead the reverse march across cities encouraging positive behavioural change amongst kids. With the help of its digital and social media reach, the campaign also aims to encourage children urging them to express their version of ‘Mera Wala India’ and take a pledge to extend this positive change towards the society not only amongst the kids but also amongst adults.

  • Celebrate this Independence day with Mélange Veggie Nacho Crisps

    Celebrate this Independence day with Mélange Veggie Nacho Crisps

    MUMBAI: Celebrating this Independence day with colors and keeping pace with the trend of healthy snacking , Cornitos has developed a innovative product – Mélange Veggie Nacho crisps, made from natural vegetable extracts blended with Corn Masa & seasoned with Himalayan Pink Salt and Roast Garlic. The 70g pack is primed to explode your taste buds with exotic flavor.

    Melange Nacho crisps is mix of Beetroot Nachos, Spinach Nachos and White beans Nachos in a single pack. Each vegetable blended with corn masa gives a special color, flavour and health benefit to Nacho Crisps. Recipes created with veggie nacho crisps look vivid and appetizing. Beetroot is a good source of vitamin C, white beans are rich in antioxidants and protein. Not to forget Spinach that is loaded with Vitamins A and Vitamin E.

    Mr.Vikram Agarwal, MD Greendot Health Foods Pvt Ltd said” The Melange Nacho  crisps range has been a great hit amongst our patrons for its unique taste, health benefits of veggies and of course the appetizing look.”

    Veggie Nacho Crisps are made by Mexican process, of making Stone Ground MASA using NON-GMO Corn. Crisps are original wedge shaped, extra thin, Gluten Free and Cooked in Healthy Corn Oil. It is a wholesome snack one can munch on guilt free.

  • Critically acclaimed short film Half Full starring veteran Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey wins major accolade at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2019 in Los Angeles

    Critically acclaimed short film Half Full starring veteran Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey wins major accolade at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2019 in Los Angeles

    Mumbai: Critically acclaimed short films Half Full, featuring veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey, and Counterfeit Kunkoo, written and directed by Reema Sengupta, were declared winners at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2019 being held in Los Angeles. Organised by ShortsTV, the world’s leading short film TV service and official distributor of the OSCAR nominated short films theatrical release, a special screening was conducted in Mumbai to announce the winners. Present on the occasion were veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, winning directors Karan Rawal (Half Full) and Reema Sengupta (Counterfeit Kunkoo), along with Chief Executive of ShortsTV, Carter Pilcher.

    Half Full is a 12-minute short film that focusses on the trials and tribulations of a young man (Vikrant Massey) who is undergoing an internal conflict. One night, he encounters an old man (Naseeruddin Shah) and a strange vibe develops between the two leading to some sarcastic and vague questions. The other winner, Counterfeit Kunkoo is a 15-minute short film which is based on the life of a middle-class Indian woman named Smita who lives without her husband. The film offers an intimate perspective on the identity of the 'Ideal Indian Female' in the urban India of today. 

    Expressing his happiness on winning the award, Half Full actor Naseeruddin Shah said, “It’s a proud moment for the entire cast and crew of Half Full. I am happy to note that discerning Indian audiences are moving towards short format content and ShortsTV has taken this initiative to provide an ideal platform to Indian filmmakers and actors. I am also glad that we finally have a destination where one can watch the best of curated short format content from across the world.”

    Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of ShortsTV said, “India’s love affair with short movies has taken off since launching ShortsTV here late last year.  Our audiences can’t get enough of them. Both Bollywood and Hollywood are starting to take notice, and it’s exciting. We created the Best of India Short Film Festival to get Indian talent into the mainstream of the Academy of Motion Pictures Award consideration – and to give Indian talent a chance to bring home an Oscar that was “made in India.”  We are the only short film festival in India whose prize is Oscar qualification, and the world better watch out —ShortsTV and the amazing talent here in India are going to bring home an Oscar!”

    Meanwhile the other short films amongst the finalists selected to screen in Los Angeles and become qualified for Oscar consideration were Unfamiliar by Rahat Jain and Maya by Vikas Chandra. These are also eligible for a television broadcast deal on ShortsTV.

    ShortsTV was launched in India in 2018 exclusively with Tata Sky. With a catalogue of over 10,000 short films, ShortsTV provides a single curated destination of the best shorts from India and around the world, with a line-up including films recognized by the Oscars, BAFTA and Cannes. With the Best of India Short Film Festival, ShortsTV strives to create opportunities for Indian filmmakers to be recognized internationally. The winner last year was Mumbai based filmmaker Chintan Sarda and his short film ‘Shunyata’, featuring Jackie Shroff in a leading role.