ITV

Tag: Rajkumar Rao

  • 20th CNBC-TV18 IBLA honour leaders in innovation & growth

    20th CNBC-TV18 IBLA honour leaders in innovation & growth

    MUMBAI: The 20th edition of CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards (IBLA), presented by Standard Chartered Bank, celebrated India’s visionary leaders who are driving innovation, growth, and transformation across industries through bold actions and impactful contributions.

    Emeritus, DLF chairman KP Singh received the ‘Hall of Fame recognition, cementing his legacy as a pioneer in the transformation of India’s real estate sector. The ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award was conferred on Serum Institute of India founder Cyrus Poonawalla for his extraordinary contribution to delivering affordable public health solutions globally. For her exceptional efforts in showcasing India’s cultural heritage and fostering global connections, Reliance Foundation chairperson Nita Ambani was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Brand India’ award.

    Actor Rajkumar Rao was named ‘Entertainment Leader of the Year’ for his compelling performance in films like Srikanth and Stree 2. The managing director of Bajaj Auto, Rajiv Bajaj received the ‘Outstanding Company of the Year’ award for Bajaj Auto.

    The evening also featured engaging sessions with policymakers who offered thought-provoking insights on India’s economic landscape and growth opportunities.

    In a fireside chat, union minister of road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari said, “Our GDP structure highlights both challenges and opportunities. Agriculture contributes 14 per cent, manufacturing accounts for 22–24 per cent, and services dominate with 52–54 per cent. Despite this, 65 per cent of our population depends on agriculture, yet its growth rate remains at 14 per cent. This imbalance underscores the urgent need to embrace innovation, science, technology, and global best practices to enhance productivity. By shifting to value-added agriculture, empowering rural communities, and diversifying into energy production, we can elevate agricultural growth to 22 per cent, thereby increasing purchasing power in rural India and aligning it with our broader development goals.”

    In conversation with Network18’s editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi, Piyush Goyal, union minister of commerce and industry said, “I’ve long questioned how interest rates—whether high or low—truly impact the demand for essentials like onions, tomatoes, rice, or pulses. This outdated thinking, tied to traditional inflation metrics like CPI, no longer serves us. In fact, high interest rates may fuel inflation, further burdening the common man. It’s time for economists to come together and assess the real impact of monetary policy on food inflation. While the economy remains strong with positive indicators like GST collections and manufacturing growth, we must adapt to changing realities. I’m confident that by the end of the year, we will maintain our position as the fastest-growing economy globally. However, the debate around inflation and interest rates is one we can no longer afford to overlook.”

    In his first private media event after taking oath as Maharashtra’s chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis said, “The people of Maharashtra have given us an unprecedented mandate, and with it comes a great responsibility of driving India’s economy forward. Maharashtra has always been ahead, and I am proud to share that in just the first six months of this year, we have already achieved 90 per cent of last year’s FDI inflows—poised for a record-breaking year. In infrastructure, Maharashtra is leading the way with projects like the Badhwar port, which is set to become India’s largest and transformative development, such as the third Mumbai airport in Panvel and the Atal Setu connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Additionally, we are building a ‘third Mumbai,’ three times the size of the current city, to become India’s next business capital. Maharashtra offers unparalleled opportunities, and I assure you that conducting business here will be seamless and supportive. Together, we can make Maharashtra India’s first trillion-dollar sub-national economy.”

    The jury panel for IBLA 2024 comprised a distinguished group of senior industry leaders, including Bharat Forge chairman & managing director Babasaheb N Kalyani, who chaired the panel. Other esteemed jurors included Standard Chartered Bank CEO, India & South Asia Zarin Daruwala, State Bank of India chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, Kotak Mahindra Bank managing director & CEO Ashok Vaswani, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise managing director Suneeta Reddy, Federal Bank managing director & CEO  KVS Manian, L&T  president, whole-time director & CFO  R Shankar Raman, Asian Paints CEO & managing director Amit Syngle, Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S, Titan Capital co-founder Kunal Bahl, and Blume Venture Advisors co-founder & managing partner Karthik Reddy.

    CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards (IBLA) is a coveted leadership award, which celebrates trailblazers whose courage, vision, and influence are redefining success. Spread across seventeen categories, IBLA recognised emerging and established business leaders in its 20th edition.

    Here’s the full list of winners:

    CATEGORIES

    WINNERS

    BRAND CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

    ARIEL

    YOUNG TURK OF THE YEAR

    NOISE

    YOUNG TURK STARTUP OF THE YEAR

    THE SLEEP COMPANY

    BREAKOUT BRAND OF THE YEAR

    		 BLISSCLUB

    OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CONSCIOUSNESS

    BATX ENERGIES

    DISRUPTOR OF THE YEAR

    		 BLINKIT

    MOST PROMISING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

    PI INDUSTRIES

    OUTSTANDING BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR

    VELLAYAN SUBBIAH

    OUTSTANDING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

    BAJAJ AUTO

    IN MEMORIAM

    NARAYAN VAGHUL, VINEET NAYYAR, RANJIT SHAHANI, FALI NARIMAN

    OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC SERVICE

    SUNITA NARAIN

    OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO INDIAN ECONOMY

    IIT MADRAS (SPECIAL RECOGNITION)

    ENTERTAINMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR

    RAJKUMMAR RAO

    SPORTS LEADER OF THE YEAR

    INDIAN CHESS TEAM – TANIA SACHDEV

    LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

    DR CYRUS POONAWALLA

    OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRAND INDIA

    NITA AMBANI

    HALL OF FAME

    		 KP SINGH
  • Organic Harvest onboarded as the official skincare partner for ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi’

    Organic Harvest onboarded as the official skincare partner for ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi’

    Mumbai: Organic beauty and personal care brand, Organic Harvest (part of the Good Glamm Group), comes on board as the official skincare partner for the highly anticipated Bollywood movie by Dharma Productions, “Mr. & Mrs. Mahi.”, starring actors Rajkumar Rao as Mahendra and Janhvi Kapoor as Mahima.

    Directed by Sharan Sharma, known for his directorial debut Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and produced by Dharma Productions, the film has already created a buzz among fans and cinephiles alike. In this partnership, Organic Harvest’s 100 per cent certified organic skincare products take center stage with the brand’s cult favourite products Organic Harvest sunscreen and facewash is protecting Mr. & Mrs. Mahi, from the harsh effects of UV rays, blue light, and environmental pollutants, both on and off screen.

    This unique partnership between Organic Harvest and “Mr. & Mrs. Mahi” goes beyond traditional advertising, beating the heat this summer. The collaboration aims to inspire audiences to experience Organic Harvest and its organic advantage that sets it apart in the skincare industry. Unlike regular chemical-based and so-called natural products, Organic Harvest’s range is 100 per cent certified organic and committed to enhancing the natural beauty, nurturing the skin without any harmful chemicals & toxins. Organic Harvest invites consumers to experience the true essence of organic wellness and let go of conventional products in favor of certified organic ones, delivering the safest and most effective skincare. As Mahima and Mahendra, characters from the film, embark on their journey of personal growth and empowerment, Organic Harvest’s presence underscores the importance of nurturing oneself from the inside out, reflecting the brand’s ethos of holistic well-being and self-love.

    Good Glamm Group,  group brand director Ketan Bhatia expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Our collaboration with Dharma Productions’ ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi’ represents an exciting opportunity to merge the worlds of cinema and skincare, providing our commitment to promoting skincare solutions that are not only effective but truly safe, being 100 per cent certified organic. By eliminating harmful chemicals and embracing the purity of nature, we offer consumers a genuinely safe and beneficial alternative. The unmatched advantages of our organic formulations, reinforcing our mission to promote true wellness and natural beauty.”

    Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta shared, “We are excited to collaborate with Organic Harvest on ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi,’ as it allows us to integrate meaningful brand partnerships into the themes of our stories. Organic Harvest’s dedication to natural skincare perfectly complements the themes of self-discovery and authenticity portrayed in the film..”

    As part of this partnership, Organic Harvest spotlights four of its premium skincare products, that are 100 per cent American certified organic, paraben-free, silicon-free, sulphate-free, responsible, sustainable and essential for maintaining healthy, radiant skin, especially for those active lifestyles portrayed in the film. As the official skincare partner for “Mr. & Mrs. Mahi,” Organic Harvest’s premium embodies the superior benefits of organic ingredients that are kinder to the environment, gentler and more effective for the skin. By using naturally derived ingredients, these products help to maintain the skin’s natural balance, prevent irritation, and deliver long-lasting results. Organic Harvest’s commitment to purity ensures that every application contributes to overall well-being, making it the ideal choice for those who seek both beauty and health. Among the featured products are the all skin SPF 60 sunscreen, oily skin SPF 60 sunscreen, luxurious bathing bars and six-in-one brightening facewash, each designed to enhance and protect the skin’s natural beauty.

    Organic Harvest invites audiences to embark on a journey of self-care and discovery with “Mr. & Mrs. Mahi,” where the power of organic skincare meets the magic of cinema.

    Mr and Mrs Mahi releases in cinemas on 31 May 2024.

  • Traya and Rajkumar Rao reunite for #HopeForHair campaign

    Traya and Rajkumar Rao reunite for #HopeForHair campaign

    Mumbai: Traya, India’s first-ever health-tech brand committed to treating hair loss internally, is thrilled to announce the extension of its revolutionary campaign, #HopeForHair, taking a deeper dive into its holistic approach to hair health.

    Building on the remarkable success of the first campaign film released last year, the new series of films, seeks to inspire the development of consistent habits among customers to follow the Traya treatment plan for holistic solutions. The latest film demonstrates how the Traya treatment consistently addresses the root cause of hair loss over time, showcasing its lasting effectiveness.

    The campaign film once again stars Rajkumar Rao, aiming to strengthen Traya’s presence in the Hindi-speaking market. In this segment, Traya pivots the narrative towards cultivating consistent habits for enhancing internal health.

    The first leg of the film, launching today, shows Rao as a gym instructor, focusing on the similarity between achieving fitness results through consistent workouts with professional guidance and addressing hair loss. It introduces Traya’s hair coach offering, drawing parallels to the gym trainer, who ensures continuous customer support throughout the course of the Traya treatment for optimal results.

    Speaking on the new campaign film, Traya co-founder Saloni Anand said “The #HopeForHair campaign is Traya’s effort to shift people’s perspective on hair loss. The initial campaign film with Rajkumar Rao instilled hope by showcasing transformative results for hair loss. Our goal is to enhance awareness that, although our solution is effective, consistent adherence to the treatment is crucial, and Traya’s hair coach is there to support individuals throughout their journey. At Traya, our mission is to offer a reliable, long-term solution to hair loss.”

    The first leg of the campaign film has been released across digital platforms with a primary focus on YouTube, followed by social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Beyond social media platforms, the film will be further promoted by the brand via internal communications, emailers, and WhatsApp marketing. Additionally, it will be amplified across various digital media and the brand’s web page in varied languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bengali.

  • Bollywood Stars Rajkumar Rao, Rannvijay Singha and Sports icons Sunil Chettri & Gurpreet Singh, Launch the Spykar Vintage and Rare Denim collection

    Bollywood Stars Rajkumar Rao, Rannvijay Singha and Sports icons Sunil Chettri & Gurpreet Singh, Launch the Spykar Vintage and Rare Denim collection

    MUMBAI: Rannvijay Singha, Rajkumar Rao, Sunil Chettri & Gurpreet Singh unboxed the much-awaited Vintage & Rare Limited Edition Collection Jeans by India’s top fashion denim brand, Spykar. 

    The pre-launch campaign included a teaser release on social media to build curiosity and buzz around the product before the big reveal. Here, the celebrities were seen giving a sneak peek of the wooden cask packaging on their Instagram stories and a shoutout saying “stay tuned for the unboxing tomorrow!” 

    On the launch day, these celebrities unboxed the specially curated wooden cask. After much build-up, the contents of the wooden casks were finally revealed… The Limited Edition Vintage & Rare Jeans by Spykar! The campaign story was weaved around the concept ‘Born 18’ to highlight the importance of being 18. The narrative was to focus on vintage denims that have been pre-aged 18 years using authentic treatments. So now, one doesn't have to wait 18 years to get into a vintage pair of denims to kindle or rekindle their 18-year-old spirit. Here, the celebrities were seen sharing personal experiences and stories about being 18. 

    The next phase of this campaign included India's top fashion bloggers promoting the limited edition Vintage & Rare Jeans on their Instagram handles through posts and insta-stories. These bloggers were carefully chosen to meet with our brand's aesthetic and theme of the collection. Our main aim was to focus on genuine engagement and quality content rather than chasing the ‘number of followers’.

    To amplify the campaign further, radio was added to the mix. India’s leading RJ, Mallishka and her counterparts were been on-boarded to spread the word. 

    So, What made this collection so special? Spykar’s Vintage & Rare Collection Jeans are inspired by aged whiskey. Just as spirit tastes better with age, so is true for denims. The older the denim, the more character. Spykar’s Vintage & Rare collection jeans are pre-aged 18 years using authentic treatments and various wet & dry processes to help achieve that mended, long preserved vintage look. These jeans are handcrafted by skilled artisans and are made with eco-ethical practices. Spykar’s Vintage Jeans are a blend of Vintage Vibes with Contemporary cuts for young men. 

    Sanjay Vakharia, CEO of Spykar says, “Spykar is known for its product innovation & design. And every season we launch an innovative concept for our customers. We realize that we are catering to the “NOW” generation who can’t wait 18 years to create their own Vintage. That inspired us to launch a Pre-Aged 18 year old denim that’s handcrafted to deliver the Vintage vibes in Contemporary cuts”.

  • Culture Machine’s movie Amoli starring Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao, Kamal Hassan, Nani and Jisshu Sengupta as narrators wins the 66th national film award

    Culture Machine’s movie Amoli starring Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao, Kamal Hassan, Nani and Jisshu Sengupta as narrators wins the 66th national film award

    MUMBAI: The announcement of the most prestigious 66th National Film Awards, took place at Rashtriya Bhavan New Delhi recently honoring the best films of 2018. Culture Machine’ a digital media company which runs some of India’s largest digital brands won the ‘Best Investigative Film’ award for its movie Amoli.

    Starring the renowned stalwarts of the film industry – Vidya Balan, Rajkumar Rao, Kamal Hassan, Nani, and Jisshu Sengupta as the narrators, Amoli’ is a definitive documentary on the repulsive commercial sexual the exploitation of children, a deep-seated and well-organized criminal industry.

    Released in seven languages, the documentary is narrated in 4 chapters – Mol (Price), Maya (Illusion), Manthan (Internal conflict), Mukti (Liberation). Each chapter takes the audience on a journey that delves deep into the grimdark world of child sexual exploitation.

    Speaking on the remarkable achievement at the 66th National Film Awards, Sameer Pitalwalla– Founder and CEO, Culture Machine said, “It is a proud moment for the company to have been honored with such an esteemed award. Through Amoli, we tried to create awareness among people on the scale and human cost of the sexual manipulation of children in India. We are glad to see the appreciation being showered on the documentary.”

    The gorgeous and talented Vidya Balan, who narrated the English version of the movie said, “The film Amoli has a strong storyline and I am glad to have been associated with this documentary. It revolves around the heart-wrenching story that exposes the ugly business of commercial sexual exploitation of children. I have narrated the English version of the movie. It gives me immense happiness to see it receive the prestigious 66th National Award and this is definitely a proud moment for the entire team.”

    Acclaimed documentary filmmakers Jasmine Kaur Roy and Avinash Roy who directed the movie quipped on the spectacular win, “The award not only recognizes the hard work put in by the team but also celebrates the indomitable spirit of those who are fighting a constant battle to put an end to child sex trafficking. We hope that this National Award would further help to highlight these voices and bring a stronger law against this horrific crime.”

  • Bathsense launches new campaign with Rajkumar Rao

    Bathsense launches new campaign with Rajkumar Rao

    MUMBAI: Bathsense is a creation from Asian Paints, and represents the brand’s first complete bathrooms offering in the bath category.

    Bathsense is a collection of exemplary bath fittings and sanitaryware products that aims to simplify the user’s bathroom life with a host of truly unique features. Coming with the experience and legacy of Asian Paints, Bathsense presents unmatched aesthetics in design, quality, functionality and durability.

    To introduce India to Bathsense, Asian Paints has launched a 360 degree campaign, centred on a series of TVCs for North India. The TVCs were supported by an outdoor, print, digital and radio campaign, various activations and other point-of-sale elements for dealers, plumbers and customers. The entire campaign was conceptualised and created by Madison BMB, a unit of Madison World.

    The concept of the campaign, including its tagline ‘Bathrooms that understand you’, came from a powerful insight: today, bathroom products come in endless shapes and designs, but what one wants is a bathroom that smartly understands his/her bathroom expectations, including qualities like hygiene and durability.

    Bathsense backed this with impactful features like abundant flow even at low pressures, self-cleaning showers, water-saving faucets and many, many more. The TVCs aimed to not only introduce these product features in a memorable way, but also showcase a unique, humorous story that could easily stand out amidst the plethora of invisible bath ads today.

    The story essentially takes place in a Bathsense bathroom that understands its main user so well, he has chosen to live in it. By existing completely in a beautiful bathroom space, the story uses both quirkiness and simplicity to talk about how Bathsense products understand the user, even if the outside world might not. The repeated use of the phrase ‘Isse pata hai’ (this understands me) makes the film even more quotable and memorable. The phrase is also utilised in other elements of the campaign to provide continuity with the films. The story called for a main character who could be charming, easy-going, funny and yet classy, sometimes at the same time. Rajkumar Rao, a highly-respected Indian actor who has garnered critical acclaim for providing thoughtful performances in memorable films, was chosen for the North Indian (Hindi) film.

    Asian Paints Home Improvement vice president Pragyan Kumar says, “Apart from having great designs that look beautiful, Bathsense is committed to provide innovative solutions to problems that have remained unanswered for long. We strongly believe that the campaign will help us seed brand Bathsense in the market and establish clearly to our customers that we are here to offer solutions that truly understand them.”

    Madison BMB CEO and chief creative officer Raj Nair adds, “In today’s day and age, it seems almost old fashioned to find a brand’s virtue in the brand’s features themselves. Having said that, when we realised the features of brand Bathsense were as distinctive as they were, we thought why not build the proposition around the features themselves. Then came the added bonus of Rajkumar Rao who with his performance has made the campaign more memorable. Plus the music in the films is extremely quirky and catchy as well. In fact, seeing the instantaneous positive response of the dealers at the launch was an incredibly satisfying conclusion that should resonate well with consumers too.”

  • Known actors profitable to web series: ALTBalaji’s Manav Sethi

    Known actors profitable to web series: ALTBalaji’s Manav Sethi

    MUMBAI: Bollywood actors are seeking refuge in TV and online series. The spurt of content with known big-screen faces points to a trend of getting value out of their established names.

    ALTBalaji has launched a plethora of shows with A-list names. “It is more profitable to sign an actor when he does justice to the role and the script does justice to the actor. It is not about celebrity or non-celebrity. We are the first one to sign Rajkumar Rao for an online series. We, as creative shop and storytellers, don’t go behind celebrities, we go behind actors,” says ALTBalaji CMO Manav Sethi.

    Actor selection is not dependent on his one time success or failure. “When we script, we check which talent will be suitable,” he adds.

    The actor’s fee in movies is significantly higher than web series. Actors are paid in the range of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore for a series, which is significantly less than their movie fee. What makes them settle? Sethi answers, “Movie is a medium that is restricted and constricted whereas online shows give them a lot more freedom, versatility and options and I believe that entices them.” He adds that another crucial factor is the ability of web series to reach out to far and diverse audiences.

    The tactic also works for the creator because they can ensure their work reaches millions of people with less marketing and communication. The production cost goes up by 25-50 per cent if they sign a known face.  

    ALTBalaji launched a web series The Test Case on Republic Day with actors like Juhi Chawla, Nimrat Kaur and Rahul Dev. A few days back, ALT had roped in Vivek Oberoi for its upcoming web series Family (working title). Before that, it came up with Bose: Dead or Alive with Rajkumar Rao. Earlier, Ragini MMS Returns had the Bengali beauty Riya Sen. Soon, Haq Se will stream with Bollywood actors like Rajeev Khandelwal and Surveen Chawla in the lead.

    ALTBalaji is heating up the online content game by releasing web series back to back in 2018 with the promise of doing about 200-250 hours of original content this year. The VoD player is betting high on popular Bollywood and TV actors, which increases the cost but still gets them significantly better results.

    Also Read :

    Regional content on ALTBalaji to constitute 15% of show hours 

    Selective, snackable, short episodes, niche mktg vital, says Manav Sethi as ALTBalaji ranks among top OTTs

    ALTBalaji bets big on first-time producers with Haq Se

  • How Pepperfry sale helps Rao couple get good value

    How Pepperfry sale helps Rao couple get good value

    MUMBAI: Pepperfry.com has launched a marketing campaign ahead of the upcoming festive shopping season of Diwali. This campaign is focused on the value that Pepperfry is delivering for consumers this year via the “Happy Diwali Sale.”

    The campaign has been built on the insight that – the festive season is when Indians shop to fulfill multiple aspirations. This is a period, wherein one shops not only for themselves, but also to gift to loved ones, friends and colleagues. The underlying Diwali spirit is that of spreading warmth and joy and a frequent physical manifestation of the same is when consumers upgrade their own lives by acquiring significant lifestyle enhancers like – durables and apparel, it also translates into the gifting that they do to their near and dear.
    But these spending aspirations compete with each other and with obligations such as EMIs and Insurance payments etc.

    The happy Diwali sale is supported with no-cost EMI and other wallet-friendly features like cash-backs.

    The focus of the communication is on the aspirations that consumers have, for themselves and how they compete with other priorities. The Pepperfry ‘Happy Diwali sales’ helps them to fulfill their aspirations by providing value. This is embodied in the film as “Iss Diwali ummeidon ko badhne dijiye”. (This Diwali, let your aspirations soar).

    The campaign consists of two films which depict two different couples and narrates the story of their Diwali aspirations. One couple is portrayed by Rajkumar Rao and Patraleekha Paul and and the other by Mrunal Thakur and Gaurav Venkatesh. Each film brings out the competing priorities that the couple are faced with and shows how the Pepperfry Happy Diwali Sale helps them to get what they want this Diwali by providing good value.

    The campaign will be promoted across a bouquet of English entertainment, movies, English infotainment, and select Hindi HD/SD channels/properties. It will be supported by outdoor and radio in key cities. The total outlay for the campaign is Rs 150 million. In addition to TV, the sale message is also being promoted across digital and social platforms like Google, YouTube, Facebook.

    Pepperfry CMO Kashyap Vadapalli said, “The festive season is when our low prices are especially relevant to shoppers as they seek to fulfil their needs. These 30 days are also the key furniture buying period from a seasonality perspective and our sale and the campaign are targeted to provide us with a business-growth win.”

  • Bareilly Ki Barfi — Insipid

    Bareilly Ki Barfi — Insipid

    Small town Uttar Pradesh love stories are the in thing, quite a few having worked at the box office to varied degrees of success. Last week’s release Toilet- Ek Prem Katha, was one such film. The advantage with basing a film in this region is that the subject can take all the liberties it wants, the making is economical and, the major attraction is the subsidy doled out to films shot in the state of UP.

    Bareilly Ki Barfi is inspired from a French movie, translated in English as The Ingredients Of Love. It raises some expectations as it comes from the pen of Nitesh Tiwary, who wrote and directed the much acclaimed film Chillar Party; and the blockbuster, Dangal. The director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwary, herself has the film, Nil Battey Sannata to her credit.

    Despite these names on the roster, Bareilly Ki Barfi is a typical love story, rather a love triangle, created by the protagonist Ayushmann Khurrana, with evil designs to win the love of a girl, Kriti Sanon, whom he could have won over easily anyway.

    Kriti is a tomboy kind of girl in the laidback town of Bareilly, the only daughter of Pankaj Tripathi and Seema Pahwa. Pankaj, a sweet shop owner, has always treated her as the son he wished for. He borrows a cigarette from her when he needs one, lets her be on her own, and has full faith in her decisions.

    Kriti is romantic, loves break dance and English movies. She just seems to have been born in a wrong place. However, that does not deter her from living life by her own rules. But her lifestyle carries a price tag. She is rejected by all suitors when it comes to marriage proposals.

    Fed up of rejections by her suitors and taunts of her mother, Kriti decides to run away from home when, at the railway station, looking for a cheap read, she picks up a book titled Bareilly Ki Barfi. To her surprise, the girl described as barfi is her alter ego, with the same traits and characteristics. Thinking that the girl in the book is her, Kriti gives up eloping and returns home to look for the book’s author.

    The book, as it turns out, is the offshoot of Ayushmann’s failed love. He loved a girl who had all the fun with him but when it came marrying, she went along with her parents’ choice. Devastated, he writes the book but, fearing the backlash of his family, picks on a weakling, Rajkumar Rao, to credit as the author.

    Kriti wants to now meet Rajkumar who has so aptly scripted her life in a book. Ayushmann, who has fallen for Kriti but cannot confess to being the author of the book, agrees to be her conduit delivering Kriti’s letters to Rajkumar and his replies to her.

    Ultimately, Ayushmann decides to call Rajkumar back, plans to discredit him in the eyes of Kriti so that she is out of his spell.

    Whatever interest the film generates is in the second half after the entry of Rajkumar on the scene. The love triangle so developed turns into a battle of wits between Ayushmann and Rajkumar. But, Kriti is the one who rolls the dice.

    Looking at the film, save for the background of Bareilly, it has nothing small town about it. All the characters are well versed with the life as it is lived in metros. They dress, think and act like any other city dweller. The screenplay is okay. The direction remains in the parameters set by the writing. Production values are average while technically, the film is just about passable. Musically, the film has one popular number in Sweety tera drama….. The film has no high moments as it maintains its set mediocre narration throughout.

    The film scores on casting; Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkumar Rao excel while Seema Pahwa makes her presence felt. Ayushmann Khurrana is good.

    Bareilly Ki Barfi is a contrived romcom that fails to tickle.

    Producers: Vineet Jain, Renu Ravi Chopra.

    Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari.

    Cast: Rajkumar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Seema Pahwa

  • ALTBalaji integrates JioMoney as a payments platform

    MUMBAI: ALTBalaji, a digital platform for original content subscription service, has integrated with JioMoney, the mobile wallet from Reliance Payment Solutions Limited.

    The integration will enable easy and hassle-free subscription payments for ALTBalaji’s customers. With over 250 hours of original content, ALTBalaji has become a popular service.

    ALTBalaji was launched on 16 April 2017 with five original shows, and adds new shows every fortnight for its viewers to binge-watch. The content is created by some of the best talent of the Indian entertainment industry, including critically acclaimed directors and actors. The long illustrious list of artists comprises of Nagesh Kukunoor, Juhi Chawla, Nimrat Kaur, Rajkumar Rao, Hansal Mehta, Sakshi Tanwar, Ram Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, Sameer Soni, Yudhishtar Urs, Dipannita Sharma Atwal, and more.

    JioMoney is the PPI wallet offered by Reliance to carry out instant cashless transactions. Jio Money offers a safe and secure platform for making digital transactions at both physical and online stores. JioMoney has been consistently enhancing the digital transaction ecosystem in the country. JioMoney users can do mobile and DTH recharges, make everyday payments at physical stores, send/receive money, pay insurance premiums, manage finances, get great deals, and much more. Simultaneously JioMoney Merchants can also leverage the digital ecosystem to bring greater choice and benefits to their customers.

    Commenting on the partnership, Nachiket Pantvaidya, CEO of ALT Digital Media Entertainment Ltd said, “ALTBalaji is the #1 repository of original and exclusive Indian content in the OTT space today. Our integration enables us to synergistically target quality content to JioMoney consumers while allowing an easy and quick means to pay and subscribe via JioMoney”.

    ALTBalaji launched with shows like DevDD, Karrle Tu Bhi Mohabbat, Boygiri, Bewafaa sii Wafaa, Romil & Jugal and have added The Test Case starring Nimrat Kaur and Maya Thirrai – the first Tamil original digital series to the portfolio.