MAM

After gully cricket… it’s the time to disco

Published

22 years ago

March 12, 2004

Phir mile hain… break ke baad!! Yes, the famous gully cricket duo – Kapil Dev and the ‘kid with the attitude’ are back together after a year. One and a half years back MAX was repositioned as the channel on the platform of passion with the two biggest things that drive Indians – movies and cricket. At that time came the new tagline – Deewana Bana De.

Well, the duo are back in a sequel to MAX’s gully cricket ad which launched last year around the time of the World Cup. For starters, the sequel which launched on 12 March is almost as good as the first if not better.

But this time round we decided not to do the talking. Instead we tracked down the ad and coaxed IT into talking to us. And mind you, it’s an exclusive t?te-?-t?te!

So tell me how were you conceptualized?
You know my sibling; the Gully Cricket ad was and still is quite famous. And I wanted to be just like him. There is a lot that went behind making me what I am today. I may or may not measure up to my elder brother but I know that everyone has tried their best.

My bro was all about cricket when the World Cup was happening and he was liked by viewers and was quite popular. Besides he has also won several accolades through a lot of awards – 14 to be precise in – India and abroad. The Indian Telly Awards, Abby Awards, Emvies, PROMAX Awards, Effies… Gully cricket also won acclaim across North America.

Euro RSCG’s vice president (creative) Ashok Karnik

So when a new brand campaign was being thought about Ashok Karnik who is Euro RSCG’s vice president (creative) thought why not have a sequel? The agency’s art director Bapi Bit came with the idea of Kapil doing the running this time round in the same chawl. And that’s how I started taking shape.

Ashok thought that I was going to be a tough task because this time they were talking about movies and not cricket. Kapil is a cricketer and not an actor (although he has showed his acting prowess this time). Secondly, I would inevitably be compared to the Gully cricket ad so I had to be as good. They took me up as a challenge and at the risk of sounding boastful; I think they have pulled it off.

MAX is positioned as a channel wherein the two greatest passions of the country – cricket and movies blend into the channel’s programming beautifully. Also SET’s business head Rajat Jain felt that the channel’s campaign with the tag line of Deewana Bana De had a unique value proposition. The earlier ad was made at a time when cricket was big. Mr Jain feels that Kapil as the brand ambassador is not only a cricketer but also a person driven by the heart as opposed to the mind.

MAX executive VP and business head Rajat Jain

Mr Jain wanted to take the idea forward and wanted to communicate the idea of the channel’s positioning of passion or “deewanapan” to the mass target audience at large. Having created that unique communication he thought it was time they thought beyond the World Cup. Earlier the feel, ambience and thought of the channel was very cricket oriented and Mr Jain and the channel officials wanted to take that into the area of movies.

Tell me about yourself now…
There is this jugalbandi between Kapil and the boy (Sameer Khan). It’s a love-hate relationship that they share and I’m all about their attitude! Sameer has grown up a bit since last year when he worked in the gully cricket ad and the difference can be seen.

This time round it is Kapil who challenges the kid to a match and is taken aback when he meets him and is asked to wait because Sameer was giving a shot. You know, Sameer is wearing this orange shirt and yellow pants which is totally Govinda “eshtyle”! Kapil has challenged him and the boy asks him to come up where he was in the chawl. Kapil with all his vigour climbs up to the floor the kid is on and when he reaches there, he challenges the boy. But guess what… Sameer asks him to wait and tells him that he will deal with him “take ke baad”! He then breaks into a song and dance sequence with four five other girls and dances to Kal Ho Na Ho‘s Soni, soni, aaja maahive. The boy has some attitude. But he is very sweet.

MAX brand ambassador Kapil Dev

Kapil finds Sameer to be a very sweet and respectful boy. For the gully cricket ad, Kapil felt that he was a bit stiff, because he was a bit nervous with him. So he had to work at getting him to open up, and by the end of the first film, Sameer had really loosened up. Kapil especially enjoyed shooting for the stills with him feels that he is quite a little gentleman, and very uncomplicated as kids normally are.

Who are the people responsible for giving you the face you have today?
As I told you I was conceptualised by Euro RSCG’s Ashok Karnik and Bapi Bit (senior art director). The others from Euro RSCG who worked on me are Suman Srivastava (executive director), Devraj Tripathi (writer), Sachin Vaidya (film executive), Vikas Kumar (AVP), Jocelin Rodricks (senior account executive). My art direction was again done by Bit and Tripathi. And just like my brother, I was also directed by none other than Prahlad Kakkar. My stills have been shot by Hardeep Sachdeva.

What do you think is your USP?
I’ll tell you what the people who are associated with me think my USP is. Ashok for one, feels that since Kapil is a legend they didn’t have to glorify him and that the story is my USP. The kid’s attitude (challenge) is integral to the storyline. When the cast and location remained the same, Ashok felt that the most challenging part was how to surprise the viewer this time. That’s why my storyline is the USP.

On the other hand Mr Jain feels that since Kapil is associated with cricket, it doesn’t mean that he cannot be in movies but the real hero according to him is the kid and his transition from the cricket oriented environment to a very film oriented environment. He feels that my high point is the deewaanapan of the boy for movies.

The challenge between the boy and Kapil is also of interest as there is an element of competitiveness despite the difference in their stature and age. I also have the potential to take the commercial to a third level six months or one year down the line and have a jugalbandi of sorts. There lies my beauty, if I may say so (Blushes).

What would you, as an ad, offer the viewer?
For one, I will definitely be taking the passion of MAX forward with a lineage towards movies. MAX wants to build a relationship between the boy and Kapil and they will be doing that through me.

What are your feelings on being made as a sequel? You could have been unique, without always being associated with your bro – the Gully cricket ad…
Actually I don’t feel all that bad. I think people will like and appreciate me too like the gully cricket. And if something is successful why not carry that forward? Although MAX has plans of consistent brand building throughout the year, the biggest challenge I will face as a sequel is that there will always be a comparison. But I think that my makers feel that this factor kept the tempo up while I was being made.

Mr Jain feels that my plot is so unique and attractive that it evokes passion in the viewer. They are not selling the channel or movie or cricket through me and their other ads. They are selling the position of passion. He also feels that, “If one look at the heterogeneous audience segment that MAX caters to, the one factor that binds them is their “Zest for life” – an attitude of “not a struggler but a winner waiting for his moment of glory. This attitude is all-pervasive in today’s society, and is ably captured by the boy, who is not overtly in awe of a celebrity even of Kapil’s stature, and stand tall in his conduct. He is respectful yet has tremendous self respect too. The last Gully film shows this attitude, one of a confident young winner waiting for magic to happen, this present film is a sequel of how fast magic can happen.”

Also MAX assistant vice president (marketing, PR & commercial) Tushar Shah said that his team wanted to keep building on their brand and they feel that what they have created will constantly differentiate them from an image point of view and I will only take their brand further.

Do you see any competition coming up?
Ummm… well as part of the MAX image campaign, I am the first of three big commercials that will be spawned this year. The other two will soon follow. They are yet to be shot but will not be directed by my director Prahlad.

Then who is going to direct them?
They will be directed by Shamin Desai. We three will be aired during the next four or five months. Thereafter there will be a run up to the Champions Trophy in September so there will be a string of commercials which will try and capture the flavour of cricket once again.

Like I said before, MAX wants to build a relationship between the boy and Kapil and they will be doing that through me and other ads like me which will come out after me in the next few months.

What is the premise of the ads on other media like print and outdoor?
Mr Jain told me that the multimedia campaign will be across the country and will be driven on television not just of the One Alliance network but other local and regional channels, news channels which focus on specific markets like the northern, western and eastern regions of the country.

“Papa kehte hain bada naam karegaa”

While I was taking shape, the agency and the channel shot stills with Kapil and the boy for the outdoor campaign too. They have played on the jugalbandi of Kapil and the kid. The campaign will be released across outdoor, magazines, Internet, cable channels etc and has the theme: MAX Ke Deewane Hum. Aur Aap?

“Yeh dosti… hum nahi chodenge”

The situation of the outdoor campaign is extremely movie like. One hoarding shows a scene from Sholay but instead of Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra it is Kapil Dev and the kid on the famous double seater scooter. The channel and the agency didn’t want Kapil to imitate anyone. Tushar said that Kapil is a cricket star who enjoys watching movies like any other Indian does. So while they wanted to keep his image pristine, they also wanted to reflect his passion for movies through the hoardings. And it was one way of keeping his image alive and yet showing the passion.

Do you have any idea what kind of money has been spent in making you?
Well, I am not sure of the number but I am sure that MAX has allotted us the kind of spends that a reasonable sized multimedia campaign deserves.

Mr Jain said that brands are built up slowly unlike a product and I have a life for a year or so unlike some other specific ads of other brands and properties. He said that making me was like taking the brand – MAX from one stage to the other. Over time it will be refreshed with new things for which the window is kept open for creativity.

What is the underlying thought that your makers are trying to convey through you?
Well, according to Mr Jain, the underlying thought is simple: passion makes life magical, just as passion on their channel makes entertainment magical. Also from the channel point of view, I cleverly bring in an element of movies and cricket together, showcasing the twin passions that are the pillars of their programming – i.e., movies and special events like cricket.

Out of you and your sibling, who do you think Kapil enjoyed acting in?
You shouldn’t be asking me that. Obviously I will say and also hope that he liked acting in me more. Both of us (the gully cricket ad and I) have the same characters – the boy and Kapil – but actually we are very different from each other and its just not about role reversal. However I happened to hear Kapil say that I am a logical and very interesting extension of the Deewana Bana De passion platform of the earlier film. My guess would be that Kapil liked both ad films equally. (Smiles)

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Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

1 month ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

1 month ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

MAM

Washington Post CEO exits abruptly after newsroom cuts spark backlash

Leadership change follows layoffs, protests and a bruising battle over trust.

Published

1 month ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the presses are rolling but patience runs out, even the editor’s chair isn’t safe. The Washington Post announced on Saturday that its chief executive and publisher Will Lewis is stepping down with immediate effect, bringing a sudden end to a turbulent two-year tenure marked by financial strain, newsroom unrest and public backlash.

Lewis’s exit comes just days after the Bezos-owned newspaper announced sweeping job cuts that triggered protests outside its Washington headquarters and a wave of anger from readers and staff. While newspapers across the US are grappling with shrinking revenues and digital disruption, Lewis’s leadership had increasingly come under fire for how those pressures were handled.

The Post confirmed that Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who joined the organisation last year as chief financial officer, has taken over as CEO and publisher, effective immediately. In an email to staff, later shared by reporters on social media, Lewis said it was “the right time for me to step aside.”

The leadership change follows the announcement of large-scale redundancies earlier this week. While the Post did not officially confirm numbers, The New York Times reported that around 300 of the paper’s roughly 800 journalists were laid off. Entire teams were dismantled, including the Post’s Middle East bureau and its Kyiv-based correspondent covering the war in Ukraine.

Sports, graphics and local reporting were sharply reduced, and the paper’s daily podcast, Post Reports, was suspended. On Thursday, hundreds of journalists and supporters gathered outside the Post’s downtown office in protest, calling the cuts a blow to public-interest journalism.

Former executive editor Marty Baron described the moment as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”

Lewis defended his record in his farewell note, saying “difficult decisions” were taken to secure the paper’s long-term future and protect its ability to publish “high-quality nonpartisan news”. But his tenure coincided with growing scrutiny of editorial independence at the Post.

Owner Jeff Bezos faced criticism for reining in the paper’s traditionally liberal editorial page and blocking an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 US election. The move was widely seen as breaking the long-standing firewall between ownership and editorial decision-making.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, around 250,000 digital subscribers cancelled their subscriptions after the paper declined to endorse Harris. The Post reportedly lost about $100 million in 2024 as advertising and subscription revenues slid.

While the wider newspaper industry continues to battle declining print advertising and the pull of social media, some national titles have stabilised. Rivals such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have managed to build sustainable digital businesses, a turnaround that has so far eluded the Post despite its billionaire backing.

As Jeff D’Onofrio steps into the role, the challenge is stark, restore confidence inside the newsroom, win back readers who walked away, and prove that one of America’s most storied newspapers can still find its footing in a brutally competitive media landscape.