Category: Press Release

Maharashtra governor felicitates Mukesh Sharma for his Excellency

MUMBAI: Mukesh Sharma was recently felicitated by the Governor of Maharashtra for his Excellency CH Vidyasagar Rao when Svajan an NGO run by the former Addl Chief Sec Gov tog Maharashtra and also the former Municipal Comm of Mumbai, Shri Karun Shrivastav who noticed the hard work put up by Mukesh Sharma in the field of PSB.

Awards and felicitations are not new to the Additional Director General of Doordarshan who was a fortnight ago felicitated by the Global Sindhi Council at the hands of former Law Minister Shri Ram Jethmalani.

Most of us may think that PSB is a losing proposition but Mukesh Sharma with his innovation, ingenuity and skill has set a record as the only Head in the entire DD fraternity to run Doordarshan in PROFIT.

In the year 2013-14 DDK Mumbai spent 52 crores to run the channel and the station and posted a business of 57 crores through corporate, government and hiring out equipment of the Kendra to generate revenue. In fact Doordarshan National can take a leaf out of the book of Best Practices adopted and implemented by DD Sahyadri as this commercial success was achieved without compromising with the mandate of Public Service Broadcasting. Conceptualizing market driven programmes in fields as diverse as women empowerment, Krishi, organ donation, education for the girl child, robotics, film festivals among others were the channel drivers during his tenure.

Serialized TV shows like Young – Tarang, Krishi Darshan, Amchi Maati – Aamchi Mansa, Aswaad, Sakhi Sahyadri, Hello Doctor, Swastha Bharat, Patla Tar Ghya, Kridangan,Music Masti Gappa Gane (M2 G2), Contests based reality shows like Sahyadri Antakshari, Dhina Dhin Dha, Dam Dama Dam, Naad Bhed, Aajche Davedaar – Udyache Superstar etc. have not only entertained viewers over the years, but also have created awareness about richness of the culture and traditions of Maharashtra.

With revolutionary changes taking place in an around the world addressing citizen is becoming the most difficult and challenging job undoubtedly for a public service broadcaster. But the “CALENDAR EVENTS” of DD Sahyadri created and conceptualized by Mukesh Sharma clearly demarcates his outstanding contribution as a Public Service Broadcaster.

A brainchild of Shri Mukesh Sharma – DD Sahyadri offers about sixteen calendar events in a year mainly in compliance with its responsibilities as a Public Service Broadcaster.

1.   Prerna Puraskar is specially designed event for celebrating “Mother’s Day” which is a special award function showcasing the unique bonding of “Mother-Daughter “relationship as well as working towards girl child progress (education).

2.   Navaratan Awards wherein nine prominent Maharashtrians every year are felicitated by the Governor of Maharashtra for their distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including the Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Medicine, Social Service and Public Affairs.

3.   Hirkhani Awards are organized to felicitate nine woman of substance who, with sheer grit and determination, left their stamp in a male-dominated arena and brought the desired social change in the society.

4.   Sahyadri Cine Awards felicitates Marathi Cine Artists and Technicians to promote and applaud the Marathi Cinema for the excellent work done in the entire last one year.

5.   Sanjeevani Awards acknowledging the outstanding work done by the medicos in the rural areas and to the under privileged. It honors these “COMMUNITY LEADERS” for with a view to encourage/motivate the young medicos to go the rural areas and work for the masses in the villages.

6.   Navjyoti which is a joint venture of UNICEF and DD Mumbai Kendra, the programme aims at giving recognition to nine girls from remote Maharashtra for resisting child marriages and also helping other girls fight the scourge.

7.   First Television event “Naate Janmaantaricha” on Organ Donation to create awareness among the people on the noble cause of ORGAN DONATION.

8.   Sahyadri Sindhu Sahyog Awards to felicitate the Sindhi Community who had done extraordinary work in their respective fields.

9.   Krishi Awards in which farmers, scholars and experts are honored for their contribution in the field of Agriculture.

10.   Arya Chanakya Maharashtra Rajya Puraskar, an annual state-level award, honoring the contributors in building a strong democracy from the fields such as legislature, judiciary, administration and media.

11.   Monsoon Marathi Chitrapat Mahotsav at DDK Mumbai in order to promote good cinema which showcase award winning films and an interactive session with the film maker’s and the audience.

12.   A specially designed event to recognize the contribution of Nation Builders on the Public Service Broadcasting Day – “Shiladaar Rashtra Nirmiteeche”.

13.   Jaago Re Jaago – A live program on the eve of “Independence Day and Republic Day to rekindle and reignite the value of freedom in the minds of young and old of this great nation.

14.   RBI National Quiz, promoting Financial Literacy among the youth.

15.   National & International Robotic Contest, Robocon offering young engineers a platform to excel in their creative thinking apart from demonstrating their technical ideas in robotics as well as establishing a cross cultural awareness facilitating their overall development.

16.   Celebrations of festivals like Govinda and Ganesh Chaturthi – “Aaley Ganray” and major sports and cultural events are brought live to the viewers by the channel every year.

17.   All India Urdu Mushaira, to promote national integration and to provide a wide reach platform to the Nations Urdu Poets.

Very few people know that he has produced nearly 50 feature films and directed one for which he was honoured with the national award. He has also worked in All India Radio, Doordarshan Sales and Commercial Services; and at the moment apart from looking after the DD Kendra at Mumbai he also heads the Commercial and Revenue Division single handedly.

Mukesh Sharma is perhaps the last of the Mughals to survive the onslaught of commercial broadcasting, to not only survive but to give them a run for their money.

March 3, 2015
CASBAA India Forum 2015: New Era, New Opportunities

Mumbai: CASBAA’s annual stop in the South Asian sub-continent will bring together a host of local and international speakers at the India Forum 2015 on Monday, March 23 at Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel in New Delhi.

“Reflecting India’s continued importance and influence in the Asia Pacific region, CASBAA’s annual overview of this vibrant broadcasting market attracts the very best speakers from within the country and around the world,” said CASBAA CEO Christopher Slaughter. “As the television industry continues to evolve not only in India but across the globe, it truly feels as if we have entered into a new era of broadcasting and this forum is dedicated to the exploration of the vast opportunities now available to industry stakeholders.”

“New Era, New Opportunities,” this year’s theme for the CASBAA India Forum 2015, captures the essence of television in the country. Spurred by the plan to digitize the cable television sector, the Indian TV industry has been invigorated with the promise of increased transparency, pay revenues and access to content.

However, after the first two phases of digitisation, digital rollout seems to have plateaued. Has over-regulation taken the sheen off digitisation or are there other activities taking place that are not plainly evident? And, are stakeholders finally ready to iron out their differences for the greater common good?

CASBAA has assembled a diverse roster of expert speakers to debate this issue along with a variety of other important topics paving the way for India’s continued growth such as audience measurement, media regulations, advertising, new technology, satellite spectrum and much more.

Among the industry experts expected to attend this year are Raghav Bahl (MD, Quintillion Media), Paul Brown-Kenyon (CEO, MEASAT), Prashant Butani (Senior Analyst, NSR), Nicholas Daly (MD, Eutelsat), Partho Dasgupta (CEO, BARC), Tony D’silva (CEO & MD, Media, Hinduja Group), Vynsley Fernandes (CEO, Castle Media), Smita Jha (Leader, Entertainment and Media, PwC India), Rajiv Khattar (President – South Asia, ABS), L.V. Krishnan (CEO, TAM Media Research (India)), Deepak Mathur (SVP Commercial, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, SES), Harit Nagpal (CEO & MD, Tata Sky), Sushruta Samanta (Business Head, Asia Pacific, International Business, Zee Entertainment), Adil Zainulbhai (Chairman, Nerwork18 & Board Member, RIL) and many others. This year, corporate partners for the CASBAA India Forum 2015 include Supporting Sponsor SES and Sponsors Eutelsat, MEASAT and TMT Law Practice.

For more information about the CASBAA India Forum 2015 and to register for tickets,

please visit http://www.casbaa.com/events/events-calendar/details/505-casbaa-india-forum-2015.

March 2, 2015
Sahyadri Hirkani Award salutes nine woman of substance from Maharashtra

MUMBAI: A woman of substance is a woman of power, a woman of positive influence and a woman of meaning. A brainchild of Doordarshan ADG Mukesh Sharma, Sahyadri Hirkani Awards honoured nine distinguished women from across Maharashtra who, with sheer grit and determination, left their stamp in a male-dominated arena and brought the desired social change in the society.

The awards were decided by an independent jury and prominent personality’s viz., Neela Satyanarayan – Retd. State Election Commissioner of Maharashtra, Smita Jaykar – Film & TV personality, Vikram Gokhale – legendary Film & TV Personality, Sunder Chand Thakur – Editor, Navbharat Times Newspaper.

The Nine Hirkani Award recipients during the award ceremony were:

Surekha Dalvi : For over 25 years, land rights activist Surekha Dalvi has been championing the cause of tribal ownership of land in Maharashtra’s picturesque Konkan region. A great fighter, Surekha and her activist colleagues taking this cause as a mission work for all over upliftment of the adivasis.

Kalpana Kharade: “A visionary without sight” Kalpana Kharade, inspite of losing her eyesight, pursued academic milestones, a former elementary school teacher with teaching experience in urban BMC and Private schools , has scaled great heights professionally all due to sheer determination and persistence. She is presently Associate Professor, a recognized PHD guide and vice-president of K J Somaiya College of Education, Training and Research.

Malati Waman Joshi: Since last 30 years her institution “Chaitanya Mauli Vishwasta Mandal” developed conductive programs for empowering children and women belonging to the socially and economically marginalized groups. Her project “Sanskar Varg” benefited adolescent children from various oppressed locations. Its activities are closely linked with Study centre (Abhyasika) along with vocational training and are providing various health related services in the form of regular health camp.

Shobha Sakharwade: Hailing from Banaras, Sakharwade work in the social sphere since two decades through the voluntary organization Prakriti. Sakharwade decided to focus on upliftment of women after knowing the three biggest challenges that the women were facing – livelihood, children’s education and hindrances created by the society especially in backward areas. She initiated local resource teams which are active in reaching even those women who are not confident enough to ask for help and accordingly, her organization focused on making women self-sustaining by instilling self-confidence in them.

Anuradha Bhosale: A renowned grassroots women’s rights and anti-child labor activist based in Kolhapur. A former child-laborer herself at the age of six, she has spent the past 20 years fighting for the prevention of child exploitation, labor, trafficking, and female infanticide. As founder of the AVANI organization, she has facilitated the rescue of 541 child laborers, provided 5,604 nomadic migrant children and school drop outs the right to health care and education, organized the construction of schools inside the brickyard labor camps and established a residential home for migrant children.

Rajani Limaye: The Founder & Chairperson of Probhodhini Trust, an institution for the welfare of mentally challenged individuals. It functions as a training and rehabilitation center for adult mentally challenged individuals, who get trained for a life they can lead with dignity, making them self sufficient, independent and a productive part of the family and the society. Over 300 students are on roll participating in various activities of projects of the institution.

Neeta Tatke: An expert/ Trainer and PhD in “Sport Psychology”, she has been training girls in Mallakhamb, a traditional Indian sport. Dr. Neeta has represented India at various international platforms and coordinated the 1st German Mallakhamb tour.

Vaishali Ruikar: She is a trained Auxiliary & Midwifery Nurse in Pune. Since last 45 years she has been working each day to reduce the pain of her patients especially by doing those impeccable bed sore dressings. Her dedication to the work keeps her going even today, in-spite of her failing health. In today busy world it has become very difficult to take care of bed ridden patients. Long back in 1994 she gave this a thought and came up with the idea of Patient-care Bureau. She is also a recipient of National Florence Nightingale Awards, 2014.

Rohini Limaye: Started her career as a voluntary social worker for the handicapped and became a professional trained teacher for the deaf. She is the founder trustee of Janikibai Shiukshan Sanstha, Vikas Vidayalaya established in 1966 which educates the deaf students with Proper education while providing suitable hearing aid which is the only remedy for deafness. This sanstha also received the National Award for the “Best school for the Handicapped” at the hands of the president of India in New Delhi.

A special ‘Hirkani Visesh Sanman’ is given every year to a talent for appreciating the work done by a woman in their respective field and this year Urmila Pawar is awarded in this category. She is considered to be one of the most acclaimed Marathi writers representing Dalit culture and gender issues. Her stories resound with her own self definition, which is, a woman, a dalit and a Buddhist. Her Book “Aaidaan” is her own autobiography which is translated in English as “The weave of my life – a Dalit woman’s Memoirs’” Her most recent work, Mother Wit, is testimony to her gritty, vivid stories, which are an important part of Indian Dalit Literature, as well as Indian feminist literature.

These Hirakani’s received awards from Anil Wanvari – Editor in Chief – Indian Television Dot Com, Ravindra Awati – President Corporate Affairs – Reliance Industries, Kiran Juneja – Film & TV personality, Bharat Dabholkar –Actor & Director, Mahesh Kothare -Film & TV personality, Aishwarya & Avinash Narkar – Film & TV personality, Kiran Shantaram and many more.

Sahyadri Hirkani Sanman Sohala will telecast on DD Sahayadri Channel on the special occasion of International Women’s Day, Sunday, 8 March 2015 from 4:30 p.m. onwards.

February 27, 2015
Kyoorius opens call for entries for 2015 Kyoorius Advertising & Digital Awards

MUMBAI: Entries to the 2015 Kyoorius Advertising & Digital Awards will open on 2 March 2015.

This year the Kyoorius Advertising & Digital Awards introduce a series of new categories that acknowledge emerging and under-recognised areas in advertising and digital communication. These include Branded Film Content & Entertainment, TV Cinema & Title Sequences, Show Programme Promotion, and Tactical Advertising for Press & Film. Recognizing the popularity of last year’s Design for Good category, Kyoorius has created Advertising for Good, to recognize campaigns and movements aimed at promoting social awareness. A complete list of categories and pricing is available at awards.kyoorius.com.

Kyoorius also revealed the jury for the 2015 Advertising & Digital Awards. These include a diverse mix of the top creative minds from international, regional and Indian agencies. Voting is always done in private, never by a show of hands, and unlike other advertising awards, all jury members gather in India to review, discuss and elect the best of the best over an intensive three-day session in Mumbai which will be open to the public.

Advertising

Jury Foreman: Nils Leonard – Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, GREY London

Andy Greenaway – Executive Creative Director, SapientNitro APAC

Arun Iyer – National Creative Director, Lowe Lintas & Partners

Bobby Pawar – Director, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis South Asia

Joji Jacob – Group Executive Creative Director, DDB Group Singapore

Juhi Kalia – – Executive Creative Director, JWT Singapore

Malvika Mehra – National Creative Director & Executive Vice President, GREY India

Nik Studzinski – Executive Creative Director, Droga5

Rajiv Rao – National Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather India

Digital

Jury Foreman: Andy Sandoz – Creative Partner, Havas Work Club / Deputy President of D&AD

Kunal Jeswani – Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy & Mather India

Melanie Clancy – Creative Director, BBDO Proximity Singapore

Tim Doherty – Chief Creative Officer, Isobar China

Vassilios Alexiou – Creative Partner, DARE

Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder CEO of Kyoorius, commented: “The Kyoorius Awards recognize the wealth of talent that exists in the country. Last year we were overwhelmed by the support from the creative communications and digital industries. In 2014, the Kyoorius Awards received 2131 entries across all categories. This year, we hope to see a wider participation, with many more innovative and impactful campaigns and ideas from all sizes of agencies and all corners of the country. Show us what creativity can do!”

Key dates for Advertising & Digital Awards

Call for Entries open: 2 March 2015

Call for Entries close: 10 April 2015

Jury Session: 29 April – 2 May 2015 in Mumbai

Awards Night: 22 May 2015 at NSCI Stadium, Mumbai

February 27, 2015
Disney India’s ‘Friends For Change’ recognises stewards of change in Delhi-NCR

NEW DELHI: ‘Friends for Change’, an innovative interschool volunteering program, initiated by Disney India in April 2014, witnessed its culmination today amidst much fanfare in the capital city. The event, held at the PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry had students, teachers and principals from the nine participating schools, government officials, NGOs working in the conservation space and representatives from other schools in attendance. National Award Winning actress Vidya Balan, who was the Guest of Honour for the event, encouraged and congratulated the participating schools.

At the culmination ceremony, all schools showcased their work tracing their journey of transformation in the adopted parks. The students captured their experiences on how they went about planning the activities, understood native species, and undertook soil testing and plantation drives within the gardens. They put up “street plays” to promote awareness and garnered support from the local authorities and communities.

“Conservation is one of the key pillars of our Citizenship initiatives globally as well as in India. Drawing inspiration from the global initiative, we envisaged the ‘Friends for Change’ program for India, centred around the key issue of depleting urban greenery. We believe that today’s children are tomorrow’s future and as part of the programme, we involved them to be the champions of change. The participation and enthusiasm of students, teachers and schools, coupled with the support and encouragement received from local authorities and the community at large, has been phenomenal and motivates us to grow this initiative in the coming years,” said Disney India managing director Siddharth Roy Kapur.

Post the schools completing their work in December 2014, an eminent jury panel comprising of technical experts, representatives from Disney India and CMS, visited all the parks and based on the evaluation parameters of infrastructure development, water source utilization, plantation, stakeholder involvement, sustainability and innovation, chose the winners. Amity International School, Pushp Vihar was announced as the winner of ‘Friends for Change 2014-2015′, for bringing about an astounding change in Sector IV park in Pushp Vihar. Bal Bharati Public School, Brij Vihar, Ghaziabad was announced as the runners-up, for transforming the Tikona Park in Ghaziabad. There was also a Jury Special Mention winner – Delhi Public School Ghaziabad, Meerut Road for adopting Shaheed Smarak Park, a heritage site and modifying it.

“I strongly believe that parks are an integral part of any child’s formative growing years. As a child I have been fortunate to have easy access to parks, which have I believe have made a huge difference in my life. Since children are stewards of change, I think the idea of inculcating in them a sense of responsibility towards the environment through a participative process is bound to be more effective. While on the one hand, Disney’s Friends for Change is a unique initiative to instill qualities of compassion, creativity & conservation amongst kids, it is also a great platform for fostering team work, collaboration and understanding amongst them,” said Balan, who graced the culmination event and felicitated the winning school.

February 26, 2015
Colors unveils a new note on family relationships with ‘Swaragini’

MUMBAI: Some relationships bring joy; some bring sadness and some bring anger just by the virtue of being broken beyond repair. This March, COLORS joins hands with Rashmi Sharma Telefilms to present an all-new television offering, Swaragini, which is set in the milieu of culturally rich Kolkata. The show narrates the story of two warring neighborhood families – the Bose and Gadodia families with diverse value systems. Swara and Ragini the daughters from these two families have distinctly different personalities shaped by their upbringing. Swaragini is a journey of how Swara and Ragini discover their true identities and hold onto their family ties and ideals in a fractured and uncordial environment which is a result of a concealing past. Whether they will be able to bridge the ever-widening divide between their families is, in fact, the question of the hour. Swaragini is set to hit airwaves starting 2^nd March, 2015 and will air every Monday to Friday at 9:30 PM on Colors.

Speaking about the launch of Swaragini, Manisha Sharma, Programming Head – COLORS, said, “Drama and entertainment are two essentials of a television offering which make for a gripping watch. As we venture into unchartered territory while exploring the fresh backdrop of Kolkata in Swaragini, our focus remains on creating a narrative that will enthrall viewers. The legendary divide between different cultures and their subsequent dysfunctional relations are at the helm of Swaragini’s storyline. The show will be premiering in the 9:30 PM primetime timeslot which will bring the tale featuring real and identifiable characters suitable for family viewing.”

Swara (played by Helly Shah)and Ragini’s (played by Tejaswi Prakash) dissimilar personalities are primarily influenced by their grandmothers Shobha (essayed by Tanima Sen) and Parvati (essayed by Alka Kaushal) who also hold tight reins over Swara’s mother Sharmishtha (portrayed by Parinita Borthakur) and Ragini’s father Shekhar (portrayed by Sachin Tyagi) respectively. The show builds on the love-hate relationship that runs deep in the psyche of Kolkata – a divide between the articulate, thoughtful Bengalis and the fierce, ambitious Marwaris.

Swaragini has been shot in authentic locations across Kolkata including Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial, Tram Lines between Kidderpore and Dalhousie, Kalighat Mandir, Millennium Park, Dakshineshwar Kali Temple and multiple more locations that showcase the cultural mix that Kolkata offers.

To ensure that the authentic feel of Kolkata trickles through the entire show, a special set has been designed in Mumbai which recreates Kolkata and brings alive the different nuances which the make the city a truly delightful treat for viewers.

Commenting on her brand-new television venture, producer Rashmi Sharma from Rashmi Sharma Telefilms, said, “Swaragini is a family-driven show with real characters who together narrate a story of inter-cultural family conflicts and how they can be overcome. With cast from varied cultures, our focus has been to recreate the real-life Bengali-Marwari divide to further build relatability among viewers. Kolkata is a melting pot of cultures and this is the first time that we are shooting here. Every bit of our experience has been enriching and we hope that the audience enjoy our narrative through the eyes of our protagonists.”

To promote the show, the channel has chalked out a comprehensive 360-degree marketing campaign that includes on-air promotions, outdoor media, communications strategies and extensive digital initiatives. The campaign aims at driving concentrated engagement with the consumers via various mediums so as to create maximum buzz and eye balls for the show.

February 26, 2015
Discovery science to air true stories of air crashes in ‘Why Planes Crash’

MUMBAI: In this world of real time connectivity and technology, Discovery Science presents a captivating new series on the distressing and terrifying true accounts of airborne disasters in Why Planes Crash. Pilots, crew and passengers will relive their near-death experiences in which routine flights turned into nightmares.

Why Planes Crash will bring alive some of the hair-raising true stories of air crashes imaginable with the aid of shocking archive footage and dramatic animated reconstructions. The series will feature planes colliding mid-air, a corporate jet running into a 737 over the Amazon River, cargo door explosion in a 747 amongst many other air crashes.

Why Planes Crash will premiere on 9 March, and will air every Monday to Friday at 10 pm, only on Discovery Science.

Commenting on the series, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific Executive Vice President and General Manager – South Asia & South East Asia Rahul Johri said, “Discovery Science is home to the most cutting edge, captivating and exclusive content based on everyday science that goes beyond imagination to find answers. Why Planes Crash is an investigative series that brings to light mysterious causes of severe air-borne disasters.”

The series will investigate different kinds of aviation disasters with high quality animations to help tell the story. Each one-hour episode will focus on a theme, like flying in severe weather, communication problems that turn deadly and pilots that rely too much on automation. Why Planes Crash will also include small planes and helicopters, which have their own set of dangers.

Some of the episodes in the series feature:

Brace For Impact

The series kicks off with a look at what causes some pilots to risk ditching their planes in the water, and how they and their passengers can survive the experience.

Collision Course

Eyewitnesses and survivors share their accounts of planes colliding in mid-air, and there is a look at when a corporate jet ran into a 737 over the Amazon River.

Human Error

Mistakes, oversights and distractions can have consequences. This show features the jet which ran out of fuel and smashed into a hillside just miles from a runway.

Breaking Point

Nine passengers are sucked out of a 747 flying over the Pacific when a cargo door explodes. This is just one of the sudden structural failures in this episode, which also sees a DC-10 lose an engine on take-off!

Fire In The Sky

The Federal Aviation Administration has found that up to three flights out of 100,000 are diverted due to smoke or fire in flight, but the situation is no less dangerous for being commonplace. Witness some of the disastrous consequences in this episode.

February 26, 2015
Zee Classic to celebrate Sanjay Dutt’s debut in Bollywood

MUMBAI: With the 8 Days of 80s film festival having commenced, Zee Classic, India’s only classic Hindi movie channel, is all set to showcase Sunil Dutt’s blockbuster film Rocky starring Sanjay Dutt, Tina Munim, Reena Roy, Amjad Khan, Raakhee and Shakti Kapoor.

The movie that launched our very own ‘Sanju Baba’ as the ‘Next Big Thing’ will also be remembered for the demise of Sanjay’s mother and veteran actress Nargis Dutt just three days before the film’s release.

Rocky a revenge drama revolves around Shankar (Sunil Dutt), an educated young man employed in the construction business as a union leader. During his stint, Shankar is accidentally killed leaving behind his wife, Parvati (Raakhee) and young son, Rakesh. Upon hearing this young Rakesh goes into massive trauma renouncing Parvati to move away. He is later adopted by Robert (Amjad Khan) and his wife Kathy (Aruna Irani) christening him as ‘Rocky’.

Years later, Rocky a carefree young man, falls in love with the gorgeous Renuka (Tina Munim). As the plot progresses, Rocky learns his real identity and the ultimate truth of his father’s murder. Rocky thus sets out on a journey to avenge his father’s murder with the help of a rape victim, Lajwanti (Reena Roy). But he is unaware that his days just like those of his near and dear ones may be numbered.

Will Rocky successfully avenge his father’s death? Will he re-unite with his mother?

February 25, 2015
NDTV is once again India’s Most Trusted Media Brand

MUMBAI: NDTV is once again India’s most trusted media brand and Number One across all media categories (which include newspapers, television, radio and the Internet) Based on the Trust Research Advisory’s Brand Trust Report, India Study 2015, NDTV has been named India’s Most Trusted Media Brand for the second year running.

The study is based on research carried out across 16 Indian cities, with over 15,000 hours of fieldwork and interactions with 2373 consumer influencers. Over 5 million data pointswere covered and the top 1000 brands listed from over 19,000 unique brands. The report measured and understood consumers’ trust and brand insights were quantified by measuring variables that influence consumer behaviour.

During the past year, NDTV has won several prestigious awards – both national and international. These awards have honoured its channels, its programmmes and its anchors. This latest award for India’s Most Trusted Media Brand only confirms that NDTV remains true to the most fundamental values of a media brand in today’s volatile media environment – it is credible, reliable and trustworthy.

February 24, 2015
Zee TV invites Delhiites to be a part of Aarushi-Vihaan’s sangeet & engagement ceremony

MUMBAI: Right since its launch in November 2014, Zee TV’s popular primetime drama ‘Satrangi Sasural’ has emerged as one of the most successful fiction launches of the year. The show has struck a chord with the audiences; given its unique premise of a boy brought up with great love by not one, but seven mothers– each one in search of a suitable match for him! After running from pillar to post to find him the perfect girl, Vihaan’s seven mothers are finally unanimously floored by the simplicity, honesty and charming demeanor of the beautiful Aarushi. The show has reached a crucial juncture with the upcoming wedding of its much adored protagonists Vihaan (Ravish Desai) & Aarushi (Mugdha Chaphekar). The pre-wedding preparations of television’s cutest couple are in full swing at the Vatsal household with all the doting mothers gearing up to make the wedding a knock-out affair!

Just this week, the mothers set out to three cities in India to seek the blessings of the show’s loyal fans and personally hand-over the wedding invites. While the Indorewaasis gave a warm welcome to Sheetal Thakkar (who plays Maasi Ma), the Ahmedavadis left no stone unturned in making Resham Tipnis (Mini Maa) at home. Bhavana Balsaver who plays Chachi Ma went on a gorging spree with all the Lucknowi delicacies when she flew down to the city to invite residents from Lucknow!

With Delhi being a dilwaalon ka sheher, where a shaadi is nothing short of an entertainment extravaganza and absolutely everybody is ready-on-a-foot to ‘shake-a-leg-after-a-Patiala peg’, Zee TV comes to the capital city, today, inviting fans to participate in the revelry of Vihaan-Arushi’s sangeet & engagement ceremony. A star-studded soirée of song and dance and a shaahi daawat awaits every Delhiite at Ajmal Khan Park, Lawn No 1 ,Karol Bagh on Saturday, 20th February as the entire family of Satrangi Sasural comes together under one roof for the grand celebration. A 3-day build-up in Delhi aimed at getting the maximum viewer participation in the ground event was rolled out with residential activations, buzz through radio and print. This is the first time that a Hindi general entertainment channel has thrown open the engagement ceremony and Sangeet of the lead couple of one of its primetime shows to the masses!

Zee TV marketing head Sorbojeet Chatterjee said, “A wedding in India sets the right atmosphere for people to come together, bond and celebrate life – and that’s how we wish to connect with our viewers too. So, with Aarushi-Vihaan’s upcoming wedding, we’ve seized the opportunity to involve our audience in the pre-wedding festivities. The opportunity to personally meet and interact with their favorite stars, pose with them for pictures will give our viewers an unforgettable experience. Delhi is the most apt choice for hosting this gala – not only is the show based in the city, but the spirit of the city’s people lends itself beautifully to such a celebration. Our endeavor is to create a memorable evening and achieve high visibility around the upcoming shaadi highpoint.”

Satrangi Sasural explores a unique scenario, where the man of the house has been raised by seven very strong, independent mother figures, who have distinct sets of expectations from their prospective daughter-in-law. The man in question is all set to marry a girl who must then stand up to these varied expectations of the doting mothers, adapt to this new environment and build relationships within the family. But every love story comes with its fair share of obstacles, and Vihaan and Arushi’s is no exception! To ensure that they have Vihaan’s mothers’ unanimous blessings for the marriage, Vihaan and Aarushi have pretended to not know each other and have made the set-up look like an arranged marriage. Once the truth is revealed, will it cast a shadow between Aarushi and Vihaan or will the lovers enter into matrimonial bliss with everyone’s blessings…? To find out, tune into the wedding week drama on Satrangi Sasural at 10 PM between 23rd and 28th February, only on Zee TV.

February 24, 2015