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Tag: Kottayam

  • Toon in drop out mall crawl brings summer mayhem for kids

    Toon in drop out mall crawl brings summer mayhem for kids

    MUMBAI: What do you get when Chhota Bheem, Tom & Jerry, Ben 10, and Mr. Bean walk into a mall? No, it’s not a joke setup, it’s Warner Bros. Discovery’s summer tour turning shopping centres into cartoon chaos with the mother of all toon takeovers.

    With Pogo, Cartoon Network, and Discovery Kids uniting for a high-energy, 10-city mall activation, Indian kids are in for a summer that’s equal parts action, laughter, dance-offs, selfies, and superhero hugs. The blockbuster bonanza kicked off this May and continues through June, transforming malls in metros like Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru and even non-metro hubs like Aurangabad, Kottayam and Ahmednagar into playgrounds of pure animated madness.

    Themed zones will see POGO’s India Ke Superheroes (featuring Little Singham, Chhota Bheem and Chhutki) rubbing shoulders with Cartoon Network’s Jhatpat Action Khatpat Comedy icons (Ben 10, Teen Titans Go, Tom & Jerry, and Powerpuff Girls) while Discovery Kids’ Katti Batti Dosti Pakki springs to life with Titoo and Mr. Bean’s wacky camaraderie.

    But it’s not just for the ‘Gram although there are selfie spots aplenty. Think interactive games, creative art corners, dance battles, and themed installations that pull kids right into the worlds they usually only binge-watch. The energy isn’t just reserved for the malls either. Online extensions include digital challenges, UGC contests, and highlights from the on-ground madness keeping the FOMO real.

    Warner Bros. Discovery marketing head of South Asia Janhavi Vyas said, “At Warner Bros. Discovery, we’re passionate about crafting joyful, immersive experiences that unite families and ignite young imaginations. Through these summer activations, we’re transforming malls into vibrant hubs of creativity and entertainment, bringing fans close to their beloved characters,while delivering blockbuster fun that complements our exciting summer slate and creating lasting memories for our audiences.”

    And just in case parents were wondering how to get their kids off screens post-visit, WBD’s summer programming plans ensure they don’t have to. The slate boasts nearly 200 half-hours of fresh content across the three channels, including 22 new Chhota Bheem episodes, the premiere of Chhota Bheem in Samay Chakra, superhero specials like Leo! Rise of Super Singham, and Singhamverse Kaalverse 2.

    Chhota Bheem also turns 17 this May, and WBD isn’t letting that go unnoticed cue crossover events, Maha Blockbuster films, and weekly stunts. Add in strong brand partnerships and multiple language options, and you’ve got a summer lineup designed to keep India’s kids happily glued whether on-ground or online.

    In short, if your child disappears this May and June, don’t panic. Just follow the sound of cartoon catchphrases, dance floor beats and raucous laughter. Chances are, they’re at the mall, tooning out in the best way possible.

  • Pranab lauds Indian press for upholding high standards and free speech

    Pranab lauds Indian press for upholding high standards and free speech

    New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee said today that the media in India has always supported the freedom of individuals to speak out as per his or her conviction and saluted the media for not compromising on freedom of speech and expression.

     

    He was speaking after receiving the first copy of the English version of the book The Eighth Ring, the autobiography of late K M Mathew, former editor and publisher of Malayala Manorama. The book was released by Mammen Mathew, Chief Editor, Malayala Manorama. Eminent Jurist & former member of Parliament  Fali S Nariman and Dr. Prannoy Roy, Chairman NDTV spoke on the occasion. 

    The President said the history of Indian journalism is intertwined with that of the freedom movement. From the time of Hickey’s Gazette which came out during the days of the East India Company, the media has highlighted problems faced by the common people. Many national leaders founded newspapers or were closely associated with it during the freedom struggle.

     

    Relatng an interesting story from history, he said Jawaharlal Nehru wrote in October 1937 in The Modern Review of Calcutta under a pseudonym and criticised himself for having dictatorial tendencies. People wondered who had dared criticize Nehru but it was only much later that people realised Nehru himself had written the article in order to encourage criticism. 

    The President expressed confidence that the media in India has always fought authoritarian tendencies. He was confident they would be able to succeed in meeting all modern day challenges, including those posed by techonolgy. He complimented the Manorama Group for treating journalism as a mission and commitment to society.

    The President said he knew Mathew personally from the early days of his public life. He has been familiar with the Malayala Manorama Group for long and attended the 125th year celebrations in Kottayam in 2013. The Malayala Manorama group has established a significant presence in the media world with numerous publications, TV and Radio channels. He was particularly fond of the Manorama Year Book and used to eagerly await the arrival of the Bengali edition every year. 

  • Mathrubhumi Goes Live on Atex Editorial Content Management System

    Mathrubhumi Goes Live on Atex Editorial Content Management System

    Reading UK – Mathrubhumi, one of India's leading Malayalam language media companies with more than 80 daily publications producing over 370 pages daily, is live on the Atex Editorial Content Management System (CMS). Mathrubhumi is based in Kerala, India and has a total circulation of more than 1.3 million, with approximately 7.5 million readers. The company's website, www.mathrubhumi.com provides online content covering diverse topics such as entertainment, sports, health, education, women, and astrology.

    Atex (www.atex.com) is one of the media industry's largest and longest serving suppliers of Content Management, Multi-Channel Advertising and Audience Management software platforms. "With all users on a relational database-centric system, we look forward to obtaining efficiencies and increasing the collaborative effectiveness of our personnel," said Shreyams Kumar, Mathrubhumi's Director of Marketing and Electronic Media. "We will utilise the power of the system to publish across any media type in the near future. With the Atex CMS solution we will be able to react quickly to a rapidly changing and challenging marketplace and bring innovative offerings to our valued customers." Mr. Kumar is also second term M.L.A. from Kerala State.

    Babuprakash Kalathil, Mathrubhumi Project Manager, adds: "Atex has a wide-ranging platform intended to help multi-channel newsrooms create, manage and deliver content to any print or digital channel while keeping firm deadlines and the highest quality editorial values." Mathrubhumi's Deputy General Manager of IT, Baiju Madhavan, concurs: "Pagination is fast and flexible and that yields increased efficiency. We will use the remote entry capability of the Atex system for our bureaus so reporters can be very productive."

    Founded in 1923, Mathrubhumi now has 15 editions published from different cities inside and outside India, including the United Arab Emirates. The nine editions of Mathrubhumi in Kerala are published from the publication centres in Calicut, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kannur, Palakkad, Malappuram, and Kollam. There are also another four editions of Mathrubhumi published in Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi.

    Jerome Laredo Atex Asia-Pacific CEO, said, "We are very proud of our association with Mathrubhumi and we are pleased with the combined team effort that was necessary to make this a successful project. We look forward to the next stage, which will include the implementation of our leading Atex Polopoly Web Content Management platform to support multi-channel publishing across digital and print channels."

  • Kerala govt accords platinum grade to 15 theatres

    Kerala govt accords platinum grade to 15 theatres

    MUMBAI: In a report of theatre classification committees appointed by the Kerala government, as many as 15 theatres in the state have been selected for ‘platinum grade‘, for best projection, sound system, seating and maintenance.


    The classification committees in three regions examined the facilities at 399 theatres. The theatres examined by the committees have been given different grades.


    Anand Cinema at Kottayam was chosen as the best theatre in the state. A total of 29 theatres were placed in second grade, 81 theatres were put in the third grade, 127 in fourth grade while 86 were placed in the fifth grade.


    It is understood that the government would take steps to help promote these theatres. Cinema ticketing machines would be introduced in all theatres by March, which would check tax evasion.


    The government has instructed public health officials to check the theatres at least once a week. It was also made clear that film releases would not be permitted at theatres that were badly maintained.


    Finally, action would be taken against 77 theatres that did not allow the committee to examine their facilities.