ITV

Tag: Durga Puja

  • CenturyPly campaign aims to felicitate everyday heroes on Puja

    CenturyPly campaign aims to felicitate everyday heroes on Puja

    MUMBAI: CenturyPly Heroes was an initiative to recognise and salute the carpenter’s indomitable spirit, the skill and the commitment to the art and to life at large.

    This year, the campaign is celebrating those unsung heroes behind the scenes without whose creations, the Durga Puja wouldn’t even start: the clay artisans who make the magnificent idols of the Puja. There are hundreds of artisans toiling overtime to make these beautiful idols a reality

    Century Plyboards India, a brand in the plywood category which has been involved in aggressive brand-building with an intention to create a shift in the industry category from a commodity to a consumer product is back with its annual award winning campaign – CenturyPly Heroes 2017.

    The campaign is in line with an attempt to celebrate the unsung heroes working behind the scenes to make celebratory times special for the rest of us.

    The CenturyPly Heroes 2017 campaign aims to felicitate the everyday heroes who regularly bring alive the brand ideology in their everyday lives.

    The campaign will invite people to share pictures of the idols being made or of the finished idols during the puja, along with the name of the artisans making them. There are several potter colonies in Kolkata, the most well- known being the ones at Kumortuli and Kalighat. People will be encouraged to go there and click pictures of these idols being finished up for work, and also of the idols once the Puja starts. Three of the artisans getting most number of entries, will be awarded, and the top five photographers will also win prizes.

    CenturyPly MD Sanjay Agarwal said, “We want this campaign to reach out to the masses so that through their engagement with these unsung heroes, we can make a difference in the lives of these people, however small or big it might be. This initiative is all about touching lives and adding to the warmth and happiness of the city’s festivities.”

    Teaser 1 – ‘Dhakis’ – 12-Sep-17- https://youtu.be/Bddamt_oIgs

    Teaser 2 – Pandal – 14-Sep-17 – https://youtu.be/GsJTu_RV6dk

    Teaser 3 – Kumoruli – 15-Sep-17 – https://youtu.be/t7Crxiq6nKQ

  • Legrand India & Liqvd Asia say #ComeHometoPujo

    Legrand India & Liqvd Asia say #ComeHometoPujo

    MUMBAI: Legrand India and Liqvd ASIA partnered to bring vibrancy associated with Pujo for people living outside their home town.

    Legrand India, an electrical and digital infrastructures company along with its digital partners Liqvd Asia, plans to create a real-time experience for the citizens around the country and elsewhere. Building on the excitement around the Pujo and allowing the people away from their hometown feel the pulse of the Pujo, the company has created an online destination — http://www.comehometopujo.com/ dedicated to festive happenings.

    The agency created an Instagram account ComeHomeToPujo which functions just like a regular website. It has 6 image tabs displaying the different aspects of Pujo, like a virtual library. Clicking on a category leads to the pictures within the category), all of which have their own Instagram accounts. Like Legrand_pandals, Legrand_Food, Legrand_Moments, Legrand_Pujo, Legrand_idols and Legrand_Colourred The tagging feature on the app has been used to enable easy navigation and involvement from their users — https://www.instagram.com/comehometopujo/

    “We wanted to create something really cool. And then, we noticed similarities between Instagram tags and website links. And then was ComeHomeToPujo Instragram introduced. The account makes use of Instagram’s tagging features and grid structure in an unconventional way to simulate a website,” said Liqvd Asia MD Arnab Mitra.

    The campaign also includes a photography contest as the country is slowly decking up for DurgaPujo. The contest is open for fervent and passionate photographers to capture the spirit of pujo through their eyes.

    Legrand India has been associating themselves with DurgaPujo pandels in Kolkata for almost a decade now. Last year #ComeHomeToPujo campaign generated prodigious response receiving over 1000 entries. This campaign helped citizens from far-flung regions connecting themselves with their favourite festival. Taking a cue from the popularity last year, Legrand has made this year’s campaign bigger and better by expanding the reach of the campaign.

    To make this experience unique, the company will organise Flash Mobs which will be performed at 20 different locations starting from Soshthi (The sixth day of Durga Puja).

  • Legrand India & Liqvd Asia say #ComeHometoPujo

    Legrand India & Liqvd Asia say #ComeHometoPujo

    MUMBAI: Legrand India and Liqvd ASIA partnered to bring vibrancy associated with Pujo for people living outside their home town.

    Legrand India, an electrical and digital infrastructures company along with its digital partners Liqvd Asia, plans to create a real-time experience for the citizens around the country and elsewhere. Building on the excitement around the Pujo and allowing the people away from their hometown feel the pulse of the Pujo, the company has created an online destination — http://www.comehometopujo.com/ dedicated to festive happenings.

    The agency created an Instagram account ComeHomeToPujo which functions just like a regular website. It has 6 image tabs displaying the different aspects of Pujo, like a virtual library. Clicking on a category leads to the pictures within the category), all of which have their own Instagram accounts. Like Legrand_pandals, Legrand_Food, Legrand_Moments, Legrand_Pujo, Legrand_idols and Legrand_Colourred The tagging feature on the app has been used to enable easy navigation and involvement from their users — https://www.instagram.com/comehometopujo/

    “We wanted to create something really cool. And then, we noticed similarities between Instagram tags and website links. And then was ComeHomeToPujo Instragram introduced. The account makes use of Instagram’s tagging features and grid structure in an unconventional way to simulate a website,” said Liqvd Asia MD Arnab Mitra.

    The campaign also includes a photography contest as the country is slowly decking up for DurgaPujo. The contest is open for fervent and passionate photographers to capture the spirit of pujo through their eyes.

    Legrand India has been associating themselves with DurgaPujo pandels in Kolkata for almost a decade now. Last year #ComeHomeToPujo campaign generated prodigious response receiving over 1000 entries. This campaign helped citizens from far-flung regions connecting themselves with their favourite festival. Taking a cue from the popularity last year, Legrand has made this year’s campaign bigger and better by expanding the reach of the campaign.

    To make this experience unique, the company will organise Flash Mobs which will be performed at 20 different locations starting from Soshthi (The sixth day of Durga Puja).

  • News channels to telecast Durga Puja live

    News channels to telecast Durga Puja live

    KOLKATA:  With the arrival of Durga Puja in Bengal, the biggest festival in the state, India’s national broadcaster, Doordarshan along with other regional Bengali channels will telecast the grand festival from Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal live for the next four days.

     

    Channels planning live telecast of the celebrations include 24 Ghanta, Akash Bangla, Star Ananda, Tara News, ETV News, Channel 10, Ne Bangla and Kolkata TV among other channels.

     

    Talking about the same, a Focus Bangla official said, “We will invite singers to our studios. We will also visit a celebrity’s house for the puja and be a part of their home experience.”

     

    Adding to that, a 24 Ghanta reporter added, “Each year, organisers come up with new themes and try to better their previous attempts. We try to cover all the important pujas from different locations so that old people and the young alike can enjoy the live puja from indoors.”

     

    The 10-day festival which started on 25 September will conclude on 3 October.

     

    Festooned with lights, giant cardboard cut-outs and clay figures adorn the entrances to lanes. The city has also been decked up like a bride to welcome the goddess.

     

  • DD Bharati commences cultural and religious season

    DD Bharati commences cultural and religious season

    NEW DELHI: The public broadcaster Doordarshan’s channel DD Bharati has slated several programmes to establish its identity as the television channel reflecting the art and culture of the country.

     

    Jewels of Hindustani Classical Music, a programme specially curated from the archives of stalwarts of Hindustani vocal and instrumental musicians who are alive and are virtually legends is commencing this evening.

     

    The first telecast at 9.00 pm with repeat telecast at 5.00 am and 1.00 pm features Begum Parveen Sultana of the Patiala Gharana followed by Vidushi Kishori Amonkar of the Jaipur- Atrauli Gharana. The legendary Pt Jasraj will be featured tomorrow at the same time.

     

    The programme, especially curated by Kumud Diwan and Yatindra Mishra, delves into their gharana, their musical genius, and their musical journey etc.   

     

    Coinciding with Dussehra and Diwali next month, DD Bharati will commence telecast of Ramayana from 27 September at 10.30 pm with repeat the next day at 6.30 am and 2.30 pm. It will be a series of presentation of ballets and documentary on the Ramkatha traditions prevalent in India.

     

    The Ramayana or Ramkatha tradition is pervasive not only in India but throughout South East Asia. Stories revolving around Ram, Sita and Lakshman penetrate through rural and urban, mundane and religious, sacred and secular domains. They defy categorization of art as folk or classical, rural or urban, textual or oral. Literary, oral, kinetic and pictorial aspects intermingle to generate multiple renditions of the text in different locales and contexts; each rendition with unique local flavour and linguistic distinction. The performative aspect of the text makes it fluid, accessible and adaptable. It accounts for its preservation, survival, transmission and mobility, cutting across boundaries of time and space. Every region has its own particular form and style of singing and reciting the story.

     

    Earlier this week with the start of Mahalaya, DD Bharati in association with the Girnar Kendra of Doordarshan presented ‘Maa Ni Chundari Lehrai’ from its rich collection of archives. A series of Garba presentation especially done and performed during the Navratra Festival was telecast with repeats the next day.

     

    DD Bharati also presented Devi Darshan from 24 September at 10.30 pm through a series of dance ballets and documentary celebrating the festivities of Durgaostav. Durga Puja festival is a 10-day long festival that starts off on Mahalaya (the day of the new moon) – the first day when Goddess Durga is believed to come into the world to destroy the evil.  The festival ends up in Dashumi- the last day when the Goddess Durga is believed to go back to her heavenly home, leaving behind the trails of happiness, goodness and purity. This is the day of the Lord’s victory over evil and is celebrated as Vijay Dashami or Dussehra. The salient ritual of Durga Puja spans a five days period Maha Sashti, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Vijaya Dashami.

  • Temporary ads to mushroom with KMC waiving tax

    Temporary ads to mushroom with KMC waiving tax

    KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) decision to waive advertisement tax on temporary banners, festoons and hoardings put up on the bamboo structures during the festive season, is likely to see the temporary ads mushrooming across the city during the Durga Puja.

     

    “Though government’s decision to waive corporation tax on advertisements put up by Puja organisers during the festive season will cost the civic exchequer crores, it will benefit the Puja committee. Companies like Parle, Kurlon, Vodafone, Aircel, ITC have started their advertisement campaigns,” said West Bengal Outdoor Advertising Association treasurer and grievance committee convener Ashif Kumar Biswas.

     

    Biswas recalls that last year, the KMC authorities had called for a tender and had mopped up over Rs 1 crore as price for collection of advertisement tax from temporary banners, festoons and hoardings. “However, at the last moment, the tender was cancelled after chief minister Mamata Banerjee suddenly announced the waiver,” he said.

     

    “City based small and medium businesses will be encouraged to put up more outdoor advertising and promote their business further and reach out to a broader mass”, said Let’s Assist Digital Services director Prasit Bhattacharya.

     

    “The advertising agencies should also offer some discounts which will encourage businesses to try out temporary advertising,” he feels.

     

    While Fame Per Second chief dreamer Suman Sen opines: “This was the best opportunity for the state government to mop up funds and later use for some good cause.”
     “So it is cheaper for advertisers now especially when the economy is not doing well and companies are not spending on advertisement. Puja Committees can hope for more advertisers backing them now,” said a city based media buying agency.

     

    The city would be all cluttered with advertisements for next 10 days, states another planner, adding that many advertising companies are likely to make a lot of unaccounted money from such a tax-free venture.

  • Canon India jumps into festive fray

    Canon India jumps into festive fray

    KOLKATA: For any Bengali worth his rosogulla, there can be no greater festival than Durga Puja. And so, not just the people in the country’s east but also major companies located there are gearing up for the festivities. 

    In keeping with the celebratory mood, digital imaging company Canon India is going all out with a comprehensive ad campaign comprising print and radio as well as placement of point-of-sale material featuring brand icon Anushka Sharma at all Canon retail outlets. 

    The campaign, a mix of above-the-line (ATL) and below-the-line (BTL), focuses on Canon’s digital compact and DSLR camera range. The company has kicked-off a new TV commercial featuring its digital SLR EOS 70D being rolled out from this month. New models too have been launched ahead of Durga Puja.

    But, it doesn’t end there. For Canon, it is more about strengthening its connect with consumers in the most effective way, a Kolkata-based brand analyst pointed out. 
    Speaking about business in the eastern region, Canon India executive vice president Alok Bharadwaj said that despite the economic slowdown, the company has achieved 27 per cent growth in the DSLR business in the eastern region and has maintained a steady growth rate of 10 per cent across India.

    “The current DSLR India market with 2.5 lakh units is expected to grow to 5 lakh units in three years. By expanding offerings with variants of combos and discounts between 10 and 40 per cent, we are preparing for a strong foothold in this segment,” he said.

  • Around 1.80 lakh defaulters in Kolkata face TV blackout as of 26 August

    KOLKATA: With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) pressuring service providers in Kolkata to disconnect the television connections of customers for not submitting the subscriber application forms, multiple system operators, more than 1.80 lakh customers have experienced a black out till Monday evening.

     

    While talking about the snapping of the connection which started from Saturday morning, Den Networks, Hathway Cable and Datacom and Manthan Broadband Services snapped the maximum number of cable connections, out of 80,000 which were disconnected on August 24.

     

    Also, with just around 45 days remaining for the grand festival of Durga Puja, some cable operators are relaxed and have assured the customers that they can send the details after the festival is over, said a customer, using the service of one of the players, which has maximum penetration in KM area.

     

    Industry sources said: “The consumer application forms (CAF) of these MSOs were not ready as compared to other players like SitiCable. As a result, the three MSOs had to switch off the connection,” adding that the MSO will continue to switch-off few connections at a time in the coming days to guard against law-and-order problem.

     

    As per the TRAI mandate, the MSOs were supposed to switch-off the cable connections of those customers, who had not filled-up the CAFs in Kolkata post midnight of 23 August.

     

    Committee of the Association of Cable Operators, Cable Operators Digitalisation convener Swapan Chowdhury said the MSOs have been asked by the TRAI to provide details of TV connections running illegally in the KM area.

     

    Siticable that has disconnected more than 90,000 subscribers till Monday evening, has seen a good response from customers. “We are not switching off the connections of CAF non compliance customers at a go. We are doing it in small numbers – say 15,000,” expounded Siticable director (Kolkata) Suresh Sethia.

     

    Manthan Broadband Services which has installed 6.5 lakh to seven lakh set top boxes, had alone disconnected around 30,000 connections on Saturday, said Manthan Broadband Services director Sudip Ghosh.

     

    “Our purpose is not to switch-off the connection. But after snapping say four connections, more than 100 customers have approached from the vicinity,” he added.
    Seeing the fast response from the customers, it can be easily assumed that in the KM DAS area, CAFs rate is likely to be 70 per cent to 80 per cent in next six days – seven days, Ghosh predicted.

     

    Den Networks and Hathway Cable and Datacom could not be asked specifically about the connections snapped by them in KM area.

     

    Cable Shilpa Bachao Committee convener Mrinal Chatterjee said instead of disconnecting the TV sets, TRAI should penalise the MSOs and not the customers by asking MSOs to switch off the connection; as the CAFs were not given to the customers on time.

     

    With no official extension notice from the regulatory body, will Kolkata see deactivation of set-top boxes of more and more defaulters at this juncture? Watch this space for the latest updates.

  • HDIL Ent gets plex urge

    HDIL Ent gets plex urge

    KOLKATA: HDIL Entertainment, the 100 per cent subsidiary of the Mumbai-based real estate company, Housing Development and Infrastructure (HDIL), plans to have 70 multi-screen plexes pan India in the next couple of years. For setting up the cinema screens, the company has earmarked an investment of Rs 55 crore. The company’s multiplexes operate under the brand name – Broadway.
    HDIL Broadway CEO Mukesh Gupta is optimistic that both West Bengal plexes
    will be operational before Durga Puja

     

    HDIL Entertainment which reported a turnover of Rs 45 crore in the last fiscal of 2012-13, is aiming at notching up Rs 75 crore – Rs 80 crore by the end of the current fiscal 2013-14.

    In West Bengal, the company has signed a deal with mall developers for a four-screen plex Broadway at Asansol and three-screen plex at Durgapur.

    It is learnt that it will go for a lease agreement with Bengal Shristi for the Duragapur screens. Apart from this, it is looking at Burdwan and central Kolkata for expansion and Guwahati would be the preferred next destination in the eastern region. “Both the West Bengal plexes are slated to be operational before Durga Puja,” HDIL Broadway CEO Mukesh Gupta told indiantelevision.com.

    “By the month of October 2013, we plan to start 14 screens pan India and the total number of screens would be 35 by this year end. By the end of next year 2014, we are aiming at 70 multi-screen plexes,” he highlights.

    Of the Rs 55 crore investment needed, Rs 20 crore will be from internal accruals while a bank loan would account for Rs 35 crore, says Gupta.

    Broadway has around 14 operational plexes in Mumbai and four each in Kolkata and Indore. “We plan to open four screens at Kolkata, three in Delhi and two more in Mumbai by the end of the year,” the CEO says.

    It is interesting to note that two years ago the company planned to open around 120 multi-screen plexes by 2016 using the ownership model at an investment of Rs 450-500 crore. “Seeing the slow growth and not so conducive economic sentiment, we are looking at 120 screens in next three years to four years on a lease basis,” explains Gupta.

     

    HDIL Broadway has a four- screen multiplex, spread over 30,000 square feet and with a sitting capacity of 799 people in the city of Kolkata at present. Tickets are priced between Rs 150-Rs 200.

    Talking about the occupancy rate in Kolkata, he said the average occupancy rate is 48-52 per cent while “there are days like last week when the cinema halls were flooded with good movies, it was around 78 per cent also,” he says.

    “We have capitalised on the Salt Lake late-night movie-watching crowd and also the EM Bypass, Phoolbagan and Kankurgachi cinegoers in Kolkata,” reveals Gupta.

    Without giving much detail, Gupta said Broadway would soon open in central Kolkata.

    HDIL Entertainment is keen to tap the south market also for Broadway expansion, says Gupta.

    HDIL, the parent of HDIL Entertainment, was in the news recently for not paying interest arrears on a loan taken by it from Indiabulls Housing Finance, which it later paid up. Its share price dropped on the bad press.

    After a long consolidation of one and a half years, the HDIL share price broke out of the range, says Dhanpurna Commodities research head Puneet Rathi. “Falling below Rs 100 levels in January 2013, reflect a continuation of down trend in stock. After touching a bottom of Rs 26.1 on 6 August 2013 it bounced back on low volume,” he said.

    It is currently trading in the Rs 30 plus range.

    On Wednesday afternoon, the scrip was trading at Rs 32.85, up 0.61 per cent.

  • High inflation may dampen festival season spending: Ipsos Survey

    MUMBAI: Nearly four-fifth (78 per cent) Indians claimed their planned expenditure during this festival season will be less than Rs 10,000, according to the ‘Mood of the Nation Survey‘ conducted by global research firm Ipsos.

    Among the respondents (43 per cent) who said that there spend during this Diwali is less than Rs 5000 are mostly from middle and lower middle income families.

    Ipsos India head of marketing communication Biswarup Banerjee said, “High inflation and an uncertain economic environment are some of the main reasons for buyers cutting down on spending.”

    Less than two in 10 (16 per cent) Indians said that their shopping budget during this Diwali is between Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000. In this group, rich and higher middle class income families were significantly higher than middle and lower middle income families.

    Only five per cent of rich Indians claimed that their planned expenditure during this Diwali is more than Rs 50,000.

    In Delhi, 23 per cent people claimed that their Diwali shopping budget is more than Rs 50,000 and 28% people claimed that their shopping budget is between Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000.

    In Kolkata, 92 per cent people claimed that their Durga Puja shopping budget is less than Rs 10,000.

    During this festival season sweets and food items (90 per cent), clothes (86 per cent), and gifts (53 per cent) are the top three planned purchases of Indian citizen. At the fourthh position feature Electronic Goods, desired to be purchased by 30 per cent people.

    A very few people also plan to buy cars (six per cent) and bikes (five per cent). These respondents mostly belong to rich and upper middle class category.

    In Delhi, the top three items are sweets and food items (100 per cent), clothes (96 per cent), electronic goods (91 per cent).

    Only half (52 per cent) Indians said that they were holding up their purchase decision till wDiali in anticipation of heavy discounts. In this group who is waiting till Diwali, female respondents are significantly higher than male respondents.

    The remaining half of the people are not willing to wait. Male respondents are significantly higher than female respondents who are not waiting till Diwali.

    Delhi (79 per cent) and Kolkata (69 per cent) topped the list in terms of holding the purchase decision till festival season discounts are announced.

    “This festive season bargain-hunting may become the preferred choice for majority of Indians as higher discounts will be definitely an added incentive for spending on desired items,” added Banerjee.

    Ipsos ‘Mood of the Nation‘ survey was conducted between September 24 – 27, 2012 among 420 men and women in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Lucknow.