Cosmos-Maya secures coveted Diamond Button with 10 million subscribers for its anchor YouTube channel WowKidz

With individual videos clocking 100 million hits, the 26 million subscriber strong YouTube platform for kids is hitting the right notes and has surpassed the 10 million subscriber mark for its channel WowKidz

Cosmos-Maya, the frontrunner in shaping industry trends has added another feather in its cap. WowKidz, it’s YouTube network for kids now has more than 10 million subscribers on its anchor channel and is now a recipient of the coveted Diamond Button. It all started with this one channel and the brand diversified into several sub-channels catering to numerous geographies world over. The channel has seen a 6-fold increase in the number of subscribers in just 18 months.

WowKidz had humble beginnings and Cosmos-Maya saw it as a source of additional revenue. It was given a push by CEO Anish Mehta who envisaged a brand which viewers could bank upon for 24X7 quality entertainment. In just 18 months, it is now a full-fledged business entity raking in a substantial share of Cosmos-Maya’s revenue pie. The platform now has 10,000 odd videos of quality entertainment for the 3-14 year demographic produced in-house and acquired from top producers worldwide. Boonie Bears, Smurfs, Simba, Om Nom are only some of the big-ticket international shows that run on WowKidz. WowKidz also has the world’s largest Hindi language animation content catalogue today.

A jubilant Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos-Maya said, “This is a great development. There are only a handful channels worldwide which have received the coveted Diamond Button and even fewer Indian channels. We are very grateful to our viewers for their love and appreciation. Our mission with WowKidz is to make it a two-pronged content window – showcasing the best Indian animation to the world and bringing the best of world content to Indian kids. This is a leap in that direction.”

This development comes on the back of Cosmos-Maya’s recent impetus on regional and vernacular content. Cosmos-Maya’s bouquet of 32 YouTube channels under umbrella brand WowKidz, which has more than 26 million subscribers and 12.5 billion views, now has its content available in all major languages, namely Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Nepalese.

Devdatta Potnis, SVP Revenue and Finance, further added, “Programming has played a major role in WowKidz’s success. We have videos which have clocked 100 million hits. Motu Patlu and ViR, two of our biggest IPs have garnered more than 6 billion and 4 billion views respectively. This when Motu Patlu is geo-blocked in India. We have a wonderful mix of homegrown and acquired content which viewers can watch anywhere anytime. Fresh content is added to the mix on a daily basis. Our creative prowess adds further zing to the localization of acquired international content.”

CULTURE MACHINE’S MOVIE AMOLI STARRING VIDYA BALAN, RAJKUMAR RAO, KAMAL HASSAN, NANI AND JISSHU SENGUPTA AS NARRATORS WINS THE 66TH NATIONAL FILM AWARD

The announcement of the most prestigious 66th National Film Awards took place at Rashtriya Bhavan - New Delhi for 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 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 honoured with such an esteemed award. Through Amoli, we tried to create an 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 a 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.”

About Culture Machine: 

Culture Machine is a Digital Media company that uses technology and storytelling to build great digital brands that people love. By combining cutting edge technology with great content, it currently runs some of India’s largest digital media brands and also licenses its core technologies to advertisers, media companies and agency partner’s world-wide. 

Today, Culture Machine’s network includes several established digital media brands like Being Indian, Blush, Put Chutney, Viva and Awesome Sauce to name a few.

Tara from Satara actor Roshni Walia takes popular you-tuber Yes Theory on Mumbai Darshan

You-tube sensations are not rare in this world and while the list is full of people who came, rose to popularity and were suddenly lost, there are some who succeeded in building their names across the world. One such you-tuber channel is Yes Theory which has more than 4 Million followers from across the globe and while Sony Entertainment Television is coming up with a show Tara from Satara, the lead of the show Roshni Walia was recently seen roaming on the street of Mumbai with Thomas, the you-tuber from Yes Theory.

The you-tube channel recently came with a new challenge where they could not deny for any request of their fans and it was that time when Roshni invited them to visit India. The next day Thomas was seen exploring the streets of Mumbai with our girl, eating pani puri, chhole bhature and other Punjabi delicacies while travelling in Mumbai locals and rickshaws. He was seen bargaining with the local vendors, interacting with his India fans and when Roshni gave him a challenge to visit Mannat alone, he did that and even made friends who sponsored his day trip. Thomas called the trip the best spontaneous decision of his life finally as he left for the airport after exploring the famous Juhu Beach. This 48-hour trip to India was not only memorable for him but also for Roshni who was taken by surprise when he rang her doorbell.

Speaking about her experience with Thomas Roshni said, “It was just a random challenge I gave to the Yes Theory you-tubers never expecting them to actually accept it. In the morning when I really got a call from them, I was surprisingly happy and, on the call, they informed me that Thomas is the one who would be coming to Mumbai to explore the place with me. The moment I saw him outside the door of my house, I could not control my excitement and went on shouting with joy. As promised, I took him to all famous locations of our city Mumbai and made him eat Indian delicacies like Chhole Bhature and Pani puri. Even my mother cooked Aloo Parathas for him for breakfast. The next day I gave him a challenge to visit Mannat all by himself and to my astonishment he succeeded and made friends who took him to Mount Mary’s Church along with paying for his lunch. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience for me. I have been a fan of their you-tube channel and it was a dream come true to get to meet Thomas.”

Watch Tara from Satara from 19th August, every Monday to Thursday 10:30 PM only on Sony Entertainment Television

Gully Boy, Andhadhun bags big; as Tabu, Vijay Sethupathi and Shah Rukh walk off with top honours at IFFM Awards 2019

It is that evening of the year in Melbourne, when the annual awards night marked its gala presence in the cultural melting pot. 2019’s award function at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne was a special one for many reasons.

Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy walked away with the top gong of Best Film honour, whereas Vijay Sethupathi won the Best Actor for his widely acclaimed film Tamil film Super Deluxe and Tabu was named Best Actress for her performance in Andhadhun.

Zoya said, “I am so excited. I am not going to forget this evening. This is my first award in the capacity of a producer. Gully boy was our first production. This is a good start. No one makes a movie alone and this wouldn’t be possible without my producers, my co-writer, my incredible actors and every member of my cast and crew. 54 invincible artists worked on this album. I owe this night to all of them.”

Sriram said on his win as best director, “I am thankful and overwhelmed with the response to Andhadhun and this award. A French short film inspired this movie. It was 7 years ago and the movie took a long time to make.”

Upon receiving her award, Tabu said, “It’s my first time in Australia but I will remember it for the rest of my life. Thank you Sriram for writing this for me.  This character is catalyst for change of roles for women that are being written and will be written in future. Thank you for trusting me with this character”.

Additionally, IFFM bestowed upon superstar Shah Rukh Khan - the  'Excellence In Cinema' award.

Shah Rukh Khan, in his usual candour, said, “Thank you all of you in Melbourne. It’s an honour and privilege for me. Awards are odd because to me an art form be judged for its quality feels counter intuitive. Art is an expression and cinema is the ability to create emotions and share experiences through stories. To be an actor, is to live to know that each one is a mere illusion. When you are making a movie you can change a lot by changing the angle of the light and it strikes you that life is a lot like that as well. It’s the simple things that can alter your journey and pondering makes your story worth telling. I shot a film here 12 years ago and it was a straightforward film about a man who has lost hope in life picks on a team of girls and then they go on to win a world championship. This city had the simplicity I had seen nowhere else. When you get older like me, you realise things. I realised that film changed my life. It’s not the awards you get, it’s just the part of creating process that is an exhilarating experience for an artiste.”

Here’s a complete list of winners -

IFFM Best Short Film : MY NAME IS MOHAMED AND RAGHAD, WE DON’T EXIST HERE ANYMORE by Ali Mousawi

BE MY BROTHER by Genevieve Clay

IFFM Diversity Award: Onir

Telstra People’s Choice Award: Simmba

Celebrating 20 years of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: Karan Johar

IFFM Best Director : Sriram Raghavan for ANDHADHUN

IFFM Best Actor : Vijay Sethupathi for SUPER DELUXE

IFFM Best Actress : Tabu for ANDHADHUN

IFFM Best Indie film : BULBUL CAN SING

IFFM Best Film : GULLY BOY

PWC Equality in Cinema award an honorary award) - CHUSKIT & SUPER DELUXE

IFFM Excellence in Cinema - Shah Rukh Khan

Deepshika dons a Khaleesi inspired to look for her character in &TV’s Main Bhi Ardhangini

Shedding the royal and vibrant traditional attire that once defined Nilambari’s strength and power in &TV’s Main Bhi Ardhangini, Deepshikha Nagpal is all set to essay a new powerful character after the show moves into a supernatural narrative. The royal, smart yet sly Nilambari will now be the powerful and overambitious Mahamaya, an evil woman who has inhibited supernatural powers from Chitra (Anjali Priya) and is now out to control the entire world with these powers.

With a keen interest in styling and designing and taking inspiration from Khaleesi from Game of Thrones, Deepshika has styled her look in all-black sultry attire to bring alive her character. Talking about it, Deepshika said “Although Khaleesi has quite a westernized look to her character, I decided to give a slight indo-western appeal to my look. Considering Mahamaya has a dark and evil nature, I felt black would best represent this side keeping in mind the glamour quotient of the character. The accessories were handpicked to match the shades of the dress and although I am not a fan of dark nail colours, I decided to wear blue to match the personality of my character. My interest in styling and designing came about after assisting in Nilambari’s looks and thus decided to take up this character as a challenge.”

Where once Nilambari depicted grace and elegance in her appearance, Mahamaya brings forth power and control in her attitude. Deepshikha’s new character makes a rather sizzling entry into the show. Delivering a carefree extempore performance, the actress made her entry to the popular sizzling track, Dilbar Dilbar that was choreographed by the actress herself. Speaking about the same, Deepshikha said, “Despite shooting this sequence at 3 am in the night after a long working day, I was high on energy and quite excited to shoot this sequence. It was something different and interesting that had come my way in this show. I didn’t want the performance to look choreographed or restricted to certain movements. Mahamaya is one to control and that had to be represented in her stance and style. I took inspiration from Ranveer Singh’s performance in Binte Dil to depict the same flow and movement in my dance. I personally love this track a lot and performing on it, in a style comfortable to me was an exciting experience.”

Relive the magic of first love with Zee Studios & Sunny Deol’s Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas

It was in 1983 when Sunny Deol won millions of hearts with his debut film, a blockbuster hit, Betaab. 36 years later, his son, Karan Deol is all set to woo the audiences on the same day as we get a glimpse into his debut film, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas with the film’s teaser that launched today. Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddQRdVXjYO8 

Set in the mystical land of snow-capped peaks and waterfalls of Himachal Pradesh, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas will take us on a memorable journey of a young love story that captures the magical essence of first, innocent love. The young and fresh pairing of Karan and Sahher, whose characters come from two different worlds, will be seen on a never-seen-before adventure bound to enthral audiences.

The wait is finally over! Ever since the announcement of the film, there has been tremendous buzz around the newcomer pair of Karan Deol and Sahher Bambba who are now all set to be introduced to the world. The much-awaited third directorial of Sunny Deol is majorly set in the picturesque locales of Himachal, where the team braved extreme outdoor conditions, shooting at high altitudes on snow-capped mountains in sub-zero temperatures.

Continuing the long-standing relationship, after the blockbuster film Gadar, Sunny Deol once again joins hands with Zee Studios to introduce Karan and Sahher in Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas.

Speaking on the film, director Sunny Deol shares, “It is a very emotional moment for me to see my son Karan make his debut on the big screen. I hope the audience appreciates him and showers the same kind of love that they have given me for so many years.”

Shariq Patel, CEO, Zee Studios adds, “We are excited to introduce two new stars in Karan and Sahher—whose hard work and dedication will show on the big screen. I am sure they will be welcomed and appreciated as they take audiences on an adventurous, romantic journey of first love. Sunny Deol has presented a vision of love which is intimate yet mounted on a huge scale.”

Produced by Zee Studios and Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd, Sunny Deol’s directorial, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas will release worldwide on September 20, 2019.

When Sidharth Malhotra ate ‘aloo kachori’ with his co-star Mohit Baghel on the streets of Lucknow

When Sidharth Malhotra was shooting for his latest film Jabariya Jodi on the streets of Lucknow, he could resist gorging on the street food as he enjoyed some ‘aloo kachori’.

His co-star Mohit, who was there with him, reveals, “Sidharth and I were shooting on the streets of Lucknow when we spotted some yummy aloo kachori. I asked him, he would like to eat some. It was so good that we ended up eating quite a bit. It is impossible to shoot in Lucknow and not enjoy the local cuisine.”

From playing Amar Chaudhary in Ready to portraying Qurbaan in Milan Talkies, Bollywood actor Mohit Baghel has come a long way.

The talented actor will be now seen as Halla in Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra starrer Jabariya Jodi.

The film will release on August 9.

Saumya Ganesh the first Bollywood Romantic film with a Diabetic Twist

Under the banner of Padma Siddhi Films, the actor-director-writer Avinash Dhyani had announced his upcoming Hindi film Saumya Ganesh, Mumbai with much fun-fare. The event was attended by the lead heroine Sanskriti Bhatt, co-producer Sachin Garg, music director Sujoy Bose and Co-dialogue writer Rishi Raj Bhatt. film distributor Jayveer Panghal and Muzahid Khan, Master Shivansh Garg, Rohit Garg, were also present at the event.

Bollywood first ever romantic comedy film which has major aspects of diabetes (a metabolic disease that cause high blood sugar). Such disease sometimes either break a relationship or strengthen it. Sanskriti Bhatt and Avinash Dhyani are in the leads. Under the banner of Padma Siddhi Films, the film Saumya Ganesh is produced, directed and written by Avinash Dhyani, who has also been the Actor-Director of 72 hours:Martyr who never died.

The film revolves around a guy who is type 2 diabetic which decreases male fertility as it lowers the testosterone level. The film shows the unconditional love of Saumya and Ganesh. The story has no villain.

The shooting of the film will started from 20th September, 2019 at alluring location of Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun, New Delhi and Mumbai.

On this occasion Avinash Dhyani quoted, "the film Saumya Ganesh is a simple childhood love story inspired by common people.The film is all about living the life to the fullest regardless of the circumstance. If you have  a partner who stands by you in all the situation, life becomes easy and you got the power to tackle any situation. Saumya  Ganesh gives the message of love which is beyond only physical attraction. Its a soul love story."

 About the shooting of the film he said that they are done with the workshops and will begin the shooting soon at Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradun, New Delhi and Mumbai.

Preetisheel Singh' School of Character Design

Basking in the glory of the first look poster of Kangana Ranaut's Dhaakad, Preetisheel Singh is now looking forward to the Ak­­shay Kumar-starrer Housefull 4.

The No.1 National Award-winning character design specialist who has worked on the looks of some of the topline Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Ranveer Singh, Sunny Deol, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Radhika Apte, Ayushman Khurana and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, has shared a video on her Instagram, which has Akshay Kumar all praise for the makeup, hair and prosthetic designer. "I’ve known her for long and she’s one of the most brilliant makeup persons I've come across. She's very honest and sincere with her work," Akshay is heard saying mostly in Punjabi in the video, with a flattered Preetisheel by his side.

"The amazing part is that even her sister does makeup, her brother does makeup, her whole family is into makeup. You guys should see her at work. She's a magician, I must say... she's a magician," he adds and wishes her a lot of luck.

Apart from Housefull 4 and Dhaakad, Preetisheel's work will also be seen in the Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore, Nawazuddin Siddiqui-Radhika Apte-starrer Raat Akeli Hai, Kartik Aaryan-Bhumi Pednekar-starrer Pati Patni Aur Woh, Southern superstar Vijay's next Bigil, Kangana Ranaut-starrer Panga and Bhansali Productions' Tuesdays and Fridays.

She is soon starting 'Preetisheel School of Character Design' at Versova, Mumbai.

Football Shootball - A One Of Its Kind, Quirky Football Podcast Show By IVM Podcasts

IVM Podcasts, India’s premier podcast network has conceptualized and is all set to unveil a one of its kind sports podcast show- FOOTBALL SHOOTBALL. The show is carefully planned as not just another conventional journalistic based football podcast, but as a quirky, sitcom-ish yet insightful show with a small teaspoon of sarcasm and a rather large tablespoon of unhinged banter. It is meant to mirror conversations that everyday football buffs have amongst each other rather than imitate banal panel discussions. With its Bollywood-isque take on ‘Football’ by three quipping fans and friends, Football Shootball promises to be a relatable and easy on the ear fun sports show which will appeal to varied audiences and not merely the ‘club-crest-tattooed-on-the-arm’ fans with the promise of - pretend psychic predictions, hot controversies, eccentric commentaries and much more.

The first episode is set to air on August 7th, prior to the commencement of the EPL (English Premier League). The hosts and ‘dosts’ - Gaurav Sapre, Sivaram Parameswaran and  Kartik Iyer are all geared up to kick-off their maiden podcast. 

The makers at IVM Podcasts go to great lengths in selecting the right hosts for the right content; a deciding factor which makes or breaks a good podcast show. The three hosts are a fun bunch, each a unique character and have followed the game for over 15 years - exhibiting just the right amount of frenzy, feverish fanboying and idiosyncrasies. While Gaurav dreams of starting a semi-pro Foosball league in India, his adoration and fanaticism for football is what got him to host the show. Sivaram, is a marketer by day and a self-proclaimed 'Arsenal's fourth biggest fan' by night. He's worked with some notable football portals in the past and continues to share his opinion with anyone who is willing to listen. The trio is completed by Karthik Iyer, who is currently working as a content creator at ESPN and is a storyteller with an eye for the dramatic. 

 Speaking on the launch of the new show, Amit Doshi, Founder of IVM Podcasts says, “With India being a country that is so passionate about sports, the idea was to bring forth a show that is specially focussed towards Football. We wanted to bring together a team that understands and enjoys football, and would be glad to create content for an audience that would not only enjoy watching football, but also enjoy listening to all the fan frenzy and enthusiasm that comes along with it.”

Kavita Rajwade, Co-founder of IVM Podcasts says, “Cricket is India’s religion, but fans of football are in a special league of their own. The sport has die-hard followers who talk, bicker, predict, speculate and dissect the game apart from just watching the sport ritually and unrelentingly. While I’m not a football fan I really wanted to create a way of reaching out to a wider sports fan base and what better way than Bollywood, one of the country great unifiers, create an inclusive dialogue that could reach audiences beyond the football nerds. Football-Shootball is a show which not only talks to the community but symbolises the crazed passion of its fans – which are our carefully picked hosts.”

IVM Podcasts is known for creating talk-content across several genres from comedy to public policy, from self-help to pop culture.  IVM Podcasts is changing the way India is listening and plans to launch more shows with diverse and yet unique content.

Hard Rock Cafe along with Earthful Foundation unifies ace musicians for a fund-raising concert #ForAssam

Iconic live music destination Hard Rock Cafe is set to host a power packed fundraising concert #ForAssam to aid victims of the calamitous floods on 2nd August, 2019 in Mumbai. The gig will unite the most remarkable names in the Indian music industry that will render their support to contribute to the lives of locals affected in the region.

An initiative started by the extremely talented Papon, the event will witness performances by iconic musicians like Vishal Dadlani,  Shekhar Ravjiani, , Shantanu Moitra, Aditi Singh Sharma, Shilpa Rao, Akriti Kakkar,, Richa Sharma, Mohan Kannan, Harshdeep Kaur, Neeti Mohan, Benny Dayal, , and Dipannita Sharma. The star-studded charitable evening will bask in the magnanimity of these artistes while marking a new beginning #ForAssam. It will kick-start with an electrifying performance by Kalyan Baruah’s new blues band 'Fish Curry Blues', Project Baartalaap and Nilotpal Bora followed by high - octane renditions of the season's biggest hits across genres by the Bollywood maestros. Championing the cause, Papon will set the stage ablaze with his most popular tracks titled Moh Moh ke Dhaage, Kaun Mera and Jhuk Na Paunga.

Commenting on the event, Mr. Sanjay Mahtani, Co-Founder and Director, JSM Corporation India said, "We at Hard Rock Cafe have always believed in making a difference through the medium of music. We are honoured to be a part of this noble initiative and are leaving no stone unturned to make it a success."

Jiyein kyun famed songster, Papon said, "This is our contribution to revive the spirit of the land of the red river and blue hills. The entire music fraternity stands in solidarity with the flood - hit Assam and empathises with the plight of the victims. Together we will rebuild the lives of our brothers and sisters affected by the calamity. I also take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to all the fellow musicians who instantly agreed to partake in this relief project despite their prior commitments."

Proceeds from the evening will be directed to Earthful Foundation that will use it to better the situation in Assam.

Tickets are available on bookmyshow.com

Aavya Gupta crowned Miss Diva Of India International 2019

Newbie Aavya Gupta has been crowned Miss Diva Of India International 2019 at a grand finale of the beauty pageant organized by Virus Films & Entertainment. Winning over 40 contestants from the nook and corners of the country, the brainy beauty from Mumbai received the crown at the hands of another Bollywood actress Shazahn Padamsee. 

Aavya is a student of Poddar International College in Mumbai and started out assisting her dad in interior designing projects. With her interests as varied as architecture and acting, Aavya has idolized artistes Madhubala, Sridevi and Govinda.

"I feel honoured to bag this title. It's given me the courage to think bigger and reach out for more goals," says an enthusiastic Aavya. "I'm extremely grateful for the full-hearted support I have received from my family too. They have always encouraged me and their confidence in me gives me strength," she adds. 

Aavya has quite a few modeling assignments to her credit. They include advertisements for brands like Sofy, Mahindra Jewellery, Himalaya Body Lotion and even a music single titled La Fanaa from T-Series, for which Aavya has even lent her voice. 

She spends her time pursuing hobbies such as horse riding, singing, dancing and sporting. She has trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathak, belly dancing and contemporary dance forms. With such varied talents, Bollywood sure has an interesting personality to look forward to in Aavya.

‘Kahat Hanuman…Jai Shri Ram’ coming soon only on &TV

Mythological shows in India have always managed to captivate an audience with numerous unheard and fascinating tales of the great Lords. Despite the tales being told and retold to a vast and varied audience, these ancient epics have always managed to give a stiff competition to any other form of fictional dramas.

After enjoying a successful run of mythological shows like Jai Santoshi Maa and Paramavatar Shri Krishna, &TV is all set to present the captivating tale of Lord Hanuman with Kahat Hanuman…Jai Shri Ram.

An incarnation of the powerful and supreme Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman was created as the most powerful being on earth with a certain purpose and potential. Defining this purpose while giving viewers a glimpse of the tale between Lord Shiva and the invincible evil Ravana, the show will narrate the story of Lord Hanuman’s origin. It is set to take the viewers on an interesting mythological journey of how Bal Hanuman eventually emerges as the greatest devotee of Lord Ram and manages to bring a successful end to Ravana’s reign of terror.

Mythology as a genre has been a staple of Indian television. Despite the evolution of several genres, these age-old stories entrenched in Indian culture, have always managed to attract mass appeal. &TV’s new show, ‘Kahat Hanuman…Jai Shri Ram’ is a fresh perspective on one of the greatest Indian Gods. It depicts the unexplored side of Lord Hanuman while conveying relevant, contemporary messages.

Kahat Hanuman…Jai Shri Ram coming very soon only on &TV

Sony Pictures Sports Network kicks off its countdown to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 hai ek hi khwab, Hum Honge Kamyab”

Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN), the official broadcaster of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, kick-starts its initiatives for the upcoming prestigious multi-sporting event starting with its on-air campaign, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’. SPSN marks the one-year countdown to one of the world’s greatest sports event with the telecast of a series of Olympic Channel shows, which includes India-centric content to further familiarize the audiences with Indian athletes and Olympic sport disciplines. 

‘Hum Honge Kamyab’ is a call that invokes a strong sense of national pride for our athletes and rallies the nation to unite in a state of support for our athletes for Tokyo 2020. The inspiring campaign also aims to motivate the athletes to put their strongest foot forward for the biggest sporting event in the world and make the nation proud through the journey to win medals. The film showcases aspiring athletes in training, inspired by their real-life heroes and past Olympians. The track is a stylized version of the anthem, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’. The sentiments of the nation are echoing - Hindustan dekh raha hai ek hi khwab, Hum Honge Kamyab. 

With less than 365 days to go for Tokyo 2020, a specially customised programming line-up of Olympic Channel content will also be aired on SONY TEN 1 channels every Friday at 8:00 PM. The content will include India-specific series, which will be aired under “Hum Honge Kamyab!” and non-India content under “The Olympic Dream”.  Under the “Hum Honge Kamyab!” series, the sports network will air “Land of Legends” that highlights the stories of India’s medal winning hockey teams followed by other episodes “Can’t Stay Down” about India’s wrestling akharas, “Foul Play: Dutee” featuring the story of Dutee Chand’s trials with gender testing policies and “Shakti: India’s Super Women” featuring Indian female athletes Dipa Karmakar, Deepika Kumari, Sakshi Malik and Sandhya Shetty who have overcome unmatched obstacles to achieve their sporting dreams. “The Olympic Dream” programming includes episodic series like “Unforgettable Olympic Moments”, “The Olympics on the Record”, Olympic documentaries from Five Rings Films and much more. 

SonyLIV will also launch an Olympic Channel section on their app entirely dedicated to their content featuring 50+ original series and more than 10 films that includes “Heroes of the Future”, a chronicle of tomorrow’s budding athletes, “Olympian’s Tips”, an inroad into the world of coaches and athletes, Gold Medal Entourage”, “Sports Swap”, and others. 

Comments: 

Rajesh Kaul, Head – Sports Business and Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution Sony Pictures Networks India:

“We are proud to be the official broadcasters of the world’s greatest and most prestigious multi- sporting event, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. With less than one year to go, the preparation for Tokyo 2020 is underway for the Indian contingent as well as Sony Pictures Sports Network. Our endeavor is to let our athletes know that the whole nation is behind them on their yearlong preparations with our war cry, “Hindustan dekh raha hai ek hi khwab, Hum Honge Kamyab” stylized around one of the most inspiring anthems. It is a very proud moment for our network to launch this movement and we are further supporting it with our year-long programming initiatives that will bring the inspiring stories of the best Indian and international athletes like Dipa Karmakar and Sakshi Malik to our viewers.” 

The Olympic Games is the world’s largest and most prestigious sporting event, which sees participation from the best athletes representing over 200 countries across sports disciplines. India has participated in the Olympic Games since 1900 and the athletes have won 28 medals at the Summer Games so far. The Olympic Games Rio 2016 saw participation of 117 Indian athletes across 15 disciplines, with 54 female athletes. Our decorated athletes, PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik won medals for India at Rio 2016 with the former’s silver in badminton and the latter’s bronze in wrestling. 

Visit https://youtu.be/kt2jVp9dQSE to watch the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 anthem, ‘Hum Honge Kamyab’. 

Watch “Land of Legends” exclusively on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 1 HD on 2nd August 2019 at 8:00PM. Binge on a new series every Tuesday and Friday only on SonyLIV.

The smile that got Mudit the role of Yogi

​The first thing that you notice in a person is the smile which attracts the most. But what if the person doesn’t like his own smile? Similar is the story of the lead actor of Sony Entertainment Television’s recently launched show Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein. Mudit Nayar who is the new chocolate boy of the television industry, seen as Yogi in the show shared that he does not like his smile because of his front rabbit teeth peeping out every time he smiles.

Although he has always received huge compliments on his smile still, he never liked it. He used to avoid smiling because of with his teeth being visible and stick to light smile for years. Later, he got his teeth trimmed to laugh out openly without any fear of his rabbit teeth peeping out. On the other hand, he loves his hair. He feels that his hairdo can make him change his looks in a jiffy and help him a lot in carrying different looks with ease.

When we reached out to Mudit to confirm the same, he shared, “Yes, it is true that I was never a fan of my smile. In most of my pictures, I carry a light smile with my teeth not visible to ensure that the bunny teeth don’t ruin my picture. A lot of people have told me that I have an adorable smile yet, I have never been convinced enough to smile broadly. I finally decided to get my teeth chipped to smile boldly. But to my astonishment, one of many reasons that I was selected for this role was because of my smile. So, it, in fact, is lucky for me.” Laughingly he also added, “I do like to smile now, but I am always conscious and keep my lips sealed.”

Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein is Yogi’s love story who is hearing impaired yet full of life and enthusiasm. His family is looking for a suitable match for him to get married and settle. Find out whether they can find a match for him or not on Sony Entertainment Television.

Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein, Mon-Fri 8:00 PM only on Sony Entertainment Television!

Deepshikha Nagpal bids a heartfelt goodbye to Avinash Sachdev and Aditi Rawat

&TV’s Main Bhi Ardhangini is all set to present a new and intriguing plot with two new interesting supernatural characters. Alongside, the crew will also bid farewell of two of its vital characters who have been in the show ever since its inception - Madhav (Avinash Sachdev) and Vaidehi (Aditi Rawat) whose romantic journey gave the viewers a fresh and bold love story, then eventually both the characters’ journey coming to a shocking end.

The makers, therefore, threw a farewell party for the actors and to make this moment extra special, the malkin of the house and a dear friend to all, Deepshikha Nagpal gave a special farewell speech reminiscing all the memories and moments together with the actors. She spoke about exploring the beautiful pink city of Jaipur together to celebrating every festival, just like one big family, which made everyone nostalgic. Laughing away the tears of joy, the cast and crew bid their last of the goodbyes to Avinash and Aditi followed by a cake-cutting ceremony. 

Bidding a final goodbye to the cast the almost became like family, Aditi Rawat said, “It seems just like yesterday we began our shoot for this show. No one knew back then that in such a short span of time we would become so close and fond of each other. There is a lot that this place and the people have taught me, both as an actor and as a person and I am truly going to cherish it. Working with Deepshikha, Anjali and Avinash was truly amazing, as was being the ‘roomie’ to my two co-actors. I wish them well, and hope the show reaches great heights.” 

Adding to this, Avinash Sachdev said, “Moving to a city, far away from home surely seemed like the right decision. Unlike shooting in Bombay, this was an altogether different experience and I am going to miss working with this incredibly talented crew and cast. Sharing the screen with Deepshikha was an honor while working with Anjali and Vaidehi was an exciting experience. All in all, working with this team always felt like being home away from home, and I think its this feeling that I am really going to miss. I hope the show works well and continues receiving love in abundance.” 

The show is all set to move into a new phase of the supernatural story starting July 30th, 2019 

Tune in to Main Bhi Ardhangini every Monday to Friday at 9:30 PM only on &TV

Karan Johar to do the honour of hoisting the Indian flag in Melbourne at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Each year the iconic landmark of Melbourne, the Federation Square is populated on one of the most important days for the Indian community living in the cultural hotspot. As part of the annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) which is multi award winning and the largest film festival in the Southern Hemisphere, the tent pole event is that of the hoisting of the Indian National Flag ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. This year as the festival will be celebrating its 10th year amongst much fervour, it will be Indian cinema’s most loved director, Karan Johar who will be doing the honours of hoisting the flag.

During the 10 days of celebration of Indian cinema this year with courage as its central theme, the key highlight of the festival is the annual flag hoisting. Karan will hoist flags in presence in a large public gathering who come to witness the patriotic spectacle each year.

The hoisting of the flag will take place in the presence of thousands of Indian-Australians and people from the Subcontinent Diaspora on 11th August 2019. Also present in the company will  the High Commissioner of India in Australia and The Mayor of Melbourne.

Did you know how Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodiya became rapper Badshah?

Bollywood rapper Badshah will be soon seen gracing the sets of Sony Entertainment Television’s popular comedy show The Kapil Sharma Show along with beautiful actress Sonakshi Sinha to promote their upcoming movie Khandaani Shafakhana. Having a gala weekend retreat viewer will have a musical drift with Badshah and Sonakshi setting the stage on fire. The popular artist known for his rap songs and peppy numbers will be seen revealing how he got his stage name ‘Badshah’.

During the show while having a conversation with Kapil Sharma Badshah shared, “My stage name ‘Badshah’ is inspired by Shah Rukh Khan’s movie Badshah. When the movie released in 1999 it was a big hit. All of my friends were in love with that movie. That was the time when I started writing a lot of songs and singing them in public, my friends started calling me Badshah. That’s how my stage name Badshah became a thing.” The rapper who is hardly recognized by his original name added, “My real name is Prateek Singh Sisodiya, but I don’t think a lot of people know it.”

We see a lot of actors, singer and especially rappers dropping their real names and taking up stage name which later becomes their face. Badshah is another addition to the long list of people who became famous with their stage name. Other celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Mallika Sherawat, and Mithun Chakraborty are also on the list.

Further, in the show, Sonakshi will be seen revealing how she was approached by Salman Khan for her debut movie ‘Dabangg’ during a fashion show. Moreover, rapper Badshah will also be seen revealing his source of inspiration to write brilliant peppy numbers.

Watch The Kapil Sharma Show every Saturday and Sunday, at 9.30 pm on Sony Entertainment Television!