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Tag: Shakun Batra

  • Pepsico’s Mirinda adds colour with Holi TVC

    Pepsico’s Mirinda adds colour with Holi TVC

    MUMBAI: The tantalising tangerine-tinted Mirinda, PepsiCo India’s zesty citrus sensation, is splashing onto screens with a captivating campaign that promises to make this year’s Holi celebrations even more vivacious and vibrant.

    The scintillating spot showcases how the effervescent elixir transforms mundane moments into dazzling displays of delight, much like the kaleidoscopic festival itself. In the fizzy footage, a seemingly serious mother-son conversation bubbles over into brilliant banter after a single sip of the sunset-hued refreshment.

    Grusha Kapoor MirndaThe carnival of colour that is Holi evokes nostalgic notions of carefree celebrations, where rainbow-hued powders paint participants in prismatic patterns amid peals of laughter. Mirinda’s message mirrors this merry mayhem, reminding revellers that both the beverage and the beloved festival share the sparkling spirit of spontaneous joy.

    “Holi is a festival that celebrates togetherness, joy, and fun—values that have always been at the heart of Mirinda,” mused PepsiCo India category lead for cola and flavours Shailja Joshi. “This campaign brings that essence to life, showing how Mirinda adds a splash of colour and playfulness to everyday moments. Whether it’s nostalgia for past celebrations or excitement for new ones, Mirinda is the perfect companion to make Holi even more playful, refreshing, and unforgettable.”

    The tangy tipple, with its sunburst shade and zippy zest, doesn’t just accompany the celebrations—it amplifies the already abundant atmosphere of unrestrained revelry.
     

    Mirinda drinkingDaftar Creative Room founder Sidhant Mago couldn’t contain his enthusiasm: “Who wouldn’t want to work on the Mirinda Holi brief? We brought out our rangeen zubaans the moment we heard it from the Mirinda marketing team. The most colourful brand and the most vibrant festival—this is easily the best collaboration of the year.”

    The pulsating production received star treatment from Shakun Batra, the celebrated celluloid craftsman, who expressed unbridled excitement about his first foray into Mirinda’s effervescent universe. 
     
    “Working with Mirinda for the first time has been an absolute blast! The brand’s vibrant energy and playful spirit made this Holi campaign an incredible experience, “ Batra bubbled. ”With Sidhant Mago at the helm as the creative director and writer, we knew we were creating something truly special. The marketing team and Mago’s vision brought out the unfiltered madness and joy that define both Holi and Mirinda. Seeing it all come to life- the colours, the fun, the unstoppable laughter—has been nothing short of amazing. This is a celebration like no other, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it.”

    The vibrant visual feast will fizz across digital and social media platforms nationwide, encouraging consumers to embrace Holi’s iridescent intensity with an extra splash of Mirinda’s signature spirited spontaneity.

    The gleaming golden-orange beverage is available in various volumes at retailers and quick-commerce platforms throughout the country, ready to add its radiant refreshment to India’s most chromatically charged celebration.

  • Prime Video releases the new edition of O Womaniya! report

    Prime Video releases the new edition of O Womaniya! report

    Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, today released the latest edition of O Womaniya! report, the most definitive study on female representation in Indian entertainment. Researched and curated by media consulting firm, Ormax Media, India’s leading entertainment journalism platform, Film Companion, and championed by Prime Video, the study evaluates the statistical journey of women in various facets of content production, marketing and corporate leadership within India’s entertainment industry. This year, the report analyzed 156 films and series, across streaming and theatrical released in 2022 in 8 Indian languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali and Gujarati) to arrive at a comprehensive picture of the change that the industry has seen since 2021.

    Along with Prime Video, the report has been supported by other partners from the industry including Clean Slate Filmz, Emmay Entertainment, Excel Entertainment, Jio Studio, Producers Guild India, RSVP, SonyLiv, Tiger Baby, and Zee5. Additionally, this year also saw industry leaders, including studio heads, filmmakers, actors, and more come forward to lay down actionable steps towards improving female representation in their personal and professional capacities. These pledges are expected to serve as guardrails that can guide the entire industry.

    Key findings of the report include:

    ●    Creative Talent – Only 12% of the 780 HOD positions analyzed across key departments of direction, cinematography, editing, writing, and production design were held by women. While this is slightly more than 10% in 2021, the growth has entirely been led by streaming films and series, while theatrical films have remained stagnant since 2021. On a positive note, 31% of the properties had a female commissioning in-charge behind them, vis-à-vis 25% in 2021.

    ●    Content – While in 2021, 55% of the properties analyzed passed the Bechdel Test1, the number has gone below the half-way mark to 47% now. The biggest drop here has come from theatrical films; while 46% passed the test in 2021, only 34% managed to pass it in 2022. Series and films like Guilty Minds, Four More Shots Please! Season 3, Delhi Crime Season 2, Maja Ma, Gangubai Kathiawadi, among others, emerged as the properties with maximum scenes to pass the Bechdel Test.

    ●    Marketing – Women still get only 27% talk time2 in trailers; the number is the highest for streaming films with 33% talk time in trailers being allocated to women. Series and movies like Hush Hush, Gehraiyaan, The Fame Game, Ammu, A Thursday, Sita Ramam, among others, performed the best with at least 50% of talk time in trailers given to female leads.

    ●    Corporate Talent – Of the 135 Director/ CXO positions studied across 25 top M&E firms in India, only 13% were held by women.

    Sharing his thoughts on the latest findings in O Womaniya!, Shailesh Kapoor, Founder & CEO, Ormax Media said, “While there has been a slow but steady improvement in a few key parameters, the report has thrown light on the need to take a look at inclusion with a serious eye. Like the previous edition of the report, streaming continues to pave the way for female representation, however, the sub-par performance of theatrical films should serve as a wake-up call for the industry. I am glad to see the industry take note of the data and come together to pledge better representation, underscoring their genuine desire to see a positive change.”

    Speaking about the report, Anupama Chopra, Founder & Editor, Film Companion said, “Entertainment is a powerful medium which can and must highlight inclusivity and diversity. O Womaniya! is our attempt to push the needle to move faster. We are thrilled to see greater participation from the industry, with key individuals taking on specific targets and actions to take this conversation forward. The steps taken to bring change may seem small but each step, each action matters, and with every edition of the O Womaniya! report, we believe we are moving a step closer to a more equitable ecosystem. I am grateful to Prime Video and Ormax Media for partnering with us on this unique initiative.”

    “At Prime Video, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion, is not just needed, it is essential. As an organization, we have always believed in equitable representation, not just within Prime Video and in our content, but also within the wider creative industry. By nurturing and empowering talented women within our industry, we can create a ripple effect of positive change in the wider ecosystem,” said Aparna Purohit, head of Originals, India & Southeast Asia, Prime Video. “O Womaniya! represents a collective effort to unite the industry and collaborate on enhancing female representation. The latest edition of the report strongly underscores the urgency of accelerating these transformative efforts. It’s heartening to witness not only the committed support of partners but also the active participation of influential figures from the industry, including both men and women. They have not only pledged their personal commitment but also made broader corporate level commitments to champion greater female inclusivity.”

  • Narcos: Mexico team meets Bollywood sweetheart Alia Bhatt and director Shakun Batra

    Narcos: Mexico team meets Bollywood sweetheart Alia Bhatt and director Shakun Batra

    MUMBAI: The Narcos: Mexico team – Actors Michael Peña and Diego Luna along with showrunner Eric Newman – met actor Alia Bhatt and director Shakun Batra for a first of its kind panel discussion ahead of the release of the latest season of the series.

    In a fascinating and candid interaction, the talent discussed the future of the series, the premise of the new season with the drug cartel location moving to Mexico, what went into putting together the series and bringing the characters to life. Alia and Shakun then discussed all the exciting experiences that the talent had during their visit to India. Alia ran a fun rapid fire round with showrunner Eric Newman where she asked him about his favorite scene ever from the series! The show launches on the 16th of November on Netflix. And as Alia and Shakun said, “Nos vamos a volver locos si tenemos que esperar mas!” (We are going to go crazy if we have to wait any longer)