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Mumbai, 14th September 2023 ASICS, the renowned Japanese sports performance brand, has proudly announced its latest partnership with India’s top Men’s Singles Tennis player, Sumit Nagal. The official announcement took place at a special event hosted at the Official ASICS Store in Lucknow, underlining ASICS’ unwavering commitment to nurturing and empowering India’s top tennis talents.

Sumit Nagal currently holds the esteemed title of India’s Rank 1 in Men’s Singles Tennis. His collaboration with ASICS aims to set new benchmarks on his promising journey, poised to propel his performance where we will see Nagal wear ASICS apparel and footwear during training and competitions. His exceptional prowess, unwavering dedication, and profound commitment to the sport align seamlessly with ASICS’ core values, making him an organic addition to the brand.

In a significant stride toward championing tennis talent, ASICS’ partnership with Sumit Nagal marks an outstanding addition to the illustrious roster, already featuring tennis stalwarts Rohan Bopanna and Karman Kaur Thandi. These three exceptional athletes collectively embody the strength, resilience, and dedication that are synonymous with ASICS.

Talking about the announcement Mr. Rajat Khurana, Managing Director, ASICS India and South Asia commented “We are thrilled to partner with Sumit Nagal, a true champion of the sport. Sumit’s dedication and passion for tennis are unmatched, and we are confident that he will continue to achieve great things. We are proud to support Sumit on his journey to the top, and we look forward to seeing him succeed.”

“ASICS is committed to supporting tennis talent in India, and we are proud to add Sumit to our growing roster of athletes. We believe that Sumit is a role model for aspiring tennis players in India, and we are excited to see what he accomplishes in the years to come.” He added

Expressing his thoughts on this collaboration, Sumit Nagal commented, “I am humbled and honored to join forces with ASICS, a brand that shares my passion for excellence and unwavering commitment to the sport. I am excited to embark on this journey together, marked by relentless dedication and a shared goal of reaching new heights in the world of tennis. I am confident that this partnership will help me unleash my full potential on the court.”

To commemorate this exciting development, ASICS orchestrated a media event at the ASICS store in Lucknow, offering fans, media, and sports enthusiasts an exclusive opportunity to engage with Sumit Nagal, Rohan Bopanna, and Karman Kaur Thandi.

Mumbai’s leading food, entertainment and shopping destination, Infiniti Mall recently concluded vibrant Krishna Janmashtami celebrations at both the outlets of the mall i.e. Andheri and Malad. The celebrations invited customers from all walks of life to experience an enthralling time and witness the grand scale celebrations through a range of vivacious cultural events.

Girls groups rise high, spreading the joy of the festivities while breaking the Handi, which was a one-of-its-kind highlight from the day. It showcases the mall’s effort to highlight women’s power.

The spectacular weekend of performances lined up for customers for pottery workshops to instrumental fusion musical events organized by the mall, uplifting the festive spirit. The mythological Radha-Kirshna play seized the pulse of the festival and created the utmost engagement and delight for customers.

NEW DELHI, 11th September 2023: Superstar Sunny Deol appeared exuberant in Rajat Sharma’s show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ after the recent success of his movie ‘Gadar 2’ which has garnered Rs 511 crore at the box office till now.

To a question whether he would think of doing ‘Gadar 3’ in the future, Sunny Deol replied: “Gadar 2 lane ke liye main dar raha tha, Gadar 3 ke liye main taiyar hoon” (I was afraid when I was doing Gadar 2, but now I’m ready to do Gadar 3)

When Rajat Sharma asked whether he had got offers to do sequels like Border 2, Ghayal 2, Arjun 2, Sunny Deol replied: “I think the characters in these movies have made their place in the hearts of people. They want extensions of those characters….. There was a time when Border 2 was being planned, but it could not happen. Now that this film (Gadar 2) has clicked, everybody is energetic, I think some day or other they will be made.

Rajat Sharma: I’ve heard Sunny has also gained some ‘josh’, and that you’ve been demanding Rs 50 crore for a film?

Sunny Deol: Look, it’s the producer who will decide how much to pay depending on how much he earns.

Rajat Sharma: If a movie earns Rs 500 crore, one can demand Rs 50 crore?

Sunny Deol: He will decide how much he can pay. I will not say, I’ll do or not do. I do not work like this. I like to be in projects where I am not a burden.

Rajat Sharma: Did you ever expect Gadar 2 to become a superhit?

Sunny Deol: I had no such expectations…when the first Gadar movie was made, it’s the people who made it a big hit. There was no digital world in those days. But we had that gut feeling that it would click. In those days, we did not use to go out for promotions. ..This time, before doing Gadar 2, we, particularly our director, did a brainstorming. It was delayed and Covid pandemic began. When he told me about the idea, I liked it and from then onwards, work began. I had this confidence that the people who liked Gadar, will like this sequel too. I knew, either the movie will not click, or if it clicked, it will give the movie its due honour (izzat). This movie has kept its ‘izzat’ as a sequel.”

On Salman Khan praising Gadar 2 with his tweet “Dhai kilo ka haath equals chalis cr ki opening. Sunny paaji is killing it. Congrats to the entire team of Gadar 2”, Sunny Deol replied: “Salman and I have a different equation. Obviously I’m senior to him. When I used to work, he used to come on the set. ..Hamesha.. He had a good bond with Papa (Dharmendra)..And so that give and take, which is with very few people, was there. Obviously, it is not that they are my colleagues. I have my bonds with everyone. I am what I am, you may like it or may not like it.”

Rajat Sharma: Even Shahrukh Khan has praised Gadar 2?

Sunny Deol: Definitely, definitely. Woh zaman (those days) when it happened, that was a different time. I say, people forget what happened in those days. One understands such things should not have happened. It was ‘bachpana’ (childish), definitely. After that, Shahrukh and I met several times and spoke to each other about many things. We also talked about some movies. This time, he was watching my film with his entire family. And he called me up. Toh sab cheezen bahut badhiya hai. Sab kuch bahut badhiya (everything is fine now).

Sunny Deol was obliquely referring to the incident with Shahrukh Khan during the shooting of 1993 blockbuster Darr, when he ripped the pockets of his jeans in anger and swore to never work with Yash Chopra again.

Rajat Sharma: Even Karan Johar has praised you this time?

Sunny Deol: “Chaliye, isliye main maafi maangta hoon” (Okay, I tender apology for this)

When Rajat Sharma asked why he did not mix up much with his fraternity in the film industry and avoided parties, Sunny Deol replied: ” I don’t say going to parties is not good, but one has to consume liquor, which I don’t. I am an early riser. I go to bed early. Earlier when I used to attend parties, senior actors, who consumed too much liquor, used to hold me back and then engaged me in a loop and spoke continuously. So one or two or three persons used to hold me back, and mujhko bhi chadh jaati thi (I used to get on a high). After drinks, you can’t talk sensibly, but it was a different period then.

Rajat Sharma: I was reading Dharam Ji’s interview, where he said, he tried to teach Sunny and asked you to sing the song ‘Mausam Yoon Barasta Hai, Dar Kyun Mujhko Lagta hai’. He said he even told Sunny to hug Amrita Singh, but he refused?

Sunny Deol: It’s not that it didn’t happen. Basically, I’m a shy guy. I used to be shy since childhood. I say, every person has his own personality

Rajat Sharma: Do you give jhappi (hug) now?

Sunny Deol: No, I mean, it’s not good to give jhappi without any reason. I have changed a lot. I am changing with the times. I am now 65. If I don’t change, then when?

POLITICS

Sunny Deol said, he was going to quit politics and will not contest next year’s Lok Sabha elections from Gurdaspur, Punjab. “I am not fit for politics….I will not like to contest election anymore. It will be good if I continue to work only as an actor.”

Rajat Sharma: What if Modi ji insisted?

Sunny Deol: I think Modi Ji understands that this boy Sunny is doing good service for the country as an actor, and he should continue to do so. Even people want I should give them good cinema in which I have expertise. I want to make good films for our youth so that they become motivated, be positive. I think we should always be positive and we are proud of what we are.”

Sunny Deol said: “My attendance record in Parliament is very poor. I didn’t ask a single question in the House.”

Rajat Sharma read out his attendance record, which says, Sunny Deol went to Parliament only 19 times in the last three and a half years, and asked only one question. He skipped 2021 and 2022 winter session and this year’s monsoon session.

Sunny Deol said, “I don’t say it’s a good thing to have a low attendance. When I joined politics, I started to realize, it is not my world. But I did all the work that I had to do in my constituency. I will continue to do so, whether I attend the House or not. There is security, and I face problems. As an actor when I go there, crowds surround me. This is our shortcoming. I have a long list of work that I did for my constituency. In politics as a profession, I am a misfit…. I am only able as an actor. Earlier I became a director, a producer. I left everything because I am good at being an actor.”

PAKISTAN

On some Pakistanis on social media challenging him for a duel, Sunny Deol replied: “Such statements will come. I am an actor. I play characters. It will be better if we do not take what is shown in movies as personal. Of course, if somebody wants a ‘panga’ (duel) with me, let him come.”

On another Pakistani saying that their army will reply if ever Sunny visits their country, the actor replied: “In reality, I am not a soldier. I am an actor. I always say, I am doing the role of a character. As a soldier, why should anybody go to another country? No soldier wants to fight the other. A soldier has to work for his country. Nobody wants to take the other’s life….Let me tell you, people from Pakistan shower their love, whenever I go abroad. There are political issues which create problems. People from both sides (of the border) are the same.

People have gone from here. Hum sab isi mitti ke hain, aur sab ek hi hain, aur yeh jo ladhai vagairah hoti hain, yeh honi nahin chahiye. Har aadmi jo ladh raha hai, woh kisi ka beta hai, husband hai, uski behenen hain, poora pariva uska hai aur yeh koi nahin chahta ki woh usey kho den. Na idhar ka chahta hai, na udhar ka chahta hai. Main toh hamesha yahi kahoonga ki yeh sulah ho jaye charon taraf. Kyunki zindabi jab humen mil hi gayi hai, woh jeena ke liye hai, Ladhne ke liye nahin.” (We all belong to the same soil. We are all one. These wars should not have happened. Everybody who is fighting is somebody’s son, husband, he has sisters, aur his whole family. Nobody wants to lose them. Neither from this side, nor from that side. I will always say that there must be conciliation all over. The life we have got is meant for living, not for fighting)

11th September 2023 New Delhi: The Ministry of Media, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day event in conjunction with the G20 Leader’s Summit. The exhibit, called Media Oasis, is being organized from the 9th to 11th September in New Delhi. The event aims to provide an immersive and interactive experience of Saudi Arabia’s leading projects in the sectors of tourism, entertainment, technology, culture, and sports. The overarching theme of the exhibit is Vision 2030, an initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aimed at the diversification of the country economically, socially, and culturally.

Organised by the Saudi Ministry of Media, the event showcases the initiatives being taken by the Saudi Ministry of Culture, Invest Saudi, Saudi Ministry of Sports, Saudi Ministry of Energy, Red Sea Global, SDAIA, FII Institute, Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Konoz, CGC.

Media Oasis is expected to be attended by a host of ministers and senior Saudi officials. The exhibition is taking place at the Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi.

The event is being held in parallel to the HRH Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s visit to New Delhi, India for the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

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Janmashtami, the radiant festival that marks the birth of Lord Krishna, holds a special place in the hearts of Indians, especially in the vibrant state of Maharashtra. Zee 24 TAAS, is thrilled to announce a spectacular Janmashtami special program, ‘Govinda – re – Gopala’, which will go on air on Thursday, 7th September 2023 from 10 am onwards. This special program will allow citizens to witness the essence of this beloved festival and its significance in Maharashtra, featuring prominent celebrities who will join in the jubilant celebrations.

‘Govinda – re – Gopala’ promises to be an unforgettable experience for viewers, offering a comprehensive look at the essence of Janmashtami. The on-ground reporters of Zee24 TAAS will be covering the festival’s essence from various locations across the state of Maharashtra. This vibrant program will not only explore the spiritual importance of this festival, but also provide an in-depth glimpse into how people or devotees across the state of Maharashtra come together to celebrate this auspicious day, emphasizing the unity and devotion that Janmashtami fosters.

Viewers will also have the privilege of witnessing the darshan of their favourite celebrities in their moments of devotion during the festive celebration. Their heartfelt participation and insights into their own Janmashtami traditions will undoubtedly add an extra layer of charm and excitement to the program.

Speaking on the relevance of the special programming, Nilesh Khare, Editor of Zee 24 TAAS, said, “Janmashtami is a time when our nation comes together to celebrate the divine birth of Lord Krishna. Mumbai epitomizes a spirit of resilience and unwavering togetherness. ‘Govinda – re – Gopala’ is our way of bringing this celestial beauty of Janmashtami closer to our viewers, allowing them to partake in the joy and devotion that Janmashtami embodies. We invite our viewers to join us in this celebration of unity, faith, and the enduring legacy of Lord Krishna. We hope this program will reinforce the cultural richness and spirituality that define our nation.”

Abhay Ojha, CEO, Zee Media Corporation Limited, further added, “At Zee Media Corporation Limited, we believe in fostering connections with our viewers through the celebration of our cultural heritage.’Govinda – re – Gopala’ is a testament to this belief, offering an immersive experience into the vibrant and soulful celebration of Janmashtami in Maharashtra. This program is a reflection of our dedication to providing not just news but also cultural enrichment. Join us as we take you on this mesmerizing journey of faith and joy, and let’s collectively celebrate the enduring legacy of Lord Krishna.”

Zee Media Corporation Ltd, one of India’s leading media companies, has a strong presence in the news and regional genres, with 16 news channels in seven different languages, reaching more than 528+ million viewers through its linear and digital properties.

In the world of showbiz, mentorship is like a guiding light, especially for those like Navneet Malik, who started their journey outside the film industry. Navneet, the talented actor behind ‘The Freelancer’s’ character Mohsin, recently revealed a surprising connection with his co-star, Anupam Kher – he’s actually his first acting teacher!

Navneet’s path in the entertainment world began as a model with a burning desire to become an actor. The challenge was where to start. That’s when he discovered Anupam Kher’s acting school, Actor Prepares and immediately joined it.

Reflecting on this experience, Navneet shared, “I’ve always admired Anupam Sir’s passion for acting, and his school was the perfect place to learn this art. So yes, not many know this, but I was a part of Anupam Sir’s acting school in the early days of my career. He has been my guiding light, my mentor, and my first teacher in the entertainment industry. Learning from his institute was an invaluable experience. It taught me that acting should feel natural; you must immerse yourself in the character and react authentically. While I learned the basics at his school, I’ve always added my unique touch to every character I portray.”

Navneet expressed his gratitude for sharing the screen with Anupam Kher in ‘The Freelancer.’ “I’ve learned so much by watching him on set. In a way, I’m Eklavya, and Anupam Sir is my Dronacharya. Exceptional mentors like him are the backbone of the entertainment industry.”

Adapted from Shirish Thorat’s gripping novel ‘A Ticket to Syria,’ ‘The Freelancer’ is a high-stakes rescue mission story. The plot revolves around a daring mission to free a young girl trapped in war-torn Syria, shedding light on the sinister tactics employed by the Islamic State to recruit and manipulate followers worldwide. Directed by Bhav Dhulia and produced by Neeraj Pandey, the series boasts an exceptional cast featuring Mohit Raina, Anupam Kher, Kashmira Pardesi, Sushant Singh, Manjari Fadnis, Sarah Janedias, John Kokken, and Gauri Balaji in pivotal roles. ‘The Freelancer’ released on Disney+Hotstar on September 1, 2023.

Mumbai, 5th September 2023: Amazon miniTV’s dance reality show – Hip Hop India saw a spectacular Grand Finale and the long-awaited results are in. Rahul Bhagat won the inaugural season with a picture-finish win. The reality show was a dance marathon, with rappers Badshaah and Raftaar adding glitter to the stages with their Swag avatars for the gala grand finale. Judged by dance masters Remo D’Souza and Nora Fatehi, Hip Hop India has witnessed the greatest and toughest battles with incredible raw underground talent from all over India.

Following 7 weeks of fierce competition and electrifying performances, India’s first Hip Hop based dance reality show has concluded with Rahul Bhagat, emerging as the Hip Hop Champion. The 21-year-old defeated two other finalists – dancing crew UGH, and the energetic duo Divyam & Darshan to clinch the trophy at the grand finale. Rahul, who hails from Ranchi, took home the brand new Nissan Magnite Geza Special Edition and the Hip-Hop India Championship belt for his victorious performance. Rahul, the maestro of Popping and Waving, began dancing when he was in the fourth grade and has been enthralling audiences across dance shows for a decade. Having won 10 titles to date, his goal is to foster the authentic hip-hop culture all over Jharkhand.

The Grand Finale witnessed enthralling dance performances by not just the contestants, but also by the judge Nora Fatehi. The stage also witnessed Remo D’Souza live in action after 3 long years. She set the stage on fire, taking away everyone’s heartbeats with her scintillating dance performance to songs Dilbar ko dil sadke and Divine’s Mirchi. Celebrity Judges Badshaah and Raftaar raised the entertainment bar with their dynamic performance packed with energy.

Judge Remo D’souza said, “Rahul is India’s Hip Hop dancing prodigy. I am elated to see him lifting the Hip Hop Championship Belt. His talent, unwavering passion will be a source of inspiration to the nation, that has led him Gully se Glory Tak! Not just Rahul, but a big shout-out to all the contestants of Hip Hop India who gave it their all. I would like to thank all the audience for their unwavering support and for making the first edition of the show a huge success.”

Sharing her thoughts, Nora Fatehi said, “We all embarked on this exciting dance journey, to find India’s next hip hop sensation and I couldn’t be happier that Rahul has bagged top honors! His performance throughout the show was nothing short of legendary, and it really showed his commitment and love for hip hop. I would also like to take this opportunity to give a huge round of applause to all the contestants and Amazon miniTV and everyone involved in taking hip hop Gully se Glory Tak!”

Hip Hop India is streaming exclusively on Amazon miniTV for free. You can download the Amazon miniTV on Playstore, or watch within the Amazon Shopping App or on Fire TV.

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5th September 2023, Bengaluru: Digit Insurance, one of India’s fastest-growing general insurance companies, launched its latest Pay As You Drive (PAYD) brand campaign “Drive Less, Pay Less” with its brand ambassador Virat Kohli. The ad campaign was launched ahead of the much-coveted Asia Cup 2023.

Virat Kohli, who appears in a bobblehead form for the ad campaign, is seen grooving to the “Do the Digit-Digit” anthem on the car dashboard, unable to keep calm knowing Digit customers will pay less car insurance premium if they drive less. The PAYD add-on offers a discount of up to 85% from erstwhile motor tariff in Own Damage Cover of car insurance to customers who drive less than 10,000 km in a year (around 28 km/day).

The 45-second fast-paced ad film, through its vibrant youthful connect showcases different cohorts of people the PAYD discount will be most relevant to. It ranges from an employee who works from home or in hybrid mode and drives less to a woman who drives her second car-less to a retired elderly person who doesn’t take his car out every day. The campaign also showcases people living in metro cities who use taxis or public transport to travel to work or only drive their car within the city limits.

Speaking about the newly launched ad campaign, Tanya Marwah, Head – of Marketing and Corporate Communications, at Digit General Insurance, said, “The discount offered under PAYD add-on is relevant to rather a large part of the Indian population, especially as many people living in cities don’t drive excessively and use the public transport or cab services despite having cars at home. But since people hardly track their daily commute or look at their odometers regularly, they don’t realize how less they drive in a year. These add-ons are for such people, who honestly shouldn’t be paying as high as people who drive a lot. And at Digit, we have made sure that the process to get this discount is super simple as it is not based on future driving behavior, or telematics or app to track the driving, but just the average kilometers driven per year since you had the car, which can easily be seen in the odometer reading.”

‘Pay As You Drive’ is a tech-enabled add-on cover by Digit Insurance that one can take when buying an ‘Own Damage’ or Comprehensive Car Insurance cover. Staying true to its mission of simplification, Digit has made the process of availing the add-on very smooth by offering a discount based on historical driving data. To avail the discount, a customer simply needs to share the car’s odometer reading and the yearly average usage of the car needs to be below 10,000 km. For example, if a car that is four years old has an odometer reading of 40,000 km, the average yearly usage of the car is 10,000 km, allowing the customer to avail the discount.

Digit Insurance in July 2022 became one of the first insurance companies to offer a ‘Pay As You Drive’ add-on to its customers, launching the same in less than two weeks after IRDAI’s announcement. The insurance regulator IRDAI on July 6, 2022, allowed general insurance companies to offer PAYD add-on cover to their customers.

Motor Insurance is one of the biggest lines of business for Digit Insurance. It had a market share of 5.3% in motor segment in the nine-month period ended December 31, 2022, and clocked a Gross Written Premium of Rs 31.24 billion in the same period. Impressed with Digit’s vision, Kohli invested in the Company in February 2020 and also became the brand ambassador.

Credits:

• Concept: Digit Brand Marketing Team
• Creative Agency: Stirred Creative
• Production House: Supari Studios
• Film Director: Sonal Batra
• First AD: Karan Juneja
• Second AD: Chaitanya Jain
• Music Director: Raghav & Arjun
• Director of Photography: Parth Sayani
• Producer: Benezir Ansari
• Executive Producer: Divyashree Thacker

Actor Navneet Malik’s phone hasn’t stopped buzzing ever since his latest series, The Freelancer created by Neeraj Pandey released. From calling it an intense and sharp portrayal with layers to calling him a complete package with acting, looks, and performance, appreciation and love have been pouring in from all corners for his role as Mohsin. The actor debuted in a negative role in the web series after his turns in positive roles in Sajid Nadiadwala’s Heropanti 2 and Red Chillies Entertainment’s Love Hostel.

Needless to say, Navneet was excited about the show and confident about his portrayal. Turns out he had every reason to be, as compliments have not ceased to come his way. Everyone from the industry, stalwarts, colleagues, friends, and acquaintances in general, have been reaching to him to laud him for his performance. The same is the case with people from outside the industry. Navneet’s family, relatives and friends are proud of him cheering him after watching the show.

While Navneet is grateful for all the praises and compliments, he is especially humbled as he’s put his heart and soul into making this happen. More than that, the opportunity to share the screen space with a stalwart such as Anupam Kher and the super-talented actor Mohit Raina has thrilled Navneet.

The actor said, “Being on the sets with them and a great creator such as Neeraj Pandey was a tremendous experience as an actor. It was so gratifying to face the camera with them. Anupam Kher is an institution in himself, and there was so much to learn from him just by observing him in action. Similarly with Mohit. They are so dedicated. I got to learn a lot from them, and I think that’s what enhanced my performance.”

He added, “I’m elated that everyone is liking the series and my performance. The love I’m receiving is truly humbling. All I want to ssay in SRK style is, ‘Picture Toh Abhi Baaki Hai Mere Dost.’ There’s more to come and I’m hopeful that viewers will support me in my journey going forward too.”

Navneet is certain that the show will open many more doors for him. He cannot wait to wow audiences again! The Freelancer is streaming on Disney+Hotstar