A friendly stranger suddenly turns in to a devil incarnate for an unsuspecting family, changing his colours faster than a chameleon!!He is actually a black magic wizard, who casts a spell on their teenage daughter and sadistically, makes her carry out random orders from dancing on item numbers for hours to just killing off her kid bro. Oh no!!A remake of the Gujarati hit Vash (2023); Shaitaan is a gripping tension filled thriller, which will keep you on tenterhooks right from the time the evil stranger (Madhavan) makes his uninvited appearance to burst the bliss of the vacationing family (Devgn, Jyothika and two kiddos). The remote farmhouse is a perfect place to carry out his sinister plan, you see!!R. Madhavan plays that 'Shaitaani' antagonist to perfection. The '90s audience like yours truly, know him better as Maddy from the popular TV show Banegi Apni Baat (1993) and of course as the lovable rowdy in his Bollywood debut RHTDM (2001). Maddy as the evil sorceror of sorts, is truly a revelation here, pitching in an incredible performance of his career. Kudos!After watching Shaitaan trailer last month, I had actually wished to see Ajay Devgn as the main antagonist. We all know Devgn can be a superlative villain if he wills and those of you who may have doubt, can please watch Rajkumar Santoshi's underrated cop drama Khakee (2004). But somehow, I now feel Madhavan was a smart casting choice for the villain. Doubt cleared!!Jyothika, another '90s debutant whom I liked immensely in Priyadarshan's not so successful Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998), plays the mother and even gets a memorable physical combat scene of her own. The simple desperation of her character is wonderfully depicted. Repeated from the Gujarati original, Janki Bodiwala is excellent as the possesed girl. Her expressions and body language in those scenes, are spine chilling. Hope she gets more roles in Bollywood.Finally, it is upto superstar Ajay Devgn to magnanimously let his fellow cast members stay in the limelight for majority of the movie. It is only in the final twenty minutes when Devgn roars and assumes the centerstage, trouncing all and leaving a mighty impact. Interestingly, he plays the dad protecting his family for the third time. The first two instances, Drishyam (2015) and its sequel (2022) were super hits merely on his star power. I see Shaitaan going the same way!!Ratings on some key aspects* :1. Acting : 4/52. Direction : 3.5/53. Music : 3.5/54. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 3.5/55. Cinematography : 3.5/56. Editing : 3/57. Costume Design : 3/58. Special Effects and VFX : NA9. Action : 3.5/510. Production Quality : 3.5/5#SNRating for #Shaitaan : 3 & 1/2 stars out of 5.- Sumeet NadkarniLiked the review?Click on the link below to subscribe : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatingsYou can also follow us on X handle : @sumu76in* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others.#Shaitaan #SuspenseThriller #HindiMovie #Bollywood #AjayDevgn #Madhavan #Jyothika #JankiBodiwala #BollywoodReview #BollywoodNews #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings#SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding.2024 SNRatings. 

A quiet release on Amazon Prime in midst of the ongoing Animal shor-sharaaba; Mast Mein Rehne Ka turns out to be a breezy feel good fare with Jackie Shroff and Neena Gupta striking a sweet senior citizen friendship, which you would root and hoot...In fact, Jaggu dada is in top form (as usual) playing the Karwari Kamath to perfection. Neena Gupta, as the boisterous Punjaban cussing in every sentence and calling Jaggu "Madrasi" is also first rate. The angst and emotional pain of neglected senior citizens is effectively explored through their platonic relationship.There is a parallel love track between a petty chor (Abhishek Chauhan) and street hooker (Monika, impressive) surviving in the big bad Mumbai. Writer- actor turned director Vijay Maurya does quite well for his first full fledged movie. Mast Mein Rehne Ka easily fits in the "Can See" category. Make it your Sunday matinee!!Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 4/5 2. Direction : 3.5/53. Music : 2/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 3.5/55. Cinematography : 3/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 2/58. Special Effects and VFX : NA9. Action : NA10. Production Quality : 3/5#SNRating for #MastMeinRehneKa : 3 stars out of 5. - Sumeet NadkarniLiked the review?Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatingsYou can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #MastMeinRehneKa #RomanticDrama #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #JackieShroff #NeenaGupta #VijayMaurya #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #AmazonPrime #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings. 

The Archie comics remain a memorable part of my growing up years apart from the Indian ones like Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle. The Archies was fun particularly for its characters (Betty is my personal fave) and its cheerful high school backdrop. Bollywood has borrowed its elements earlier in Mansoor Khan's Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) and Karan Johar's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) as well as Student of the Year (2012). Zoya Akhtar now makes an entire movie on the comics... Adapted to the Indian milieu, the characters are transported to a fictional hillstation Riverdale, which comprises Anglo-Indian folks only. So far so okay. But Zoya tweaks the main characters unnecessarily. She prefers her Archie (Agastya Nanda) without freckles. Jughead (Mihir Ahuja, impressive) doesn't gobble up hamburgers like in the comics. Reggie Mantle (Vedang Raina) isn't the one we know in the book. He's painfully docile and uncharacteristically friendly here while the all brainy Dilton Doiley (Yuvraj Menda) is a closet gay!!! Moreover, the Archies I read wasn't ever a woke but here, the high school gang initiate the save trees campaign which incidentally, is the crux of Zoya's two hours twenty minutes movie. The humour is bland, the Archie-Betty-Ronnie chemistry is non-existent and worse, those Hinglish songs popping up every now and then, add zero value to the narrative. I have loved Zoya's past directorials right from Luck By Chance (2009) to Gully Boy (2019). There's certain smartness and intelligence in her execution and presentation technique. Her characters are invariably well fleshed out and suit the actors playing them. On that front, The Archies will certainly rank as her weakest film till date. What about the star kids will be the obvious question here. Well, none of them leave any impression. Agastya Nanda is no hero material. Suhana Khan doesn't know A of acting. Khushi Kapoor, the better of this nepo-trio, is somewhat sincere as the lovable Betty Cooper. Having said that, it might not be the end of road for these kiddos as their influential parents may ensure they get hundred chances in future and even that coveted blockbuster hit through corporate bookings. Oh yea!!! Overall, The Archies movie is a bland humourless dish, best left untouched. Go for the comic guys!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 2/5 2. Direction : 2.5/53. Music : 2/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 1.5/55. Cinematography : 4/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 4/58. Special Effects and VFX : 4/59. Action : NA10. Production Quality : 4/5 #SNRating for #TheArchies : 2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #TheArchies #TeenageComedy #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #ZoyaAkhtar #AgastyaNanda #SuhanaKhan #KhushiKapoor #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings. 

Based on Bina Nayak's book Starfish Pickle, this two hours long movie turns out to be a royal bore. Beware guys as it can genuinely lull even insomniacs in to a deep snore...sorry to say but Starfish goes astray despite quite a few positives up its sleeve. Like the exotic locales of Malta and Sicily (Italy) which are beautifully captured here! The underwater sequences are also wonderfully shot which reminded me of one more Bollywood biggie called Blue (2009). Unfortunately just like Blue, Starfish rests on a wafer thin plot which just doesn't go anywhere. After all, how many times can you watch the voluptuous Khushalii Kumar drinking like a fish, doing drugs and partying hard like there's no tomorrow. Glug glug!! Khushalii Kumar was impressive in last years Dhokha Round D Corner and in Starfish too, she displays adequate acting chops coupled with her abundant sex appeal quite effectively. Kudos to that!! I was actually expecting some hot chemistry between the macho Milind Soman and Khushalii but just as they come close to kiss, the director shifts focus away from them. Oooff, that's sacrilege!! As for those two (supposed) hunky heroes who get lucky with the leading lady, the less said the better!! To sum up, Khushalii soars but Starfish drowns... Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 3.5/5 (Khushalii Kumar)2. Direction : 1.5/53. Music : 2/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 1.5/55. Cinematography : 4/56. Editing : 2/5 7. Costume Design : 3.5/58. Special Effects and VFX : NA9. Action : NA10. Production Quality : 3.5/5 #SNRating for #Starfish : 2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Starfish #UnderwaterDrama #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #KhushaliiKumar #MilindSoman #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings. 

"Mera Naam Apurva Hai" is her clap-worthy concluding line to one of her abductors. Indeed, this is Tara Sutaria's finest performance till date and the titular film, which premiered directly on Disney Hotstar this mid-week, will hopefully give her career the much needed boost!! Tara plays the about to be married Apurva, who gets abducted from her bus on the Chambal highway. The four sadistic robbers, who take her away just to add some fun element to their night out, don't know whats in the offing for them though!! As such, Apurva's plot is pretty much predictable like any survival drama...but it's the execution and the acting department that works in its favour. The film's crisp pace at just one hour thirty five minutes run time is another plus. I was actually reminded of Anushka Sharma’s far superior NH10 (2015) during some chilling moments. And that's a compliment!! Expectedly, Abhishek Banerjee and Rajpal Yadav are first rate as the uncouth rabid criminals, who derive perverse pleasure in killing humans -male or female!! Particularly, you will just loathe Banerjee's character as he cares two hoots for even his own gang members... The surprise revelation of Apurva is but of course Tara Sutaria, who makes most of the golden opportunity she gets to shoulder an entire movie on her own and comes up trumps at the end of it. Atta Girl!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 4/5 2. Direction : 3/53. Music : 3/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 2.5/55. Cinematography : 3/56. Editing : 3.5/5 7. Costume Design : 3/58. Special Effects and VFX : NA9. Action : 3.5/510. Production Quality : 3/5 #SNRating for #Apurva : 3 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Apurva #SurvivalDrama #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #TaraSutaria #RajpalYadav #NH10 #AbhishekBannerjee #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Hotstar #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings.

Ever heard of a RAW agent saving the Prime Minister (PM) of NOT India but our neighbour Pakistan. That too after almost gunning down the entire Pak army?!! Well, if you think that's unimaginable, please walk in to your nearest theatre screening Tiger 3. Brace yourself as you will get to see apna Tiger bhai saving the lady padosi PM (Simran Bagga) and moreover, witness the 'pyaare nanhe munhe' Paki kiddos singing our Indian National Anthem as a return gift to him. Wow o wow, really now that's Bollywood's new found creativity for you!! In fact, writer- producer Aditya Chopra seems to have this kinky fantasy of showing a male RAW agent falling for his female ISI counterpart and then both fighting together for a common cause which invariably brings India and Pakistan on the same level!! Ek Tha Tiger (2012) started it all, Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) took it ahead and then Pathaan released early this year, replicated the same RAW- ISI romance wala formula. So far, this YRF Spy Universe as they call it, has incorrectly shown both India and Pakistan as geo-politically equal with their 'Pakistan prem' rising alarmingly with every instalment. I won't be surprised if Tiger or Pathaan jive to a remixed version of 'Dil Dil Pakistan' in their next outing!!! Anyway, Tiger 3 is the weakest movie of this (so called) franchise till now, which even a Salman Khan can't rescue!! Ain't his fault; he has practically nothing to do here except go through the rut of those unrealistic action scenes, which our dear old Mithun Chakraborty mastered in his prime. Remember how those ten thousand bullets would just fly past him graciously while he would bump off two or three bozos with one pellet gun!! Well, Salman Bhai does exactly the same here... Obviously, the VFX and technical aspects are incredibly better than the regular Bollywood fare but still, Tiger 3 as an end product resembles a B grade Hollywood actioner. Basically a desi mission impossible with no mission in it!! As for the much touted Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) cameo, his entry is appropriately timed but the action is so unconvincingly overdone that the entire scene is reduced to a humbug. The climax, supposedly set in Pakistani PM office, is also overstretched to such an extent that you lose your patience. And pray, why is that building in Islamabad designed like the US White House. Eeps!! Of the cast, the gorgeous Katrina Kaif gets a fair share of glamour plus action and actually, pitches in an assured act. Her towel fight scene got the maximum 'ceetis' in the South Mumbai single screen, where I saw the film. Hmm!! Surprisingly, Emraan Hashmi is ineffective as the main villain and his role appears to be chopped off at the editing table. Revathi is the replacement for RAW Chief Girish Karnad in the first two parts and her interaction with Salman brings back the nostalgia of their yesteryear film together- Love (1991). The rest of supporting cast is strictly okey dokey. Finally, it is superstar Salman Khan whose undiminishing charisma and swagger will certainly pull in the crowd to watch Tiger 3 in this extended Diwali weekend. The survival after that, will become mission impossible for this movie though!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 2/5 2. Direction : 1.5/53. Music : 2/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 1/55. Cinematography : 3.5/56. Editing : 2.5/5 7. Costume Design : 3.5/58. Special Effects and VFX : 3.5/59. Action : 2/510. Production Quality : 3.5/5 #SNRating for #Tiger3 : 2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Tiger3 #SpyThriller #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #SalmanKhan #KatrinaKaif #AdityaChopra #YRFSpyUniverse #EmraanHashmi #Simran #Revathi #SRK #Pathaan #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Zee5 #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings.

A joke to start with : When I told my wife that I am watching Pippa, she inquired if it was name of some computer virus or new thunderstorm. After watching the two hours twenty minutes war drama, I could finally confirm to her that Pippa is a amphibious war tank used by the Indian Army in the Bangladesh Liberation war of 1971. The movie per se, is sorta spiritual line up to Tejas released to a disastrous theatrical response two weeks ago. The producer Ronnie Screwvala seems to be making war based dramas on a spree but none of them are matching up to his truly spectacular URI (2019). Like Tejas, Pippa has an interesting and inspiring story to tell but the wrong casting and tepid execution play spoilsport. Based on the real life Brigadier Balram (Ballu) Singh Mehta and his heroic performance at the battle of Garibpur where he used the Pippa tanks to literally blow away the Pakistani intrusion, the film has some awe-inspiring moments but doesn't impress as a whole. Ishaan Khattar, playing Ballu is a complete misfit for this role. Sorry but he's just not convincing in a commanding part which would suit our dear old Sunny Deol in the '90s. The parallel track of Ballu's sister Radha (Mrunal Thakur, looking gorgeous as usual) rising up the ranks in RAW is another unconvincing element. And pray, are RAW officers really recruited like this just on a hunch??!!! On the positive, the war sequences are deftly filmed. The brother-sister equation is endearing. For a change, there is no mandatory love interest for our hero Ballu, thank you. And the end credit real footage of the 1971 war heroes makes you salute our army men with a loud "Jai Hind"!! With all its hits and misses, Pippa is at best, a one time watch on OTT. The makers seem to have learnt their lesson after Tejas and gone for direct digital release for this one. Its kinda wise decision, I would say. Better to avoid those cancelled shows in cinemas again!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 2.5/5 2. Direction : 2.5/53. Music : 3/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 2.5/55. Cinematography : 3.5/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 2/58. Special Effects and VFX : 3.5/59. Action : 4/510. Production Quality : 3/5 #SNRating for #Pippa : 2 & 1/2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Pippa #WarDrama #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #IshaanKhattar #MrunalThakur #RonnieScrewvala #URI #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Zee5 #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings.

The film's name belongs to its heroine (Kangana Ranaut), who turns in to a fierce deshbhakt cum airforce pilot after her loved ones are killed in the Leopold Café attack of 26/11. Tejas is also the name of India's first indigenously made fighter plane, which our heroine Tejas takes to Pakistan and gives hell to the terrorists there!! It is also the name of the undercover mission she is on... oh wow. TEJAS TEJAS TEJAS. Tejas raised to 3 actually!! In its just under two hours runtime, Tejas the film crams in everything you can expect in a typical hyper patriotic Bollywood fare. There is a RAW agent to be rescued, there is the nincompoop Paki army to be fooled and behold, there is even a sinister terror plot to blow up the (yet to be inaugurated) Ram Mandir to be foiled. Phew!! Quite a long "To do" list, you would say. But our dear olè Kangana does all of it with seemingly relative ease. No hurry, no worry!! Coming from Ronnie Screwvala who produced the infinitely superior Uri (2019), Tejas is a letdown on many fronts. The screenplay oscillating between the protagonist's past and present, is a distraction. There is an overdose of songs in the first hour. The air combat sequences don't excite much as you thought from the trailer. Moreover, two fighter pilots pulling down an entire terror camp in Pakistan doesn't appear real. As for the climactic showdown at Ayodhya Ram Mandir, the less said the better... Kangana didi, as her haters love to troll her, has been having a bad box office spell off late. That truly doesn't matter as even in her worst of outings like Dhaakad last year, Ranaut is top class. Her sincerity, her hard work and her performances are always outstanding. If I go by the turnout of just seven (including myself) in the Sunday matinee show at Mahim's Citylight Cinema, Tejas will only add to the list of Kangana Ranaut's increasing flops. But as an actress, she is absolutely flawless. Whether you like her or not!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 5/5 (Kangana Ranaut)2. Direction : 2/53. Music : 2/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 2/55. Cinematography : 3/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 2/58. Special Effects and VFX : 2.5/59. Action : 2.5/510. Production Quality : 3/5 #SNRating for #Tejas : 2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Tejas #ActionThriller #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #KanganaRanaut #RonnieScrewvala #URI #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Zee5 #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings.

If Hollywood has MCU, we have our LCU!! That's the Lokesh Cinematic Universe which started with Kaithi (2019) and went further gun blazing in Vikram (2022). Leo, the third instalment in the action thriller series, rests on a weak premise but still makes it to the watch-worthy grade thanks to some high octane action sequences and Anirudh's pulsating background score. Parthiban (Thalapathy Vijay with salt and pepper beard) lives a blissful family life with wifey (Trisha) and two kiddos until he is haunted by the ghosts from his past in form of Antony (Sanjay Dutt) and Harold (Arjun Sarja) Das, two gangsters who believe he is their long lost heir Leo. So is Parthi really Leo Das or not??!! The basic theme reminded me of Amitabh Bachchan's Hum (1991), which was cleverly adapted as Superstar Rajinikanth's Baashha (1995) and later horribly remade as Sunny Deol's Big Brother (2007). Having said that, Lokesh Kanagaraj packages the oft repeated plotline wonderfully with right quotient of thrills as well as emotions. The family scenes for instance, touch your heart here. And the café fight sequence in the first half is a howl!! Expectedly, Thalapathy Vijay carries the film entirely on his able shoulders and gets two formidable villains to fight in form of Sanju Baba and Arjun. Both are first rate. There are ample references of Kaithi and Vikram, which I won't disclose here for spoiler purpose. On the technical front, the action set pieces are excellent right from the first hyena fight till the blood soaked climax. Moreover, Anirudh's music elevates the film to an altogether different level. The film is close to three hours long (with interval) but doesn't seem so. On the flipside, the VFX in the car chase scene between Vijay and Sanju Baba looks shoddy. All in all, Leo works well even with its wafer thin plot. The LCU is burning bright, no doubt!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 4/5 2. Direction : 4/53. Music : 4/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 3/55. Cinematography : 3.5/56. Editing : 3.5/5 7. Costume Design : 3/58. Special Effects and VFX : 2/59. Action : 4.5/510. Production Quality : 3.5/5 #SNRating for #Leo : 3 & 1/2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Leo #ActionThriller #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #ThalapathyVijay #Trisha #LCU #LokeshKanagaraj #SanjayDutt #ArjunSarja #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings. 

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse than Heropanti 2 (2022), TIger Shroff unleashes this futuristic action drama, which sadly gets nothing right!! Neither the supposed 2070 era with its awful VFX and unimaginative landscape nor the WWE style action sequences which get plain monotonous after a point. Indeed, Ganapath turns out to be a torturous outing at the end of its two hours fifteen minutes runtime. Tiger Shroff, the sole reason I went in for the near empty morning show at Mahim's Citylight Cinema, is repeating himself in every movie. No doubt, he is sincere, he dances good, he kicks hard but all his films since Baaghi 3 (2020) haven't worked at the box office. It's a clear indication that the dude needs to reinvent himself fast. Being a Jaggu Dada fan, my best wishes always with his cub!! As for Ganapath, the dystopian world it attempts to create, where the rich oppress the poor and the common thread of WWE kinda matches between them, generates zero connect with the audience. The love angle also fails badly as there is hardly any chemistry between Tiger and Kriti here, though they always made a great pair right since their Heropanti (2014) days. The director is to be blamed!! Vikas Bahl has had a mixed filmography so far. For every Queen (2013) and Super 30 (2019), he has followed up with a disappointing Shaandaar (2015) and Goodbye (2022). With Ganapath, the director touches an abysmal low failing in every department from its music to VFX to action. Worse, he wastes the God of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan in a totally thankless role making you cry sacrilege!! The focus in Ganapath is purely on the free style wrestling bouts, which were comparably far better executed in Bollywood from Main Intaquam Loonga (1982) and Boxer (1984) right until the Salman Khan starrer Sultan (2016). In fact, the film's second half appears like a WWE tournament playing in a loop. Phew!! Undoubtedly, Ganapath would qualify as one of the worst I have endured this year. Let's see if Bollywood offers us a bigger bomb. After all, we still have two more months to go!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 2/5 2. Direction : 1/53. Music : 1.5/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 1/55. Cinematography : 2/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 2/58. Special Effects and VFX : 1/59. Action : 1.5/510. Production Quality : 1.5/5 #SNRating for #Ganapath : 1 star out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Ganapath #ActionDrama #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #TigerShroff #KritiSanon #VikasBahl #AmitabhBachchan #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings.

Alphabet Inc, the parent company of tech giant Google, is set to make a significant foray into the Indian manufacturing sector. During the ninth edition of the 'Google for India' event, an executive from Alphabet revealed the company's ambitious plan to commence local production of its popular Pixel smartphones. This move is aimed at strengthening the brand's presence in the Indian market while promoting the government's 'Make in India' initiative.The manufacturing of the upcoming Pixel 8 smartphones, slated for release in 2024, will mark Alphabet's entry into the Indian production landscape. The company is preparing to partner with both international and domestic manufacturers to initiate this venture, further expanding the smartphone's reach in the country.India, with its rapidly growing smartphone user base and a burgeoning market for tech products, represents a pivotal region for Alphabet. The decision to produce Pixel smartphones locally aligns with the country's vision to become a global manufacturing hub and will provide Alphabet with certain advantages, including reduced production costs, easier access to the Indian consumer base, and compliance with the 'Make in India' initiative.The move underscores Alphabet's commitment to fostering innovation and technology development in India, a country known for its thriving tech ecosystem. With this endeavor, Alphabet is not only set to contribute to India's economic growth but also strengthen its position in a fiercely competitive smartphone market. As the official launch date of the Pixel 8 approaches, tech enthusiasts in India eagerly await the introduction of this locally manufactured, cutting-edge device.

WPP, one of the world's leading advertising and marketing services companies, has announced a significant development in its client offerings. This move involves the merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R, creating a new entity known as VML. This strategic move establishes VML as the world's largest creative company, bringing together top creative agencies with world-class capabilities in commerce, customer experience, and marketing technology. VML is poised to support clients with creative brand growth strategies and transformation initiatives, bolstered by robust data operations, cutting-edge technology platforms, and partnerships with leading tech firms. Additionally, VML will offer specialized services for healthcare companies and B2B marketers.The merger is set to leverage the strengths of both agencies, making them highly complementary. It will result in a combined workforce of over 30,000 professionals across 64 global markets. The new management team will be led by Jon Cook, the new VML Global CEO, and Mel Edwards, VML Global President. Together, they aim to capitalize on the interconnectedness of brand experience, commerce, and customer experiences, with a focus on creativity and depth in customer experience and commerce.Mark Read, CEO of WPP, emphasized the importance of scale in the rapidly changing marketing landscape and stated that VML's integration of creativity and expertise in data and marketing technology will deliver a competitive edge for ambitious brands. The creation of VML aligns with WPP's ongoing efforts to reshape its offerings for the future, simplify its operations, and provide clients with fully integrated capabilities in every market.Both Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R, prior to their merger, have gained recognition for their creativity and expertise, and have been celebrated by various industry awards and rankings. Their extensive capabilities have also been acknowledged by technology partners and industry analysts.The merger is expected to result in an even stronger, fully integrated suite of services for clients across the globe, responding to the demand for seamless connections between brand advertising and technology solutions.Key leadership appointments within VML include Debbi Vandeven as Global Chief Creative Officer, Eric Campbell as Global Chief Client Officer, Juan Pablo Jurado as CEO of LATAM, Ewen Sturgeon as CEO of EMEA, and Audrey Kuah and Yi-Chung Tay as Co-CEOs of APAC. The merger aims to drive growth and innovation for clients across markets, marking a significant step in the evolving landscape of modern marketing.

She's been looking for a frog to turn in to prince charming since her teens. At thirty plus of age, she's still not earned her orgasm. And that is after dating and mating with atleast half a dozen males, one of which is apna Anil Kapoor as a romantic shaayar twice her age. Meet Kanika Kapoor (Bhumi Pednekar), whose life apparently revolves around satisfying her Gspot. Frustrated and unsuccessful at it, she finally agrees to settle with a richie rich goodie good dude (Pradhuman Singh), who is as straight as Bharat Bhushan of yore. Oh Bore!! Finally, our Kanika aka Kannu experiences her first orgasm after a deep drunken party but unfortunately, doesn't remember whom she slept with. Was it her fiancé or the elderly shaayar or her bestie's curly burly hubby or someone else? Who gave her the satisfaction of a lifetime??!!! The film's second half is dedicated to finding who the gentleman was... as Kannu goes about questioning her suspects, "Kya tumne?". It actually reminded me of Akshay Kumar asking similar thing to a dozen girls in Heyy Babyy (2007). But guys, that was a Sajid Khan trash and hence, utterly excusable!! Here, the proceedings get thoroughly monotonous and boring after the interval... Bhumi Pednekar is an efficient actor and can rise above the script, given a good hand (pun unintended). But darlings, expecting her to shoulder an entire movie on her own, especially this one based on such a flimsy premise is taking things too far. About the rest of the cast, the less said the better. Thank You For Coming tries to drive a point that seventy percent women in this world don't experience orgasm in their entire lives. Dunno how true or false it is!! If it is indeed true, the movie treats it so frivolously that it fails to register in any manner. The climax offers a solution of "self help" as means to attain the ultimate sexual pleasure. "Aapla Haath Jagannath", it preaches unabashedly. But wasn't that the name of a blockbuster Dada Kondke movie of the '70s. Hmm, no further comment!!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 4/5 (Bhumi Pednekar)2. Direction : 1.5/53. Music : 1.5/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 2/55. Cinematography : 3/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 3/58. Special Effects and VFX : NA9. Action : NA10. Production Quality : 2.5/5 #SNRating for #ThankYouForComing : 2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #ThankYouForComing #SexComedy #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #BhumiPednekar #AnilKapoor #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings. 

Released with almost zilch promotion, Mission Raniganj appears to be a neglected project of Akshay Kumar, which the superstar hasn't pined much hopes on. If my guess is indeed true, that's quite sad as the film has an inspiring true story to tell!! Narrating the 1989 Raniganj coal mine incident in which braveheart Jaswant Singh Gill, a dedicated mining engineer, saved sixty five miners of Coal India trapped after a flood wroke havoc in the colliery; the film was initially called Capsule Gill (which became Jaswant Singh's popular name after this heroic feat). Gill won the Bravery award from the President of India for his incredible act of valour. It is really thoughtful of Bollywood to make a full fledged movie on him. Kudos to that!! Akshay Kumar as Jaswant Singh Gill, is earnest enough to make you root for him right till the end. The strong supporting cast comprising Kumud Mishra, Ravi Kishen, Pavan Malhotra, etc pitch in reliably assured performances. Dibyendu Bhattacharya is also memorable as the wicked Coal India senior officer with a sinister agenda. On the other hand, Parineeti Chopra playing Akshay's wife, is shortchanged with exactly four scenes. In fact, a street dog gets more prominence than her in the movie. Bow wow, dunno how!! All seen and endured, Mission Raniganj reminded me of Yash Chopra’s infinitely superior Kaala Patthar (1979), which had a similar plot of near impossible rescue operation in a coal mine. That film was inspired by another such tragedy at Chasnala in the '70s. Technically, Kaala Patthar, made forty years ago, is way ahead of Mission Raniganj. The flooding sequence in Raniganj looks ridiculously fake. The two songs are not worth a hum. And more importantly, the movie length appears tad stretched even at just about two hours fifteen minutes. Ho hum!! To sum up short and quick, Mission Raniganj has its heart and intent in the right place but its tepid execution makes it look like a 'sasta' Kaala Patthar. Risk it if you wish!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 3.5/5 2. Direction : 3/53. Music : 2/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 2.5/55. Cinematography : 3.5/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 3/58. Special Effects and VFX : 1.5/59. Action : 2/510. Production Quality : 3/5 #SNRating for #MissionRaniganj : 2 & 1/2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings You can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #MissionRaniganj #DisasterMovie #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #AkshayKumar #ParineetiChopra #RaviKishen #KumudMishra #KaalaPatthar #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 2023 SNRatings. 

The legal battle between the U.S. government and Google is approaching its halfway point as allegations of antitrust violations are being scrutinized. Here are five significant takeaways from the ongoing trial:Google's Multi-Billion Dollar Payments for Search Dominance: Witnesses from companies like Verizon, Samsung, and Google itself revealed that Google pays around $10 billion annually to ensure its search engine remains the default on smartphones and web browsers. Critics argue these practices harm competition, with privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo and Neeva citing adverse effects. Neeva, one such competitor, ceased operations earlier this year. Google's executive, James Kolotouros, testified that these agreements granted Google exclusive search privileges and that the company closely monitored compliance.Impact of Google's Search Dominance on Ad Prices: Google's executive, Adam Juda, explained the role of a formula in determining Long Term Value (LTV) and ad quality, affecting which advertiser wins the split-second ad auction. Advertisers are not informed of their LTV, and Google uses "tunings" to adjust ad prices. Testimony by Joshua Lowcock, global chief media officer for UM Worldwide, highlighted Google's dominance in the market for search-related ads, leading to increased ad prices over the last decade. In 2020, Google generated over $100 billion from search ads, as acknowledged by Jerry Dischler, Google's vice president and general manager of ads.Search Queries as an AI Advantage: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the importance of access to search queries on a massive scale, similar to Google's, for improving search engines and dominating artificial intelligence. Nadella pointed out that enhancing AI relies on sufficient computing power, including servers, and large volumes of data to train software.Google's Defense Argument 1: Quality Trumps Antitrust Allegations: Google has countered the government's claims by asserting its search engine's immense popularity is primarily due to its quality. Google argues that dissatisfied users can readily switch to alternatives. Apple's senior vice president of services, Eddie Cue, praised Google's search engine quality and confirmed discussions with Microsoft and DuckDuckGo. However, he deemed these alternatives inadequate during questioning.Google's Defense Argument 2: Default Status Doesn't Guarantee User Loyalty: Google contends that despite paying billions each year to be the default search engine on Apple and Android devices, this status does not guarantee user loyalty. Google's lead lawyer, John Schmidtlein, cited instances where Microsoft's default status on certain devices eventually led users to bypass Bing and conduct most of their searches on Google.The trial, which commenced on September 12, is expected to continue until mid-November, with the U.S. Justice Department scrutinizing Google's tactics in online search and advertising. The central question revolves around whether Google violated antitrust laws in dominating these sectors.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has defended the company's practice of releasing a new iPhone model every year, stating that it provides an option for those who want to upgrade annually. In an interview with Brut, Cook addressed the question of whether there's a genuine need for a new iPhone each year. He emphasized that having an annual iPhone release is beneficial for users who desire the latest technology.Cook also highlighted Apple's efforts to be environmentally conscious. He mentioned the company's trade-in program, where users can exchange their old iPhones for new ones. If the old device is still functional, Apple resells it, ensuring that it continues to be used. For iPhones that are no longer operational, Apple has processes in place to disassemble them and repurpose the materials for manufacturing new devices.The discussion arose in the context of growing concerns about the environmental impact of technology companies. Apple has been actively working to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Cook revealed that Apple's recent product launches, including new Apple Watch models, are already 100% carbon neutral. The company aims to extend this carbon-neutral approach to its iPhones by 2030 as part of its commitment to sustainability.

Meta Platforms (META) closed at $318.36 in the latest trading session, marking a 0.93% increase from the previous day. This outperformance compared to the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.63%, the Dow's 0.59% increase, and the Nasdaq's 0.39% rise.Over the past month, Meta Platforms' stock has climbed by 5.89%, surpassing the Computer and Technology sector's 2.3% loss and the S&P 500's 3.39% decline.Investors are eagerly awaiting Meta Platforms' upcoming earnings release scheduled for October 25, 2023. Analysts anticipate an EPS of $3.57, reflecting a substantial 117.68% increase from the same quarter last year. The consensus estimate for quarterly revenue stands at $33.41 billion, up 20.55% year-over-year.For the full year, Zacks Consensus Estimates indicate expectations of earnings per share of $13.34 and revenue of $132.79 billion. These projections represent changes of +35.71% and +13.87%, respectively, from the previous year.It's important to monitor analyst estimate revisions for Meta Platforms, as they often reflect short-term business trends. Positive estimate revisions can signify optimism about the company's outlook.Zacks Research has shown that estimate changes are closely linked to short-term stock price movements. To harness this insight, the proprietary Zacks Rank model was developed. With rankings ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven track record of strong performance, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has risen by 1.58%. Currently, Meta Platforms holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).Additionally, investors should consider Meta Platforms' current valuation metrics, such as its Forward P/E ratio of 23.65. This indicates a discount compared to the industry's average Forward P/E of 37.56.Meta Platforms' PEG ratio, currently at 1.1, is also noteworthy. This metric, akin to the P/E ratio, factors in expected earnings growth. In comparison, the Internet - Software industry, as of the last trading session, had an average PEG ratio of 1.52.The Internet - Software industry falls within the Computer and Technology sector and boasts a Zacks Industry Rank of 63, positioning it in the top 25% of over 250 industries.The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the strength of individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of constituent stocks. Research has shown that industries in the top 50% of rankings tend to outperform those in the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Stay tuned to Zacks.com for further updates on these and other stock-moving metrics throughout upcoming trading sessions.

Netflix has appointed Mitchell Kreuch as its Senior Director and Head of Advertising Sales for the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). This strategic move signifies Netflix's intention to expand its advertising efforts in APAC.Kreuch, who previously served as the Managing Director for India and Southeast Asia at Twitter, expressed his enthusiasm for this new role in a LinkedIn post. He will lead the advertising team from Singapore, leveraging his six years of experience at Twitter, where he held various roles in APAC and global agency development. His career also includes positions as Chief Revenue Officer at Kinetic Social in New York, as well as roles with renowned companies such as Sizmek, The Walt Disney Company, and The New York Times in sales.Kreuch extended his gratitude to Peter Naylor, Netflix's VP of Global Ad Sales, for this opportunity. Naylor, who previously held the position of VP of Sales Americas at Snap and has extensive experience in sales with companies like Hulu and NBCUniversal, brings a wealth of expertise to Netflix.While Netflix has not actively approached agencies in Singapore for ad sales solutions at the moment, Kreuch's appointment suggests the streaming giant's intention to bolster its advertising efforts in the APAC region.In November 2022, Netflix introduced its ad-supported plan, Basic with Ads, priced at $6.99 per month. Subscribers to this plan are exposed to an average of four to five minutes of commercials per hour and do not have the ability to download titles. Initially, the ads were 15 or 30 seconds in length and played before and during shows and films.

A slow burner espionage drama with the early 2000's as its backdrop; Vishal Bharadwaj's Khufiya premiered directly on Netflix this weekend and despite its sluggish pace, kept me in an engaging mode right till the end. It's a tad long at near two hours forty minutes but still worth the time invested. I vouch!! The plot ain't that complicated: RAW officer KM (Tabu) is assigned the task of spying on a suspected fellow agent (Ali Fazal) and his family, who has evidently sold his soul to the CIA. But, has he really? There is also a parallel track of a Bangladeshi minister, who is conspiring something sinister. KM lays her trust on a new recruit Heena (Azmeri Haque Badhon) but can she pull off the seemingly impossible task??!!! Don't expect a high octane actioner or a screen scorcher as Khufiya takes its own time to build its core characters, involve you in the proceedings and then moves to its climax...which may make it a tedious watch for the impatient but then a Baby (2015) or Pathaan (2023), it ain't or expected to be!! Surprisingly, the espionage movie belongs to its ladies who truly impress big time. Tabu, the superlative actor that she is, leaves a mark though her role isn't entirely meaty. Wamiqa Gabbi as Charu, Ali Fazal's wifey delivers a knockout act especially in the film's second half. Bangladeshi star Azmeri Haque Badhon is outstanding in her complex role. Here's an actor to watch out for in future and hope Bollywood gives her more roles!! Overall, Khufiya has the trademark Vishal Bharadwaj touch though I personally feel the director gives his best when adapting Shakespeare. Who can forget Maqbool (2003), Omkara (2006) and of course Haider (2014), my personal favorite of the trio. Khufiya isn't as great as them but still makes the cut to a watch. Make it your weekend matinee!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 4/5 2. Direction : 3.5/53. Music : 3/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 3.5/55. Cinematography : 3/56. Editing : 2.5/5 7. Costume Design : 3.5/58. Special Effects and VFX : NA9. Action : NA10. Production Quality : 3.5/5 #SNRating for #Khufiya : 3 & 1/2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni Liked the review? Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatings

In a significant antitrust trial against Google, a former executive from Samsung Electronics' venture capital arm revealed that pressure from Google hindered the expansion of mobile app developer Branch Metrics' software on Samsung smartphones.Patrick Chang, who formerly worked at Samsung Next, advocated for the integration of Branch Metrics' software into Samsung's Android smartphones. However, he encountered resistance due to concerns raised by Google. Branch Metrics had to limit some of its software functions to address Google's complaints, ensuring that its in-app searches did not link to the web.Chang also highlighted opposition from wireless carriers like AT&T, which sell Android phones and were influenced by Google's dominance.The U.S. Justice Department presented evidence suggesting that Google pays substantial sums, around $10 billion annually, to smartphone manufacturers and wireless carriers in exchange for making its software the default option, thereby maintaining its search monopoly.During cross-examination, Google's attorney questioned Chang about whether Samsung's reluctance to adopt Branch's software might also be attributed to its perceived inefficiency, with few users clicking on the links offered by Branch.This testimony occurred during the fourth week of a lengthy trial, during which the Justice Department sought to demonstrate that Google engaged in anticompetitive practices to maintain its search and advertising monopoly. Google contends that its business practices comply with the law.

In a pivotal moment during the ongoing antitrust trial in Washington, a lawyer for the US Justice Department grilled Google executive Adam Juda on the search and advertising giant's pricing practices in the online advertising industry.The Justice Department has accused Google of manipulating the multibillion-dollar online advertising auctions to favor its own financial interests, and this trial is seen as a once-in-a-generation event that could reshape the tech industry.Juda testified that Google uses a formula, which considers ad quality, to determine the winners of advertising auctions on websites. However, the Justice Department alleges that Google has used these formulas to unfairly influence pricing in its favor.During questioning, Justice Department attorney David Dahlquist confronted Juda with a document prepared for the European Union in which Google admitted it could "directly affect pricing through tunings of our auction mechanisms." Juda denied agreement with this statement.Juda explained that one aspect that can be "tuned" is a formula that assigns a long-term value (LTV) to an ad based on factors like the bid amount, potential click-through rate, and ad and website quality.Dahlquist asked Juda if Google had made changes to ad sales that increased the cost-per-click for advertisers. Juda acknowledged this possibility.However, Google's attorney, Wendy Waszmer, later questioned Juda about whether his ad quality team could unilaterally raise prices. Juda responded with a firm "No."Google's advertising practices have faced scrutiny for a lack of transparency, with both advertisers and website publishers accusing the company of retaining an excessive share of revenue.This focus on advertising pricing marks a shift in the trial's proceedings, which previously concentrated on Google's expenditures to maintain its search engine as the default on various devices.The outcome of this trial could have significant ramifications for the tech industry, potentially leading to regulatory changes and shifts in the competitive landscape.

Singapore-based NODWIN Gaming, a leading gaming and esports media company in South Asia and a material subsidiary of Nazara Technologies Ltd, has announced the acquisition of a 100% stake in game marketing agency PublishME. The deal, valued at USD 2 million, was completed with the participation of existing shareholders, including Nazara Technologies Limited and Ozgur Ozalp.This strategic move is expected to bolster NODWIN Gaming's existing solutions for publishers and brands, strengthening its position in the emerging market sports media landscape. The acquisition aligns with NODWIN Gaming's global expansion plans, particularly in emerging markets, and is a crucial step in establishing its presence in the BRICS global network.Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and Managing Director of NODWIN Gaming, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating that it opens up new opportunities and possibilities for the company. He emphasized NODWIN Gaming's commitment to expanding globally, especially in emerging markets, and the addition of PublishME as a valuable asset to help publishers and brands navigate these markets.Nazara CEO Nitish Mittersain highlighted the synergies between NODWIN Gaming and PublishME, emphasizing the acquisition's importance in strengthening NODWIN's position in the Middle East esports market.PublishME, a gaming marketing agency with offices in Turkey and the UAE, specializes in connecting brands with gamers through engaging communications. Its services include Game Launch plans, social media management, sponsorships, and activations. The agency's expertise in the Middle East and Turkish markets, combined with NODWIN Gaming's relationships with publishers and brands and its experience in esports events and media rights, creates a powerful synergy.As part of the acquisition, PublishME will be rebranded as NODWIN Gaming in the Middle East while retaining the PublishME name in Turkey. Ozgur Ozalp, the founder of PublishME, will transition to NODWIN Gaming as the CEO of NODWIN Gaming Dubai.This strategic move is set to reshape NODWIN Gaming's presence in the gaming and esports industry, positioning it for further growth and success.

Insurance powerhouse Allianz, a key player within the global Allianz Group, has recently opened a pitch for its media agency account, industry insiders have disclosed.The final round of this competitive selection process reportedly includes media agencies such as Wavemaker, Carat, and Hearts and Science, all vying for this prestigious partnership opportunity.Australia has been serviced by Publicis Groupe's Spark Foundry in the incumbent role.It is understood that this global pitch is exclusively available to agencies with established global master service agreements. This move by Allianz comes at a time when the insurance sector is undergoing significant transformation and competition is high.For further updates on this developing story, stay tuned.

In a strategic move, Netflix has promoted Amy Reinhard to President of Advertising, succeeding Jeremi Gorman, who played a key role in launching Netflix's advertising division last year. Gorman, a veteran executive with experience at companies like Snap, Amazon, and Yahoo, has exited the company.The change in leadership comes as Netflix's ad-supported tier gains traction, with 5 million subscribers globally. While this represents a small percentage of Netflix's overall subscriber base, it's a crucial component of the company's strategy, especially as it implements paid password sharing.Amy Reinhard, who has been with Netflix since 2016, will now lead the advertising division. She brings a wealth of experience in content acquisition and studio operations. Reinhard's deep understanding of the entertainment industry positions her well to lead Netflix's advertising efforts.Jeremi Gorman, who built Netflix's advertising business from scratch, expressed confidence in Reinhard's leadership and the future of Netflix's advertising endeavors. Gorman is known for her ability to develop businesses from the ground up and is excited to embark on new challenges.Overall, this transition in leadership reflects Netflix's commitment to its advertising business, which is expected to generate substantial revenue in the coming years.

PubMatic Introduces Activate, an End-to-End Supply Path Optimization Solution for Programmatic Video and CTV in Asia-PacificPubMatic, a leading technology company in digital advertising, has announced the availability of Activate, its new end-to-end supply path optimization (SPO) solution, in the Asia-Pacific region. Activate allows buyers to execute non-bidded direct deals on PubMatic’s programmatic platform, gaining access to premium video and CTV inventory at scale. This offering, which has already seen success in the US and EMEA, is now launching in Asia-Pacific with key partners like dentsu APAC, iQIYI, KINESSO India, Madison Digital, and Wishmedia.Activate aims to streamline digital media transactions by connecting buyers and sellers directly, enabling a smooth transition from traditional direct transactions to programmatic private marketplace (PMP) or programmatic guaranteed (PG) deals. The platform enhances media buyers' control over omnichannel video investments by facilitating transactions across PubMatic’s premium CTV and online video inventory within a unified platform.Rajeev Goel, Co-Founder and CEO of PubMatic, said, “PubMatic’s launch of Activate in the Asia-Pacific region marks a significant milestone in our efforts to revolutionize the industry’s programmatic marketplace. Activate is an extension of our successful SPO strategy that addresses advertiser demand for solutions that deliver a better return on video and CTV investments.”Sunil Naryani, Chief Product Officer, Media at dentsu APAC, stated, “With PubMatic’s Activate, we anticipate delivering enhanced value to our clients by bridging the gap between buyers and sellers and further streamlining the supply chain, unlocking opportunities to maximize working media for their video and CTV investments.”Andy Sun, General Manager of Sales Operations, International Business Department at iQIYI, said, “We’re excited to be a launch partner for PubMatic’s Activate solution and look forward to continuing to work closely together to drive effective programmatic CTV advertising.”Paras Mehta, Business Head at KINESSO India, commented, “PubMatic is a key player in the programmatic ecosystem, and we’re excited to explore how Activate can benefit our CTV clients.”Suchi Jain, General Manager and Head of Programmatic at Madison Digital, expressed, “We’re excited to see their continued innovation in streamlining video and CTV buying for our clients.”Meejoo Na, Chief Operating Officer at Wishmedia, said, “We’re thrilled to be a launch partner for PubMatic’s Activate and look forward to our clients benefiting from a more efficient digital supply chain, and greater ROI on their video and CTV spend.”Activate expands PubMatic's total addressable market significantly, addressing the growing importance of programmatic video and CTV in the advertising landscape.

SoftBank Corp. has unveiled plans to launch a comprehensive expansion of its global IoT business in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region starting in October 2023. This expansion will encompass 19 countries and regions, including Japan. SoftBank's primary focus in this initiative will be the promotion of IoT services, particularly the "1NCE IoT Flat Rate" offered by German company 1NCE GmbH, targeting enterprise customers. The telecom giant aims to secure a total of 2 million 1NCE IoT Flat Rate connections across APAC and other regions by the end of the 2025 fiscal year, which concludes on March 31, 2026.As part of its "Beyond Carrier" growth strategy, SoftBank is diversifying beyond its core telecommunications business and is actively driving digital transformation (DX) in various industry sectors. Within the IoT domain, SoftBank made an equity investment in 1NCE GmbH in April 2022 and secured an exclusive agreement to market the 1NCE IoT Flat Rate in 19 APAC markets. The 1NCE IoT Flat Rate offers highly cost-effective global IoT connectivity, allowing customers to roam on 1NCE's extensive global network spanning over 160 countries and regions at no additional cost. This service has gained traction among enterprise customers, including Japanese companies like Pocketalk Corporation.While SoftBank initially focused on promoting the 1NCE IoT Flat Rate within Japan, it is now broadening its reach to include 19 countries and regions in APAC, intensifying its global IoT business efforts. The company will bolster its IoT salesforce by quadrupling its team, launch a dedicated online IoT shop in partnership with 1NCE, and enhance advertising and marketing campaigns across the region. In addition, SoftBank will leverage its IoT platform to propose solutions related to smart meters and work towards further expanding its global IoT business presence.SoftBank is committed to building a comprehensive support framework to address the challenges faced by various industries in different countries and regions. The expansion of its global IoT business, starting with the APAC region, aligns with SoftBank's broader "Beyond Japan" initiative aimed at expanding its global presence.Daichi Nozaki, Senior Vice President overseeing the global business at SoftBank Corp., expressed enthusiasm about the comprehensive expansion of the company's IoT business in the APAC region. Nozaki stated, "We’re extremely pleased to be able to fully expand our IoT business in the APAC region. While we’ve been providing IoT services primarily in Japan and contributing to the DX of various industries there, going forward we’ll collaborate with strong business partners like 1NCE and leverage our expertise gained in the Japan market to fully establish ourselves in APAC. Doing this, we’ll work to contribute to the digitalization of the entire region and solve social issues."

Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, is putting its massive media account up for pitch after spending $20.6 billion on advertising and promotional costs in 2022. This figure marked a significant increase from the previous year's $16.9 billion. Procter & Gamble, once considered the world's biggest advertising spender, has fallen behind with advertising costs of $8 billion in 2023, compared to $7.9 billion in 2022 and $8.2 billion in 2021, according to its financial filings.IPG Mediabrands has held Amazon's media buying account since 2017, but the company has decided to review its options. Amazon stated, "We routinely review existing business relationships with third-party vendors and partners, and based on those reviews, may decide to solicit proposals from vendors interested in working with us." The retail giant uses a variety of advertising channels, including sponsored search, social and online advertising, third-party customer referrals, and television advertising, to attract buyers to its platforms. Amazon is also a significant player in the ad space, ranking as the world's third-largest digital advertising platform, behind Google and Meta. In the June quarter, its advertising services grew by 22% to reach $10.68 billion.

X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, is facing a federal lawsuit in Florida from X Social Media, a legal-marketing company, which alleges that the social media giant's new name infringes upon its trademark incorporating the letter "X."X Social Media's lawsuit claims that the rebranding of X Corp to X by owner Elon Musk in July is likely to create consumer confusion. This legal action marks the initial in what could become a series of trademark disputes involving Musk's company and the letter "X," which is frequently used in tech branding.The letter "X" is part of hundreds of federal trademarks owned by various companies, including Microsoft and Meta Platforms. X Corp recently applied for its own US trademarks related to the letter.X Corp has not yet responded to the complaint, while X Social Media has chosen not to comment on the matter.X Social Media, based in Windermere, Florida, specializes in mass-tort litigation advertising. Established in 2015 by Jacob and Roseanna Malherbe, the agency aimed to connect Florida panhandle residents with attorneys following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The agency has been using the name "X Social Media" since 2016 and holds a federal trademark for it. According to the lawsuit, the company has invested over $400 million in Facebook advertising to reach potential clients.The legal action alleges that Twitter's rebranding has already led to customer confusion and a decline in revenue for X Social Media. It seeks a court order to compel Musk's company to cease using the "X" name and requests unspecified monetary damages.

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is reportedly considering introducing ad-free paid versions of its social media platforms for users in the European Union. Under this proposed plan, users could pay around 10 euros (approximately US$10.46) per month for an ad-free experience on Facebook or Instagram on desktop, with an additional charge of about 6 euros for each linked account. On mobile devices, the cost for a single account would increase to around 13 euros due to fees from Apple's and Google's app stores.This move comes in response to evolving regulatory requirements in the EU, as Meta seeks to address concerns about user data and advertising practices. Earlier this year, the company was fined 390 million euros by Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner and was instructed not to use the "contract" legal basis for delivering personalized ads based on users' online activities.Meta has informed European regulators of its intention to launch this ad-free subscription plan, referred to as Subscription No Ads (SNA), in the coming months. While the company emphasizes its commitment to providing free services supported by personalized ads, it is exploring these options to ensure compliance with evolving regulations.Both Meta and relevant regulatory bodies, including Ireland's Data Protection Commission and the European Commission, have not provided additional comments on this matter as of now. The New York Times initially reported Meta's consideration of paid ad-free versions for EU users, though pricing details were not disclosed.This potential shift underscores Meta's efforts to adapt to changing privacy and data protection regulations in the EU and provide users with more choices regarding their online experience.

KPMG, in collaboration with Microsoft and several prominent universities and institutions, has unveiled the KPMG ESG Academy, a scalable and adaptable learning platform designed to foster education and understanding of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters. This academy leverages the KPMG Learning Enablement and Analytics Platform, supported by Microsoft 365, Azure, Teams, and Microsoft Viva Learning, to deliver ESG-focused learning experiences within the workflow. The academy offers customizable content developed in collaboration with globally renowned ESG specialists from leading academic institutions and KPMG sustainability experts. It caters to various learning levels, from basic to advanced, enabling organizations to support their ESG initiatives effectively.The KPMG ESG Academy is a result of the extended global partnership between KPMG and Microsoft, aimed at accelerating digital solutions addressing ESG challenges. The platform is intended to help business leaders enhance their comprehension of ESG and navigate its evolving regulatory landscape for informed decision-making. With a strong commitment to innovation and sustainability, KPMG and Microsoft aim to consolidate ESG insights and information into a single platform to empower decision-makers.This initiative represents one of several digital solutions introduced by KPMG and Microsoft to assist businesses in their ESG journey. Earlier, the partnership introduced the KPMG Circularity Tracker, a solution facilitating a deeper understanding of ESG, automated data collection, and model-based calculations for circularity performance. The KPMG ESG Academy seeks to support decision-makers in Kuwait and beyond as they navigate the complexities of ESG and work towards building more sustainable and responsible businesses.

Apple could be gearing up to develop its own search engine, potentially ending its long-standing reliance on Google as the default search engine for its devices. According to various credible media reports, Apple has all the necessary elements in place to create a competitive search engine. While the move is seen as a "long shot," Apple has been quietly working on its search technology, codenamed Pegasus, which offers more accurate search results. This speculation comes amid ongoing antitrust concerns regarding Google's dominance in online search and ad sales. Apple's potential search engine could generate advertising revenue comparable to its Apple Watch market.

Based on the book 'Going Viral' by Prof. Balram Bhargava of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), The Vaccine War narrates the intriguing development of India's indigenous vaccine called Covaxin with all the internal as well as external challenges encountered during its making...Publicised as India's first bioscience film, producer- director Vivek Agnihotri and team deserve a huge applause for putting the spotlight on our unsung heroes - the scientists at ICMR and National Institute of Virology (NIV), who toiled day and night for months to combat the formidable enemy called Corona. The fact that majority of these scientists were women also makes it a pertinent subject of women power. The film is a must see only for that...Vivek Agnihotri's political leanings are well known and no surprises, he layers his script with an elaborate sub-plot of an almost evil journalist (Raima Sen) plotting against the desi vaccine on orders of the foreign pharma conglomerates hell bent on arm twisting India. While a particular obscure media portal has indeed been indicted of spreading fake news, there were ten other major media channels promoting the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative at that time. The Vaccine War forgets this and instead paints the whole media as anti-establishment. In the climax, they are actually equated to terrorists, which is seriously not done!! Assuredly, the casting is perfect and Nana Patekar and Pallavi Joshi, appearing together after three decades since Trishagni (1989), are truly outstanding. Girija Oak and Sapthami Gowda pitch in sincere performances. It is interesting as well as ironic to watch the extremely pretty Raima Sen in such a vicious role and boy, does she nail it. Kudos!! The Vaccine War soars and roars till the time it stays true to its source content of how Covaxin was developed in record time and ended up saving countless lives across the globe. The minute it switches gears to the toolkit narrative, it somehow withers and dithers...Nevertheless, this is a relevant film of our time which leaves us with a positive message that India CAN do it. Covaxin, Chandrayaan, G20... we have seen it happen in last few years. Three cheers to that!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 4.5/5 2. Direction : 4/53. Music : 3.5/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 3/55. Cinematography : 3/56. Editing : 3/5 7. Costume Design : 3/58. Special Effects and VFX : 3.5/59. Action : NA10. Production Quality : 3.5/5#SNRating for #TheVaccineWar : 3 & 1/2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet NadkarniLiked the review?Click on the link below and like the #SNRatings page to subscribe to honest and unbiased reviews of all latest movies : https://m.facebook.com/SNRatingsYou can also follow us on Twitter handle : @sumu76in* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #TheVaccineWar #Docudrama #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #VivekAgnihotri #PallaviJoshi #NanaPatekar #RaimaSen #GirijaOak #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Hotstar #SNRatings#SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding. 

'80's - '90s Bollywood ka masalaUss par South cinema ka tadka. That sums up Shah Rukh Khan (SRK)'s latest blockbuster Jawan. In fact, it seems like a Tamil movie in which SRK tries to do a Rajinikanth!! No kidding ya, he even flips a cigarette to match the famous 'Thalaivar' swag. The end result is an over the top action drama, which entertains aplenty!! Truly, after the independence weekend blockbuster Gadar 2, which raked in some five hundred plus crores at the domestic box office, Jawan has all the ingredients to take it forward from here. It's massy. Its fun. Its pure unadulterated entertainment. There's also a social message thrown in through SRK's brilliant monologue where he directly converses with the audience... wow!! Admittedly, the plot is oft repeated and seen before type!! Without giving away spoilers, Jawan is a frothy mix of multiple masala movies rooted in the '90s. The vigilante against corruption angle is liberally borrowed from Kamal Haasan's Indian (1996) (Hindustani in Hindi) as well as Akshay Kumar's more recent Gabbar is Back (2015). There is also an added dash of Mammootty's Bollywood turnip called Dhartiputra (1993). In fact, the entire jail sequences of the mother (Deepika Padukone) and her infant son are a direct lift from this Iqbal Durrani directed disaster. Also, let me put those rumours of Jawan being a modern day remake of Amitabh Bachchan's Aakhree Raasta (1986) to rest. Nope, Aakhree Raasta it ain't!! Having said that, the mass masala works big time and makes for a satisfying watch even at close to three hours of run time. Inspite its evident South cinema hangover, the action and song choreography are imminently catchy. The production values are expectedly avant-garde. On the flipside, Anirudh's songs (except the 'Zinda Banda' number) don't meet the humongous expectations though his background score for most parts is striking. The cast deserves full marks. Nayanthara in her Bollywood debut, looks super gorgeous and conjures a great chemistry with SRK. Deepika Padukone leaves a mighty impression even in a special appearance. Sunil Grover is noteworthy. Vijay Sethupathi playing the main antagonist named Kaali, is simply super duper. Note his scene with Deepika in jail. Awesome!! Finally, Jawan is an out and out SRK film and the Bollywood superstar sinks his teeth in to the dual role emerging the clear winner. Donning multiple avatars and juggling between a complex father and son character, he is just outstanding. From the TV series Fauji (1989) to Jawan, SRK has indeed come full circle as an actor and a self made superstar. The last decade was harsh on him mainly due to his choice of films. With Pathaan and now Jawaan, it is safe to say that SRK is back and here to stay. I betcha!! Ratings on some key aspects* : 1. Acting : 5/5 (SRK)2. Direction : 3.5/53. Music : 2.5/5 4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 3/55. Cinematography : 4/56. Editing : 4/5 7. Costume Design : 4/58. Special Effects and VFX : 4/59. Action : 4.5/510. Production Quality : 4.5/5 #SNRating for #Jawan : 3 & 1/2 stars out of 5. - Sumeet Nadkarni * - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others. #Jawan #ActionThriller #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #SRK #Atlee #Nayanthara #DeepikaPadukone #VijaySethupathi #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings #SNRatings barometer:1 star = Poor1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable2 stars = Average2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it3 stars = Good enough/ Watchable 3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a theatrical watch4 stars = Very good5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding.

 ThinkAnalytics, the world’s leading content discovery vendor with over 20 years of history in machine learning and AI, today announced that it is adding voice, chatbot and other solutions that combine generative AI, personalized recommendations, content metadata and natural language interaction to its portfolio at IBC 2023 Hall 5, stand B82. At the show, it will also highlight the power of cross-channel marketing campaigns, personalised FAST channels and will demonstrate how first-party data is a game changer for contextual advertising alongside the importance of clean rooms.Hundreds of millions of viewers already use Think360’s personalization, search/content discovery and voice support, and, building on this expertise, ThinkAnalytics is now working with broadcasters and content providers to add new ways of engaging with individuals or groups of viewers using generative AI for personalized recommendations and other inbound and outbound interactions, including personalized emails and social media.This allows viewers to receive personalized recommendations using natural language on a variety of platforms. This capability, alongside real-time content discovery, personalized emails and chatbots, presents a new opportunity to reach those dormant users who are at risk of churn.Generative AI is also feeding into another development at ThinkAnalytics: creating personalized cross-channel marketing campaigns based on viewing behavior. For example, instead of sending every subscriber a similar marketing email, Think360’s insights can be used to create content synopses that emphasize the themes and actors that will appeal to each individual recipient. ThinkInsight can measure the impact of this richer personalization and see the value of the metadata.ThinkAnalytics will demonstrate the importance of using TV operators’ first-party data to allow advertisers to target TV audiences in real-time with the highest levels of granularity and accuracy in the industry. ThinkAdvertising’s AI models use an operator’s own first-party data which can be delivered securely through clean rooms to create and target contextual audience segments at scale.“The quality of ThinkAdvertising’s first-party data fills an important need in the market as advertisers face the consequences of a post-cookie world plus the need to target the correct audiences to maximize the results from their ad spend. The results speak for themselves: ThinkAdvertising has delivered uplifts of over 100% for customers,” said Peter Docherty, Founder and CTO, ThinkAnalytics.

Dubai: Emirates is launching a special collection of 100 films to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios, marking a history signposted by some of the world’s most beloved films. The capsule collection of classic films and documentaries will be available on the award-winning inflight entertainment system - ice, on Emirates flights from 1 September 2023.Emirates is the first airline to bring Warner Bros. centennial celebration to the skies with this unique collection of entertainment on ice. Alongside 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment, 45 Academy Award® winning films, over 2,000 movies, 650 TV shows, and 4,000 hours of music, podcasts, and audiobooks across 40 languages, the newly launched Warner Bros. 100 films collection will feature milestone movies from the earliest classics like Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz, right through to recent blockbusters such as Dune and Elvis.The collection will also include four Max Original documentary specials chronicling the history of the movie studio. Exploring the impact of Warner Bros. on art, commerce and culture, 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. tells the unprecedented story of the fabled entertainment studio on its 100th anniversary. Featuring insights and first-person stories from directors, actors, executives, journalists and historians, the four specials trace Warner Bros.’ underdog origins – from its founding in the early 1920s by four brothers from an immigrant family, through decades of creative risks and impactful storytelling, to the historic mergers of the 2000s that transformed the company into a global entertainment powerhouse. With narration by Morgan Freeman and clips from iconic films and hit TV series, 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into the indelible stories that have spoken to audiences around the world for generations. The documentaries feature interviews with over 60 legendary filmmakers, actors and executives including Martin Scorsese, Oprah Winfrey, Clint Eastwood, Tim Burton, George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres, Daniel Radcliffe, Keanu Reeves, Oliver Stone and Robert De Niro.Warner Bros 100 Year Collection onboard Emirates – full listEarliest endeavours: In the 1930’s, some of the earliest classics have been remastered and are available to enjoy - 42nd Street (1933), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Gone with the Wind (1939).Forties and Fifties Favourites: The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942), National Velvet (1944), Gaslight (1944), Key Largo (1948), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), Strangers on a Train (1951), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956), The Searchers (1956), A Face in the Crowd (1957), Ben-Hur (1959), Rio Bravo (1959).Sixties and Seventies Smash Hits: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Cool Hand Luke (1967), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Bullitt (1968), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), Mean Streets (1973), Blazing Saddles (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), All the President's Men (1976), Superman (1978), Being There (1979).Eighties and Nineties Nostalgia: Gremlins (1984), The Color Purple (1985), The Goonies (1986), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Empire of the Sun (1987), Lethal Weapon (1987), Beetlejuice (1988), Bird (1988), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Batman (1989), Goodfellas (1990), The Bodyguard (1992), Unforgiven (1992), Free Willy (1993), The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Mask (1994), Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Space Jam (1996), The Green Mile (1999), The Iron Giant (1999), The Matrix (1999).Noughties Movie Magic: Best in Show (2000), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Matrix Resurrections (2021), Ocean's Eleven (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003), Mystic River (2003), The Notebook (2004), Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005), Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Hairspray (2007), Invictus (2009), Inception (2010), Gravity (2013), The Conjuring (2013), Man of Steel (2013), The Lego Movie (2014), Interstellar (2014), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), It (2017), It Chapter Two (2019), Dunkirk (2017), Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), Crazy Rich Asians (2018), A Star Is Born (2018), They Shall Not Grow Old (2018), Aquaman (2018), Shazam! (2019), Joker (2019), Dune (2021), Judas and the Black Messiah (2022), The Batman (2022), Elvis (2022), The Flash (2023).

Delhi: Beyond Imagination Technologies (BIT), a blockchain/Web3.0 technology company, founded with the idea of nurturing the blockchain/Web3.0 technology and building solutions that fit market’s needs is thrilled to announce its strategic expansion into the Middle East region with the partnership with Aba’ad Alkhayal in Saudi Arabia. Driven by a passion for innovation and an unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible, Aba'ad Alkhayal is a Saudi-based software company that leverages the latest technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence to help businesses thrive in the digital age.With this association, both the companies are aiming to bring positive social impact by being at the forefront of technological innovation and striving to create a better future through technology. As the tech partner, Beyond Imagination Technologies will identify problem areas and collaborate with Aba’ad Alkhayal clients to ideate, develop, and deploy solutions that will help them with blockchain. The move comes as part of the company's commitment to fostering blockchain adoption and innovation across various industries in the region.Beyond Imagination Technologies will provide its flagship solution BitMemoir to Aba’ad Alkhayal, which will help clients with digital certifications. Users can convert personal identifiers, property documents, and other sensitive materials into digital certificates, or NFTs, and store them in their own wallets. By utilizing blockchain technology, BitMemoir enables users to own their personal documents in perpetuity.The Middle East has emerged as a significant hub for technological advancements, and BitMemoir recognizes the tremendous potential this region holds for blockchain solutions. By establishing a stronger presence in the Middle East, BitMemoir aims to contribute to the digital transformation and economic growth of the region.BitMemoir's innovative blockchain technology offers a wide array of solutions, including decentralized applications, smart contracts, and secure data management systems. The company's mission is to empower businesses and individuals with seamless and transparent blockchain solutions that drive efficiency, security, and trust in transactions."We are excited to bring our cutting-edge blockchain solution to the Middle East, "said Mr. Nikhil Goyal, Co-Founder - Technology, Aba’ad Alkhayal. "Our expansion into this dynamic region marks a significant milestone in our journey to revolutionize industries and empower businesses with the potential of blockchain technology. We firmly believe that blockchain has the power to reshape the future, and we are committed to being at the forefront of this transformation."He further added, "By 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to unleash the full potential of its citizens and resources, embracing digital transformation to forge a brighter, interconnected future for all. This ambitious path includes the transformation of the Kingdom into a fully digitized society, a beacon of technological advancement and innovation. Thus, being the frontrunners in the blockchain space, we want to contribute to this aim of the nation to our full potential.""We are thrilled to embark on this exciting journey, committed to reshaping the future of technology," said Princess Hesah Al Saud, Co-Founder, Aba’ad Alkhayal. "With this partnership, we envision a future where we harness the power of blockchain to unlock the full potential of our economy. This new beginning will pave the way for digital transformation, creating countless employment opportunities for our citizens and empowering our students with the knowledge and skills needed to embrace this digital revolution. Thus, we aim to drive positive social impact and create a better tomorrow in Saudi Arabia through technology."Beyond Imagination Technologies expansion into the Middle East region will open doors to new partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities across sectors such as education finance, supply chain, healthcare, real estate, and more and anyone looking for safe and secure storage of documents over blockchain. By leveraging blockchain's inherent features of immutability, transparency, and security, BitMemoir aims to provide solutions that tackle industry challenges and optimize business processes.

Authored by Bhavesh Talreja, Founder & CEO, Globale MediaWith the widespread adoption of digital technologies, people spend more time online and engage with various digital platforms. This has led to markets figuring out new interactive and entertaining ways to capture the attention of users. One such way is Gamification.Gamification marketing is a strategy that involves integrating game-like elements, mechanics, and dynamics into marketing campaigns and experiences. In simple words, it is the use of game elements in non-game activities or making boring things more fun. It utilizes elements of gameplay to engage and motivate consumers, encouraging them to participate, interact with a brand, and take desired actions. The term “gamification” was coined by British computer programmer Nick Pelling, but it first gained widespread usage in 2010. Although the trend may have become commonplace in marketing circles in recent times, the concept of gamification and its influence on human behavior has always been there. We all remember how legos and puzzles played an instrumental role in fuelling curiosity and developing cognitive skills. Or how Monopoly gave a simplistic understanding of capitalism. So, the original concept of using games for encouraging participation and learning is not unusual. Gamification taps into the fundamental principles of human psychology and motivation. It leverages elements such as rewards, challenges, achievements, and competition, which are known to drive engagement and encourage desired behaviors.Gamification marketing aims to enhance user engagement, create memorable experiences, and drive specific behaviors or outcomes. By tapping into people's natural inclination for competition, achievement, and rewards, gamification marketing can capture attention, increase participation, and foster a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction. According to shopping preference surveys, 70% of shoppers want gaming elements in online shopping, and 36% would like gaming elements while shopping in-store.The global gamification market size was estimated at USD 10.5 billion in 2021 and it is expected to reach around USD 96.8 billion by 2030. Some common elements and techniques used in gamification marketing are: ? Points, Badges, and Leaderboards: Users earn points or badges for completing certain tasks, reaching milestones, or demonstrating desired behaviors. Leaderboards display rankings based on user performance, creating a sense of competition and motivation. This is a great way to encourage users to actively participate and spend more time with the brand. ? Challenges, Quests, Rewards: Users are presented with specific challenges or quests that require them to complete certain actions or achieve specific goals. This element adds a sense of excitement, progression, and accomplishment. Users receive rewards, incentives, or prizes for their participation or successful completion of tasks. These can include discounts, exclusive content, virtual goods, or tangible rewards.A great example is the Starbucks Rewards app, which gives customers the ability to earn “stars” for every purchase which can be redeemed for drinks or food. In the star-based Rewards app, customers are encouraged to follow through the entire process, right from scanning their member barcode to adding funds and paying with their digital Starbucks Card. According to QSR Magazine, this membership program accounted for 52% of all US store sales in 2021. ? Progression and Unlockable Content: Users progress through levels or stages, unlocking new content, features, or experiences as they advance. This creates a sense of achievement, curiosity, and motivation to continue engaging with the brand. Gamification marketing often incorporates social elements, such as allowing users to share their progress and achievements, or invite friends to participate. This not only fosters social interaction and competition but also exponentially increases brand visibility through word-of-mouth publicity. Real-time feedback and progress indicators provide users with immediate feedback on their actions, motivating them to continue or improve their performance.  Gamification marketing can be implemented across various channels and platforms, including websites, mobile apps, social media campaigns, events, and loyalty programs. It is used by businesses to enhance customer engagement, drive brand loyalty, increase sales, promote product adoption, and gather valuable data insights. In India, an essential avenue for gamification is fantasy sports. With an 18-crore user base, almost thrice the size of North America, India is already the world's largest and fastest-growing fantasy sports market and gamification will be the icing on the cake.With gamification, even traditional card games like online rummy which seem mundane, can become viral sensations. But unlike the rewards system, players can compete for real money or prizes, thereby making it a profession. Online rummy is the hottest pick in the ecosystem, with just the top four companies making a combined revenue of ?4000 crores. In 2019, Online rummy accounted for 335 million USD in India's online gaming market and is estimated to reach 1.4 billion USD by 2024. Many international brands have already tried out different types of gamification marketing.  1. Elon Musk’s Tesla partnered with Tencent during the launch of Model 3 and Model X in China. The two companies entered into a partnership for Tesla cars to be included in PUBG, which is rebranded as ‘Game of Peace’ in China. This marketing campaign allowed players of the game to actually drive the new special edition Tesla electric vehicles within matches. This type of gamification marketing is also known as Brandification, which is as simple as advertising real-world products within video game spaces. 2. In 2010, when M&M’s launched the pretzel-flavored version of the candy, they incorporated an eye spy game into their marketing campaign, where users had to find? a single pretzel hidden in the sea of M&M's. This simple gamification strategy garnered 25,000 new likes on the brand’s Facebook page, in addition to 6,000 shares and 10,000 comments. Thus, by leveraging the principles of gamification, brands can create immersive and enjoyable experiences that resonate with their target audience, resulting in increased brand awareness, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, business growth. India is a land of games. Many games, including Chess, Polo, Snakes and ladders, have been born in India and are recognized globally. So, it should come as no surprise that India is one of the leading countries when it comes to gamification. Plus, with the Indian gaming industry valued at $2.6 billion in 2022 and expected to grow four-fold by 2027, the rise of gamification marketing will also be unstoppable. In India, there are avenues awaiting implementation of gamification such as the edtech market. Levels, points, badges, awards, quick feedback, time limitations, challenges, contests, avatars, leaderboards, and rankings can completely change the way people learn.After all, it's not always about competing to win, but sharing how you won.  

India electric vehicle market is expected to grow from USD5,153.79 million in 2022 to USD14,910.33 million in 2028, growing with a CAGR of 19.81%India is heading towards rapid adoption of green energy through various government initiatives, subsidies which in turn escalates sales of electric vehicles across the country to drive the India electric vehicle market in the upcoming years.With rising pollution levels and the cost of fossil fuels, many countries are adopting green energy, and India is no exception. Electric vehicles are divided into four segments based on propulsion: BEV, HEV, PHEV, and FCEV. BEV, which is fully dependent on the battery, is gaining more popularity due to its zero emission.HEVs are powered by an internal combustion engine with one or more electric motors that use energy stored in batteries that cannot be charged separately. In PHEV, electric vehicles can use battery-powered motors and IC engines independently to run the vehicle. FCEVs, which are more efficient and produce no emissions than conventional IC engines, are powered by hydrogen.The demand for electric vehicles is increasing rapidly, owing to the increasing shift towards advanced technology and multiple government initiatives in India. Many companies emerge with their advanced technology and innovative product range keeping the budget-friendly cost of the vehicle.The government is prioritizing the shift toward clean mobility and faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles under the FAME II scheme in India, making them more affordable.The two-wheeler segment holds the dominance in the electric vehicle market as many youngsters opt for electric two-wheelers for their daily needs and city ride. Also, COVID- 19 has helped the popularity of electric vehicles among customers at a gradual pace. The low cost of running the three-wheeler segment is rapidly increasing its sales.Many new players are emerging with their wide range of products which helps in market competitiveness. Under the Paris Climate Agreement, the Indian government endorses renewable and non-polluting forms of producing electricity.Rapid technological improvements in the areas of battery capacity enhancement, increasing affordability, more comfort, more battery range, less charging time, less maintenance, and a contribution to pollution management are all factors contributing to the India electric vehicle market growth.Lithium-ion batteries are fast gaining popularity because they offer more benefits over lead-acid batteries in terms of energy density, thereby offering greater range and faster charging time.Due to rising oil prices and urban pollution, a move towards the adoption of green energy can be seen in India.According to a FICCI and Rocky Mountain Institute report titled 'Enabling India's Transition to Electric Mobility,' the country's shift toward electric mobility in the passenger vehicle sector could save up to USD300 billion in oil imports and nearly one gigaton of CO2 emissions by 2030. The government is promoting green energy by increasing environmental consciousness and focusing on cost-effective transportation.Many new players are emerging with their technology and increasing competition in market. These players are investing in research and development, innovations to provide wide range of products. Tata motors limited with its strong presence dominates in passenger car segment. In LCV, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited has largest share.The M&HCV segment was led by PMI Electro Mobility Solutions Private Limited and followed by Tata Motors Limited. With large distribution network coupled with brand awareness Hero Electric Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. captures around 1/3rd market of electric two wheelers. In three-wheelers, YC Electric Vehicle comes on top followed by Saera Electric Auto Pvt. Ltd.

As Chief Operating Officer - Broadcasting Business at Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, Sandeep Gupta has, over the last 3 years, played a pivotal role in Shemaroo’s entry into the television segment. He led the organisation in its quest to reach greater heights with the launch of two new channels in Hindi and Marathi languages – Marathi movie channel Shemaroo MarathiBana and Shemaroo’s flagship Hindi GEC, Shemaroo TV, and Shemaroo Umang.With a rich experience of over 15 years, Gupta has built a broad-based career as a veteran in media and entertainment and the finance fields. He is an industry stalwart who has not only launched many broadcast businesses, but has also been the driving force behind their success.In conversation with Adgully, Sandeep Gupta speaks at length about Shemaroo’s foray into the GEC space, advertiser response, content strategy, content consumption trends, focus on FTA, and more.You joined Shemaroo Entertainment during the tough pandemic period. How have you been shaping up and giving a future direction to Shemaroo’s broadcasting business?I've been asked to come to Shemaroo so that I can shape up and set up the broadcast division. So when I came in, we didn’t have the vision to set up the broadcast business. When we started with Shemaroo Marathi, our first launch, it was a speed test, which started in the month of January itself. And we were assured that we will be able to launch the next channel, a general entertainment channel, in the month of March. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world and everything changed. All the plans had to be stalled, and we had to revisit our initial plans. There was a lack of revenue, but we just tweaked and changed certain investment plans, and we accommodated our unfortunate losses. We kept going and a year later we launched another Hindi GEC, Shemaroo Umang.We are very positive about the FTA space. We know TV will keep growing in the FTA space and hence, we are evaluating a couple of more options to launch, maybe in regional languages or in the Hindi movies genre. We are sure that whatever we create in terms of options that will bring in more content for Shemaroo, we will definitely be helping the company grow.Could you take us through Shemaroo’s GEC foray – Shemaroo TV was launched in 2020 and in April this year Shemaroo Umang was launched?Shemaroo’s GEC foray started with Shemaroo TV itself; Shemaroo Umang is the second GEC. Shemaroo TV is more focused on the male TG, while Shemaroo Umang is more female oriented, where there is more drama, more romance, etc. On the other hand, there is more content related to crime and mythology on Shemaroo TV.Free TV, as we see it, is a channel or ecosystem where people want to see the content along with their family. The consumption of TV is for family viewing, so the content is inclusive for both older audiences and the younger ones – thus, we have a very balanced mix of content. We are also coming up with multiple new launches for Shemaroo Umang and Shemaroo TV. If everything goes right, we will have maybe a couple of more launches within this financial year itself. We are planning to launch another drama as early as next month. We are also contemplating launching content that can focus more on the male audience in January 2023. At the same time, we are also looking to balance our Marathi content. We have a Marathi movie channel where we are looking to making it a mix of GEC plus movies and mythology content.The GEC genre is a highly competitive one. How are Shemaroo’s GEC channels facing this stiff competition? What kind of advertiser response have they got so far? What are the markets that they are primarily catering to?Every genre is competitive; we can’t shy away from the competition. What works is content – if you are able to offer the audience good content, and we are able to get this discovered in today’s world. Content offering is huge, but the biggest problem is discoverability. So, we have been working extensively to see that we are very well discovered. Fortunately enough, all our content offering has been well accepted.We have to keep abreast of whatever content that people are consuming. We have to see if the appropriate content is being offered. There is no dearth of viewership in today’s times. The audiences are spoilt for choice. They are watching not just OTT, but Facebook and YouTube as well, along with a bit of TV. Even in the lower loads of Tier 2 and 3 cities, they have an option of watching all of their content. So, the primary focus is on creating content that is relevant for today. That’s how we are fighting for our content strategy to compete with all the other bigger or smaller broadcasters that we haveAs far as advertisers for Shemaroo TV and Shemar Umang are concerned, since we are focused on the FTA audience base, no one has shied away from advertising with us. We have received a very fair advertiser response. Today’s advertiser is focused on delivery. They don’t buy channels based on names anymore, they will buy GRPs. So, if we are delivering GRPs, they will buy anybody – it is all a numbers game now. We have been fairly accepted by all the advertisers. As a Hindi GEC, we are basically focused on seven states – Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan, and a bit of Gujarat as well. These are the markets on which we have a key focus.

Joining the luxury city hotel in the capital of Jordan, Sandro Mazza has been appointed General Manager Kempinski Hotel Amman. The German native brings with him 16 years of experience in hospitality industry with reputable brands such as InterContinental Hotel Group, Madinat Jumeirah and Shangri-La, and held various positions in Southeast Asia and Middle East.He started his career in hospitality business as an apprentice in Food & Beverage in 1993 in Germany, transitioned to Front Office and moved subsequently up the profession ladder by taking on international assignments in Singapore, Hongkong, Beijing, Bahrain and the Maldives. In 2014 Sandro was appointed as Resident Manager at the Shangri-La & Traders Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates followed by the position of Resident Manager at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat in The Sultanate of Oman. In 2019 he was promoted to General Manager of Shangri-La Al Husn Resort & Spa, also in Oman.Being operational savvy and having excellent product and service knowledge allows him to exceed expectations when it comes to customer satisfaction. As a dynamic, results- oriented leader, Sandro Mazza is a strong communicator with a proven track record of developing productive relationships with owners and team members likewise. Highly visible, approachable and results-oriented, he leads by example to foster a positive work environment.Sandro holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel & Catering Management, resulting from a collaboration program between Emil-Fischer School and Hotel InterContinental Berlin, Germany.

Medcare Hospitals & Medical Centres, one of the larger healthcare provider chains in Dubai and Sharjah, has launched their first hospital in the Metaverse on Tuesday morning making it UAE’s first medical facility to be present in the Metaverse.With Dubai’s vision to become the world’s Metaverse Hub and the announcement of their Metaverse strategy this July, various entities from across a vast spectrum of industries including ministries have announced their plans to join the novel virtual world. In line with that, Medcare Women & Children Hospital has partnered with BIOMETAVERSE and officialized its virtual existence by going live on October 11, 2022.Hosted on a Public Cloud within the geographical limits of UAE, the Metaverse healthcare facility aims to provide a glimpse of the real-life experience at Medcare Women & Children Hospital and will be used in their medical tourism initiatives, giving potential patients a chance to have an Immersive visual experience of the hospital facility, allowing for trust and transparency.“We are delighted to unveil UAE’s first hospital in the Metaverse today. Medcare Women & Children Hospital will set the benchmark for immersive virtual patient experience – an element that we will bring to life across Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres network through further introductions. At Aster DM Healthcare, we constantly strive to advance the health services that we provide by embracing advanced technologies, developing treatment protocols, and abiding by the highest standards of medical services, in line with the UAE’s leading position on the global health map. Medcare’s introduction in the Metaverse is a stepping stone in this direction.” Alisha Moopen, Deputy Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare,”In the upcoming months, Medcare plans a Metaverse rollout of Medcare Hospital Al Safa and Medcare Orthopedics & Spine Hospital, enhancing the functionality of their current Metaverse facility to elevate virtual patient experiences.“Our ultimate aim is to deliver actual healthcare services by incorporating the delivery of real-time consultations through our team of over 400 medical experts. We expect in the long-run, traditional “telemedicine” services to be replaced by a need for Metaverse interactions, allowing our patients to receive a more tangible and collaborative service,” said Dr. Shanila Laiju, CEO Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centers.Currently Medcare is a key provider within the virtual medical market of telemedicine, offering over 20,000 virtual consultations every year, a 62 per cent hike from early 2020.“Technology acceleration has revolutionized the healthcare industry with AI enhanced diagnostics, robotic surgical care, genome sequencing, augmented reality, wearable devices giving patients a renewed chance at better life quality and longevity. We are now entering a new era using technology not only for administrative systems and medical developments but also enhanced virtual patient journeys allowing for improved informed decision making and better access to care, said Veneeth Purushotaman, Chief Information Officer, Aster DM Healthcare.“In this regard we decided to partner with BIOMETAVERSE because of their track record and their presence and involvement with leading players in the region on Metaverse,” he added.The Metaverse Medcare Women & Children Hospital will be initially on an “By Invite Only” basis and will then be provided as a link on our official website https://www.medcare.ae and will be assisted by our customer care team; the experience require a Occulus or a HoloLens or a similar Augmented Reality (AR) Smart Glasses.

After 4 and a half years at Disney Star India, Arghya Chakravarty, EVP - Ad Sales, Entertainment Business, has stepped down. His last day at the firm will be June 30th, according to insiders. Chakravarty left Times Innovative Media as CEO in September 2017 to join Disney Star. Chakravarty has been reporting to Kevin Vaz, Disney Star India's Head of Network Entertainment Channels, from September 2021. He was also reporting to Nitin Bawankule, the former Disney Star India Head of Ad Sales who resigned in April. Chakravarty has worked for Tata Steel, Asian Paints, Akzo Nobel, and PepsiCo during the course of his nearly three-decade career. Chakravarty graduated from BIT Mesra with a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronic engineering. He also holds a Master's degree in Marketing/Marketing Management from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta.

Eno, the largest antacid brand globally, has entered the metaverse space with the launch of EnoVerse in PartyNite, Metaverse. The brand will host a stand-up comedy festival with ace stand-up comedian Zakhir Khan, offering an interactive and immersive experience to the audience. The Eno Comedy Festival will be hosted at EnoVerse, a specially designated land space for Eno within PartyNite metaverse.  Comedian Zakhir Khan will be interacting with audiences through a larger-than-life custom avatar and other comedians like Kaneez Surka, Rahul Dua, Kiran Dutta (The Bong guy), Shraddha Jain (Aiyyo Shraddha), Sahil Shah & Rahul Subramanian will also be a part of this festival through their gamified custom avatars. They will be interacting with each other and have fun discussing food and a lot more. The event venue at EnoVerse will feature a big amphitheater, lights, sound and music to amplify the look and feel of the digital event with iconic Eno branding elements. After the stand-up comedy festival, EnoVerse remains open for the public to explore on PartyNite metaverse and they can watch the comedy festival highlight videos on a big screen.  Rajat Ojha, creator of PartyNite, Metaverse said, “These are early days for Metaverse but it is the sure shot future of the internet. The brands who are early birds will reap the long-term benefits of a metaverse footprint. Now is the time to claim a spot and it's heartening to see brands like Eno thinking innovatively to expand their brand visibility. Every engagement, every activity within PartyNite that we are working on will add to the use cases and perhaps become a template for the future. Real- time interaction amongst the top stand-up comedians in their gamified avatars in EnoVerse is clearly the most innovative example of how ENO can celebrate its 50th anniversary”. He added, “We went ahead and pushed the boundaries of technology and creativity to build a larger than life set around Eno brand with a grand welcome of Zakir who would in turn introduce the other comedians, this real-time interaction among them is something that the world is going to see for the first time apart from the event being the first ever stand-up comedy show inside a Metaverse. We captured the essence of Eno with its signature efflorescence which is practically impossible in the real world to capture and communicate”. Just recently, the Telangana government unveiled its Space-Tech framework with ISRO on PartyNite, the Metaverse platform created by Gamitronics, the pioneering theme park, VR/AR and robotics/AI company based in Hyderabad. Gamirtonics was also invited by I&B ministry, Government of India as a party of a small team of start ups to represent the country at Cannes Film Festival 2022

Viacom18’s leading kids’ entertainment franchise, Nickelodeon, through its thought-provoking initiatives has successfully engaged and entertained young minds. As a pioneer in promoting the benefits of yoga amongst kids, this International Yoga Day, Nickelodeon is all set to take Yoga Day celebrations a notch higher by bringing back its flagship campaign #YogaSeHiHoga and induct thousands of kids into the blissful world of Yoga.  As a part of the campaign, Nickelodeon is geared up to engage kids across the country through an array of on-air creatives establishing the benefits of yoga in a relatable manner. In addition to this, the campaign will witness fun interactivity where kids stand a chance of getting featured on TV by sharing their yoga poses online. All kids have to do is to log on to nickindia.com and upload a photo or video of them doing Yoga! Moreover, kids’ favourite Commenting on associating with Nickelodeon for third year in a row, Smt. Kavita Garg, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, said, “Over the last two years, children have experienced high-stress levels and have been living a sedentary lifestyle, making it imperative to help them get back to their routine and instill positive energy through the power of yoga. We are extremely pleased with Nickelodeon’s initiative year-on-year helping tiny tots inculcate healthy habits at a young age through innovative formats. We truly believe our association with Nickelodeon will truly help induct kids about the essence of bringing balance in human relationships with Yoga, by leveraging the affinity of their favourite Nicktoons!” Speaking on bringing back the initiative, Sonali Bhattacharya, Head, Marketing, Kids TV Network, Viacom18, said, "Nickelodeon has always believed in engaging kids through meaningful initiatives that bring about a positive behavioural change in them. With #YogaSeHiHoga, we aim to imbibe the life changing benefits of yoga in kids from a very early age. It is our privilege to associate with the AYUSH Ministry, year-on-year, who actively advocate the importance of having a healthy mind and body. With a commitment towards our young audiences, this year too, we look forward to inspiring kids to lead a more relaxed and stress-free life, be it physically, mentally or emotionally.” The Nicktoons have been actively advocating the benefits of yoga, inspiring kids towards a healthier and balanced life. In 2019, the campaign saw Motu and Patlu perform yoga with Prime Minster Narendra Modi along with 40,000 people at Prabhat Tara Ground and partnered with Mumbai’s biggest Yoga event – ‘Yoga by the Bay’, attended by over 10,000 yogis with Nicktoons Shiva and Rudra in attendance. Last year, owing to the pandemic, Nickelodeon celebrated Yoga Day virtually in partnership with the AYUSH Ministry and highlighted the importance of building a healthier immune system. The digital partnership was extensively promoted through interactive posts, and videos, followed by a nationwide contest that reached out to over 6,30,000 mothers and kids through digital mediums and received 3000+ entries under the Yoga contest hosted on the brand platform. To ensure wide spread awareness and to promote yoga ahead of International Yoga Day, Nickelodeon will drive engagement for #YogaSeHiHoga this year via a robust influencer marketing campaign, the entire Nickelodeon franchise on-air and on digital as well as on its social media channels.

IDAM House of Brands has announced an addition to the leadership team with the appointment of Reena Mansukhani as the Vice President - Brand and Communications for Bella Vita Organic. In her new role, she will be responsible for developing communication and marketing strategies, building and elevating the brand across the industry while establishing a retail environment that encourages positive customer experience which thereby contributes to the brand’s continued growth. Reena has over 16 years of rich industry experience in brand and category management, luxury management, fashion retail, business growth and sales. Prior to Bella Vita Organic, Reena worked as Head of Department – Marketing, Boddess Retail. She was a part of the founding team, previously Head of Brands, Marketing & Customer Activation and Head of Content at Boddess.com. She has also worked with organisations like Nykaa where she was the Assistant Vice President - Luxury, Gaurav Gupta, Exclusively.in & Vodafone India among others. An entrepreneurial spirited & passionate professional with overall expertise in Integrated Marketing, Brand & Business Strategy, Reena will guide Bella Vita Organic through new curations and communications. On the appointment, Aakash Anand- Founder and CEO of IDAM House of Brands said, “Reena brings a blend of luxury, brand management, passion for beauty, makeup & skincare, and a cohesive knowledge of brand building to the Bella Vita Organic family that will help to further strengthen and create a high-end image of the brand. She has a deeper understanding of trends backed by competitive research analysis which is essential when we aim for new launches. Reena’s proven skills in ideation & development of content & visual merchandising displays will undoubtedly contribute to the overall growth of Bella Vita Organic.” “I am immensely excited to step into this new role to help drive growth. With more people consciously thinking about selfcare & shifting towards ayurveda-backed skincare, it will be an interesting phase to grow this trend with Bella Vita Organic to provide hand-crafted self-care products. The brand has already carved a niche in the industry and I believe my expertise in brand building & knowledge of beauty & skincare would benefit the brand to pave the way for future growth. The idea of positioning us as a gender-neutral skincare brand was exciting and that's how we got Milind Soman onboard. Content is king and I look forward to devising new strategic initiatives by creating meaningful and real content for and by the real people.” said Reena Mansukhani. 

Hybrid is an Adtech company from Europe which has been present in India for over 2 years and gained a certain success in the industry just announced their new country manager for India- Gandharv Sachdeva. Joining Hybrid family, Gandharv Sachdeva brings with him a rich and diverse experience of a total of 12 years in Digital Marketing and Sales. Gandharv Sachdeva moved from Times Internet Ltd. where he was the Product Strategist for all Times Internet Digital Properties. As a country head, Gandharv’s experience and ability - will be expected to help Hybrid keep expanding and blooming business in India in the future. Gandharv shared: “I feel honored, happy and humbled to be given this opportunity to join Hybrid and to lead the incredible business and the amazing India team as we move forward.With over 15 years of expertise in the programmatic advertising industry, Hybrid has incredible power and strength to help advertisers in India to achieve high performances and brand awareness. Our main goal is creating products and services that really change people's lives, make it better and more comfortable” Welcome Gandharv Sachdeva to Hybrid and we hope that he will bring more value and contribution to Hybrid and their clients.

For years, True School of Music (TSM) has been shaping musicians with their training programmes. Now, TSM is endeavouring to not just train musicians but look after their mental wellbeing as well by joining hands with mental health wellness partners like The Mood Space. Because studies show that over 50% of musicians battle with depression and anxiety due to financial instability, odd working hours, inconsistent sessions work, constant touring etc. To help TSM take this this inconvenient truth head on, Madison BMB created a mental health awareness campaign that speaks to musicians in a language that only they can understand. The poster and social media campaign uses music notations to communicate with musicians and urges them to seek help from a mental health counsellor if they are facing mental health issues.  This integrated campaign is a combination of posters which were put up at leading sound studios, social media posts and live Instagram sessions with celebrated musicians like Karsh Kale.  The culmination of this campaign is Don’t Give Up – a music video conceptualised by TSM’s founder Ashutosh Phatak and created by the alumni and current batch of TSM students. The music video will be launched on World Music Day to celebrate each musician and to empower them to overcome their daily struggles.  “Music is something that is very close to our hearts. The fact that more than 50% musicians are battling depression needed immediate attention. We hope that our campaign which is exclusively made for this gifted species doesn’t just resonate with them but also helps them be in a happy space and create even better music”, said Rohan Joseph, Senior Creative Director at Madison BMB. “We have always believed in the power of creativity, and the potential it has in bringing about meaningful change. For this campaign, we used music itself as a language, quite literally, for its ability to have a universal impact and drive home the message of support we wanted to give to the creators of music. We are confident that it will strike the right chord with musicians especially and many will genuinely benefit from their association with True School Of Music and The Mood Space”, said Raj Nair, CEO and Chief Creative Office, Madison BMB.  Ashutosh Phatak, Co-Founder, True School of Music, said “Music is such an integral part of our lives. It has the ability to inspire, motivate and heal. But the creative process has tremendous challenges. Musicians bare their souls and in that expression there is often anxiety and insecurity.  This is a real issue that people go through and at TSM we would like to raise awareness about these issues while offering help and solutions at the same time. Whether you’re someone who is just thinking about having a career in music, or someone who is studying to be a musician or someone who is just starting their career or someone who’s had a very successful life making music, this process is riddled with ups and downs.  I think it’s important for us to recognize this and help and support anyone who is in this inspiring and creative musical journey.” Rhea Sawhney, Co-Founder and Counselling Psychologist, The Mood Space, said “Music is a huge part of all our lives. Whether it is on the way back from work, during a road trip or just when we’re feeling low, music has been there for us. I think it’s time we extend the same support to the musicians who face the extreme demands of a creative career path, struggle to sustain inspiration, joy and prioritize their mental health. As mental health partners of The True School of Music, we at The Mood Space, aim to provide musicians with a space to create and space to heal. This World Music Day, we urge musicians to reach out for support when needed and take time out to focus on yourself if things gets too much. After all, it’s about looking after each other and ourselves.” Madison BMB is a full-service advertising unit and a powerhouse of creativity and vibrancy. Some of its services include brand strategy, TV, Print, Outdoor, Radio, Corporate Branding, Packaging Design, Digital Films, Website Design, Point of Sale and Corporate AVs, amongst other services. It partners clients such as Asian Paints Royale Bathrooms, Sleek Kitchens, Indian Oil, More Supermarkets, Olivia Cosmetics, Crompton, among others. Madison BMB is a part of Madison World, India’s largest homegrown communication agency established in 1988. Madison World through its 11 Units served last year, as many as 500 Advertisers.

Myntra announces the launch of its College Campus Ambassador program to engage deeply with its thriving cohort of Gen-Z consumers in the country. This is one of the two-part Creators Campaign being driven by Myntra StyleCast, which collectively comprises over 1000 influencers, that aims to bring together uber-trendy Gen-Z who are passionate about fashion and can create awareness around fresh and affordable fashion on StyleCast within their clout, including circles on campuses. With this program, Myntra aims to further strengthen its position as India’s foremost destination and expert on all things fashion, among young shoppers, while enabling opportunities for the young fashion enthusiasts in the content creator space. The latter includes the chance to learn the ropes of content creation through mentoring and guidance from popular macro Myntra Style Squad influencers as well as getting a chance to be featured on Myntra’s live commerce propositions, Myntra-Studio and M-Live, and social media channels to give their content creation pursuit the right launch pad.  Introduced in December 2021, Myntra StyleCast was launched as a separate section on the app, with ~7000 styles. StyleCast has scaled its offerings by 5X since launch to over 35,000 styles, offering the cohort a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, during the ongoing 16th edition of EORS, from leading international and domestic brands for the Gen-Z milieu, including the likes of Urbanic, H&M, Forever 21, Missguided, Zalora, bebe and Trendyol among a host of other notable brands. The influencers that partner with the platform for the campaign are given access to a range of Instagram-worthy merchandise with an opportunity to get featured across Myntra's highly popular social pages and application, also helping them build their fandom. Myntra StyleCast Campus Squad includes an array of students aged 17-21 years, from some of the best universities in the country including Indian Institute of Art & Design, Pearl Academy, NIFT, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, Mount Carmel College - Bengaluru, Indian Institute of Fashion Technology and Symbiosis Institute of Design - Pune to name a few. These campus ambassadors are the faces of Myntra on their respective campuses. They are among the coolest and the most fashionable kids on campus that everyone looks up to for their fresh and edgy fashion sensibilities, and these campus influencers will create strong FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) around the Myntra StyleCast range among their college circles. Myntra has bolstered this ever-growing army even further, to create content around themes such as body positivity and inclusion on their social channels to build awareness and consideration for Myntra StyleCast and also post content on their Myntra Studio profiles to drive end conversions for the StyleCast charter on the App.   The Gen-Z audience relies heavily on social media influencers for shopping inspiration, trends that are affordable and are also shaping the fashion trends with their preference for all things cool and distinct, emerging as an important and expressive consumer group to influence purpose-driven brands. This will not only help Myntra & StyleCast build social share of voice, but will also drive end conversions on Myntra, creating contextual and engaging content in higher volumes.  Myntra chooses campus influencers on the basis of their relevance with the Gen-Z audience, relevance in the content creation industry, their knack for edgy and trendy fashion, and their diversity and reach. Through the Campus Ambassador program, Myntra intends to achieve over 250 million impressions on social media over the course of this year. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the creator economy is worth $104.2 billion, with $800 million being invested into creator economy start-ups since 2020. *(Creator Earnings: Benchmark Report 2021 (influencermarketinghub.com)) Myntra with its pioneering efforts in the influencer space is poised to tap into this rich pool and grow engagement for the platform, as well as social media equity for influencers involved. As Myntra strives to scale stickiness with fashion-forward customers across tiers, age groups and genders, the creator-backed commerce plays a crucial role in regulating decision making and awareness amongst the consumer groups in question.  Commenting on the StyleCast Influencer and Campus Ambassador Program launch, Padmakumar Pal, Vice President & Business Head - Apparel, Myntra said, “Creator-backed commerce is at our core and we want to harness the power of the younger, budding influencer pool by presenting them an opportunity to build highly engaging communities on Myntra Studio and M-Live, while showcasing a wide range of trending styles to our audiences on StyleCast and enabling shopping based on community recommendations - just how the Gen-Z prefers. Our Campus Engagement initiative is an important aspect in this direction and we look forward to forging lasting relationships with our next generation of shoppers through our on-ground ambassadors who will be key to unlocking our next phase of our growth.“

Sling TV is a service that livestreams news, sports, and other TV shows from the Internet, but without the clunky cable box. Viewers in the USA can access any Internet-connected device, including iOS and Android devices, and Xbox Ones, to watch India TV. People of the Indian diaspora living in the US, can watch India TV round-the-clock for its extensive news coverage on India and the rest of the world, by connecting through Sling TV. India TV has been and continues to be a trendsetter in the Hindi news genre, with its highly popular shows like ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ (on weekends) and ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ (on weekdays) hosted by Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV. With its nationwide network of journalists, India TV has been telecasting round-the-clock news bulletins, current affairs programmes and talk shows for the last 18 years. The channel broadcasts live content for up to 15 hours daily and reaches out to a whopping 100 million Cable & Satellite homes across India. Ms. Ritu Dhawan, Managing Director, India TV said: “ India TV’s aim is to inform and empower global Indians with accurate, in-depth, unfiltered, fact-based journalism without any bias, outrage, or sensationalism. Making India TV available in the USA is one more step towards our goal. We are proud of our experienced team of TV journalists, anchors, producers, camerapersons and other skilled staff, who toil day in and day out to bring news as it happens to your drawing rooms”.