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Tag: Amitabh Bachchan

  • upGrad ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

    upGrad ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Asia’s higher ed-tech major upGrad has signed actor Amitabh Bachchan as its official brand ambassador. 

    As a part of the partnership, the actor will be seen supporting upGrad’s brand value through endorsements and promotions of services offered by the edtech company, while emphasising the importance of life-long learning for progressive career growth. 

    “We take responsible marketing very seriously, and in that respect, what better than having a personality like Amit ji’s that carries so much faith and respect,” said upGrad India CEO Arjun Mohan. “Our marketing strategies are at the core of evolving industry dynamics and therefore, keeping in mind the market sentiments and audience appeal, we have taken a conscious call, which is also aligned with upGrad’s brand value of having a celebrity that resonates credibility and shall have a lasting impact on our viewers. We are elated to have Amit ji on-board and drive future developments which in turn shall further solidify our ambition of positioning upGrad as a household name, wherever they say higher education.”

    In line with upGrad’s overall marketing goals, the latest development will be followed by other events with each having a strong message addressing the higher-ed challenges that persist across the country, at large, according to the brand.

    upGrad recently unveiled its marketing campaign #AssNahinAssetBano that captures the essence of what goes around the annual appraisal period in a corporate world to create urgency amid professionals who have parked upskilling for an indefinite period.

  • SPNI to broadcast Legends League Cricket in India

    SPNI to broadcast Legends League Cricket in India

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has partnered with Legends League Cricket to broadcast all the matches of the league to be played in January 2022. The matches will be aired on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3 channels as well as live-streamed on the OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    The league will be held at the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium in Muscat, Oman and will be joined by former cricketers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, among other cricket nations divided into three teams representing India, Asia, and the rest of the world.

    League Cricket has announced that Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Azhar Mahmood, Upul Tharanga, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammed Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Yousuf, Umar Gul, Younis Khan, and Asghar Afghan will be playing for Asia Lions.

    The league has roped in actor Amitabh Bachchan to be its ambassador and former India head coach Ravi Shastri as its commissioner looking after the cricketing aspect.

    “We are extremely happy to announce this partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India,” said Legends League Cricket CEO Raman Raheja. “We wish to walk a long mile with them and ensure viewers are treated with a very competitive and entertaining form of cricket.” 

    “It’s a very exciting partnership to get into and having these stalwarts on the ground playing competitive cricket will definitely engage our viewers across India,” said SPNI chief revenue officer for distribution and head of sports business Rajesh Kaul. “With the Legends League Cricket, we will present our viewers a great viewing experience of watching these legends in action on our sports channels.”

  • Amitabh Bachchan named brand ambassador for Amway India and Nutrilite

    Amitabh Bachchan named brand ambassador for Amway India and Nutrilite

    Mumbai: Amway India has announced the appointment of Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador.

    The veteran actor will endorse the brand Amway and the Nutrilite range of products across all platforms, encourage women and youth empowerment through guided entrepreneurship thereby reinforcing Amway’s vision of helping people live healthier and better lives, said the FMCG company on Wednesday.

    “Onboarding Mr Bachchan was a winning combination to reinforce our vision of helping people live better, healthier lives,” stated Amway India CEO Anshu Budhraja. “As we lead our journey towards Amway India’s 25th-anniversary celebrations next year, our aim is to instill his key traits like hard work, focus, determination, and discipline, amongst our incredible direct sellers/retailers. Especially focussing on women and youth leaders who are making headway into the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

    Amway had recently launched powerful nutritional products which have proved game-changers in the category. The category has witnessed tremendous growth and currently, contributes over 60 per cent to the business revenue. In line with the consumer trends, the company expects the nutrition category contribution to scaling up to 65 per cent by 2024, said the statement.

    “As Amway embarks on a dynamic growth journey with product innovations across the nutrition category, Mr Bachchan’s credibility and personality perfectly resonate with the inherent values of the brand Amway and Nutrilite,” remarked Amway India CMO Ajay Khanna. “Our association with him will help us gain deeper penetration in the consumer mind space across different markets.”

    “The brand’s focus on unleashing the power of entrepreneurship by empowering the women and youth of our country is commendable and inspiring,” said Amitabh Bachchan. “In today’s times, when nutrition and wellness have become an indisputable part of our lives, the brand’s commitment of making people’s lives healthier with its quality products personifies trust in the brand.”

  • Amitabh Bachchan terminates contract with pan masala brand, returns fees

    Amitabh Bachchan terminates contract with pan masala brand, returns fees

    Mumbai: Amitabh Bachchan has dissociated himself from a pan masala brand and has returned the fees that were paid to him to promote the brand. The veteran actor who turned 79 on Monday has terminated his contract with the pan masala brand, the actor’s office said in a statement, adding that he wasn’t aware that it “falls under surrogate advertising.”

    This comes after the superstar had been requested by a national anti-tobacco organisation to withdraw himself from the ad campaign, which promoted pan masala, saying that it would stop youngsters from getting addicted to tobacco. His fans had also criticised the move.

    An official statement released by his team read, “Kamala Pasand … a few days after the commercial was aired, Mr Bachchan contacted the brand and stepped out of it last week. Upon checking why this sudden move – it was revealed that when Mr Bachchan became associated with the brand, he wasn’t aware that it falls under surrogate advertising.”

    “Mr Bachchan has terminated the contract with the Brand, has written to them his termination and has returned the money received for the promotion,” the statement further said.

    Surrogate advertising is a form of advertising which is used to promote banned products, like cigarettes and alcohol, in the disguise of another product.

    Last month in the letter to Bachchan, National Organisation for Eradication of Tobacco president Shekhar Salkar had said that medical research has proved that addiction to tobacco and pan masala decays the health of the citizens, especially the youth, and said that since he (Bachchan) is the government brand ambassador for the high profile pulse polio campaign, he should drop out from the pan masala ads as soon as possible.

    Earlier while responding to a fan who questioned him on social media on his endorsement of the pan masala brand, Big B had replied: (Translated in English) “If someone is getting benefitted through a business, one should not wonder why we are joining them. If there is a business, we also have to think of our business. You feel I should not have done this, however, I am also getting paid for it. Moreover, the many people working in our industry also get work and livelihood through this.”

  • CoinDCX announces brand association with Amitabh Bachchan

    CoinDCX announces brand association with Amitabh Bachchan

    Mumbai: Crypto exchange platform CoinDCX has brought onboard superstar Amitabh Bachchan as its first-ever brand ambassador.

    Through this collaboration, CoinDCX wants to increase awareness around crypto and popularise crypto as an emerging asset class. Bachchan will be the face of the brand’s new campaign, which will focus on popularising crypto as an asset class, said the company in a statement.

    “Being a crypto investor himself and having launched his own NFT (Non-fungible token) recently, Mr Bachchan is well-versed with the crypto space,” said CoinDCX co-founder and CEO Sumit Gupta. “His knowledge will prove valuable in building trust and credibility amongst new users. We are certain that his association with CoinDCX will help bring greater visibility to the world of crypto and develop a strong brand recall for us.”

    The crypto market is worth more than $ two trillion in India and this is set to increase with more and more Indian investors exploring new investment opportunities and adopting crypto asset class as an option that is futurist and can provide good returns. CoinDCX wants to ensure that crypto is accessible to everyone, said the statement.

    “Mr Bachchan has always been way ahead of his time, whether doing movies or making investment decisions, his personality perfectly resonates with our brand values. With this campaign, we aim to reach out to a wider audience and educate the masses about crypto as an asset class,” Gupta further said.

  • ReDefine celebrates its VFX work on ‘Chehre’

    ReDefine celebrates its VFX work on ‘Chehre’

    Mumbai: Global visual effects and animation company ReDefine has celebrated the delivery of VFX services for the Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi starrer “Chehre”, the country’s second major theatrical release since the pandemic. The mystery thriller is helmed by production houses Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Saraswati Entertainment.

    ReDefine contributed significantly to the film’s visuals with its scope of work involving over 200 crew members and also creating a great visual environment through the different stages of the day, as the film’s plot moved forward.

    The team from ReDefine was led by VFX supervisor Arijit Ghosh, successfully aligning with the director’s vision and executing state-of-the-art sequences including high-octane scenes such as a cliff breaking sequence and a major avalanche scene and quality CG snowfall sequences.

    “It is always a pleasure to bring a script to life, and offer our team’s unique vision and expertise to a project whilst building a close synergy with the director, in order to bring out the best output on screen,” said Ghosh. “While the filming was challenging owing to the limitations of the first wave of COVID, we were successfully able to beat any and all obstacles and produce the desired results. Our premier services to the project are indeed reflective of ReDefine’s continuous effort to promote great storytelling and create stunning visuals.”

    Launched in 2019, ReDefine provides creative visual effects and animation services focused on expanding international markets as well as independent filmmakers everywhere. It supports studios producing film, television, and animation content.

    “At ReDefine, we pride ourselves in our extensive experience and market leading technology, which has provided quality value additions to countless film projects and has been associated with the biggest names in the industry,” said ReDefine, general manager, Yohann Abraham. “Our work on the ambitious projects is reflective of our strategic undertakings and successful collaborations with the finest creative talents and production houses of the present day.”

    ReDefine is also providing VFX services to the upcoming film “Cry Macho” for legendary filmmaker Client Eastwood, as well as several Bollywood projects including “Brahmastra” starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone starrer “83”

  • KBC 13’s first crorepati Himani Bundela to take the plunge for Rs 7cr

    KBC 13’s first crorepati Himani Bundela to take the plunge for Rs 7cr

    Mumbai: Kaun Banega Crorepati -13 has got its first crorepati Himani Bundela who will be risking it all for Rs 7 crore on 30-31 August. In a promo released by SET, the visually challenged Bundela is seen fielding the last (16th) question from the ‘hot seat’.

    The Agra-based contestant appears to be confident and enjoying the game in the video, even as she leaves the outcome to God.

    Bundela is a Mathematics teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya. Having lost her eyesight in a road accident in 2011, and not able to regain it even after multiple operations, she wants to raise awareness for the cause of inclusive education. “My life after the accident hasn’t been easy. A lot of us had to put in an immense amount of work to get back to our daily livelihood, especially my parents and my brothers and sisters. Being a woman who’s visually impaired, I hope my stint on KBC brings a lot of hope to people who are just like me,” says Bundela.

    If she wins big on Monday, 31 August, she will work towards giving a bigger platform to the ‘Divyang Awareness Programme’ pioneered by her at KV. While pursuing her passion for teaching mental math to blind students, she intends to open inclusive coaching for competitive exam prep and revive her father’s pandemic-hit business with the prize money.

    “A lot of students with special abilities do get admissions in schools & colleges but there are no coaching academies for government competitive exams that admit students with any sort of disabilities. With the money I won, I would want to open a coaching academy that trains the ‘divyang’ kids for the government competitive exams,” she says.

     

     

    Bundela has nurtured the dream of appearing on a television reality show since childhood. Realising that knowledge was her biggest strength, she finally zeroed in on KBC. The thrill of meeting Amitabh Bachchan was also a motivating factor for her. The spirited 25-year-old has been practicing being on the ‘hot seat’ for over a decade now. Inspired by the show and its host, she even launched the online initiative ‘Kaun Banega KV Champion for her students last year.

    Talking about her experience on the show, she says, it was a dream come true. “To be on Kaun Banega Crorepati and to meet Amitabh Bachchan has always been a dream and I’m glad I could fulfil it. He made me feel so comfortable on the sets of the show that I didn’t feel nervous at all,” she adds.

    KBC 13 premiered on SET and Sony LIV app on 23 August with the first contestant Gyaan Raj from Ranchi (Jharkhand) who ended up winning Rs 3.2 lakh after failing to answer the 12th question for Rs 12.5 lakh. If Bundela gets the last question wrong, she will have to walk away with ____ (would you know how much she will lose in that case!!?)

  • SonyLIV launches PlayAlong in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu formats

    SonyLIV launches PlayAlong in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu formats

    Mumbai: SonyLIV has launched its second screen initiative – ‘PlayAlong’ in Hindi, Marathi, and Telugu formats for the new seasons of “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC), “Kon Honaar Crorepati” (KHC) and “Evaru Meelo Koteeswarulu” (EMK) airing on Sony Entertainment Television, Sony Marathi and, Gemini TV respectively.

    PlayAlong gives viewers the opportunity to win prizes worth lakhs by answering questions fielded by Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Khedekar, and NTR in their respective shows. Users need to download and register on SonyLIV to participate in PlayAlong, said the platform in a statement.

    “Capturing a diverse set of audience KBC, KHC and EMK have been the most preferred gaming reality shows,” said Sony Pictures Networks India, business operations – digital business, Amogh Dusad. “Not only do the viewers get a chance to be on the hot seat, but they also stand to win a multitude of cash gratifications every day including a chance to become lakhpati.”

  • Sony TV ropes in 12 sponsors for KBC 13

    Sony TV ropes in 12 sponsors for KBC 13

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India has announced the 13th season of “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (KBC), starting 23 August. Produced by StudioNEXT and hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, the show will air on Sony Entertainment Television, every weekday at 9 p.m. 

    The show has roped in BYJU’s and Cadbury Dairy Milk as ‘co-presenting’ sponsor, Hyundai Motor India, Asian Paints Royale Glitz, Ultratech Cement, and Zydus Wellness (Complan) as ‘co-powered by’ sponsor and CERA, Pharmeasy, IDFC First Bank, LIC of India, Bharat Matrimony as associate sponsors. The Reserve Bank of India has come on board as a ‘special’ partner.

    “For a show like KBC that has followed a certain creative pattern, it was time for us to break the mold and approach it differently. While digital auditions replaced the regular audition process, it didn’t deter the volume of entries. In fact, the ease of digital audition encouraged a lot more aspirants, based in the remotest areas possible to participate. We are happy with the spiritedness of each contestant, and we are hopeful that they fulfil their KBC journey,” said Sony Entertainment Television, head of content and digital business, Ashish Golwalkar. “While we did introduce AR (Augmented Reality) in the previous seasons, this year, the use of AR is far more superior and immersive. From refurbishing the entire set with the play of lights to the graphical elements and LED panels, India is the only country to host the format with the inclusion of such refined technological detailing. With distinct modifications to the game this season, we look forward to rewarding gameplay and promise an enhanced viewing experience to the audience.”

    “It’s the 21st year of my association with Kaun Banega Crorepati and I can never get enough of this show,” said Amitabh Bachchan. “It was probably for the first time, last season, that the studio audience wasn’t a part of the show and we saw a major change in the lifelines as well. I, for one, truly missed them and their energy… it’s infectious! I am happy that the studio audience is back this season with a newfound vigour and so is the lifeline – Audience Poll. It’s an enriching experience for me, each year, to be surrounded by contestants from all walks of life and I look forward to engaging and fulfilling gameplay. These contestants inspire me in every way,” Bachchan said.

    “It’s the 21st year of India’s longest-running show, and it’s heartening to know that KBC remains such a strong family favourite, that it still resonates with viewers across the social spectrum, and from all age groups,” said Siddhartha Basu, consultant for KBC season 13. “Each season, we’ve seen participants coming on to the hot seat from across the country, with varied levels of education and occupations, each with a distinct dream and story. Among a host of reasons that drive them, a key one is the search for ‘sammaan’ or respect. And they win that respect along with what can be life-changing amounts of winnings through a knowledge game. Gyan or knowledge is what provides a level playing field in our society, and viewers can now look forward to an exciting and entertaining new season of the show with a signature offering of gyan, dhan, and sammaan.”

    Fans of KBC may also log on to SonyLIV to participate in the gameshow via KBC Play Along, starting from 23 August, said the channel.

  • Sony TV kickstarts campaign for ‘KBC 13’ with a three-part short film

    Sony TV kickstarts campaign for ‘KBC 13’ with a three-part short film

    Mumbai: For the thirteenth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), the launch communication has evolved from being an advertising campaign to becoming branded entertainment. For the very first time, Sony TV explores a long-format film that will be presented in three installments. The film titled ‘Sammaan’ is conceptualised, written, and directed by Bollywood filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari.

    Shot exclusively in Berchha, Madhya Pradesh, the film stars actor Omkar Das Manikpuri best known for his stage and film performances. With local talent adding to the authenticity of the narrative, the film delivers an immersive cinematic experience.

    The idea of shooting this film at a real village like Berchha reiterates how KBC resonates with people of the country, even in its most remote corners, the channel said in a statement.

    The film opens with a contextual scenario, relatable characters, and the narrative, helmed with a tinge of humor, engages the audience in the most unexpected manner. Nitesh Tiwari brings alive an interesting take on human emotions and aspirations with utmost subtlety.

    KBC 13 is expected to on air soon