MxMIndia

Tag: Vir Sanghvi

  • The awards were presented in 24 categories including the Lifetime Achievement Award to Jairam Banan, Founder of the Sagar Ratna restaurant chain

    ITV Network felicitates top F&B brands, including ‘Best Digestive Tablet’

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Normally, we wouldn’t spending more than 10 seconds doing a rapid read of the press release. But it was the weekend, and we had all the time in the world. Plus it was F&B awards so one wanted to check which restaurants, chefs, hotels etc have been awarded.

     

    The iTV Network organised The Sunday Guardian-NewsX Food & Beverage Awards 2019 and the presentation of the awards happened on March 9. Along with the awards, there were also some panel discussions with notable as participants.

     

    All of this was fine, until we decided to look at the list of the award winners and the categories. We remember the CondeNast Traveller listing and were delighted that more Mumbai restaurants figured in it. However, Vir Sanghvi’s list of best restaurants of last year was dramatically different.

     

    And what about the ITV list? Well, you need to read it to make your own judgment.

     

    Here goes:

    The Sunday Guardian – NewsX Food & Beverage Awards were conferred to –

    1. Five Star Hotel of the year presented toRoseate House 

    2. Excellence in Hospitality presented toMB Greens Clarks INN  

    3. Best Resort in Delhi NCR presented toJaypee Resorts

    4. Best Convention Hotel in Delhi NCR presented toHyatt Regency

    5. Excellence in Manufacturing of Organic Foods presented toAnantatva

    6. Excellence in Food – Tandoori presented toChutney Bar + Tandoor

    7. Best Theme Based Restaurant presented toGhar Restaurant

    8. Restaurant of the Year, Noida presented toSpellbound

    9. Entrant Restaurant of the Year presented toFinch

    10. Legendary Punjabi Restaurant Chain presented toSandoz

    11. Most Innovative Bar presented toBottles & Barrels

    12. Taking Heritage to Next Level presented toSand Restro Bar 

    13. Youngest Entrepreneur of the year presented toMr. Suhel Nagpal, Symphony Banquet

    14. Youngest Restauranteur of the year presented toMr. Saransh Gupta, TYM Restaurant

    15. Lifetime Achievement Award presented toJairam Banan, Founder, Sagar Ratna, Restaurant chain

    16. Excellence in Indian Food (Non Metro) presented toMr. Manish Goyal

    17. Japanese Restaurant of the Year presented toGuppy

    18. Excellence in Nightlife with live music performance, NCR presented toSaints and Sinners Grub Pub-Music 

    19. Best Pure Veg in Delhi NCR presented toImly Restaurant

    20. Restaurant of the Year, Delhi NCR presented toDuty Free Vayu Bar

    21. Best Kulcha in India presented toAmritsari Express   

    22. The Best Digestive Tablet presented toSatmola  

    23. Best Microbreweries, Delhi NCR presented toVapour Bar Exchange

    24. Best Modern Indian Restaurant presented to Too Indian 

     

    Now, what’s #22 doing in a list like this? The Best Digestive Tablet? Rather than raise a stink, we must say it’s a brilliant idea. It sure raises the bar for F&B Awards, and opens up an entire new set of enterprises and entrepreneurs that can be presented: Best Bottled Water, Best Serviettes/Napkins, Best Cutlery (sub-categories: Best Fork, Best Knife, Best Spoon, Best Dessert Spoon, Best Fruit Fork etc), Best Mukhwas, Best Sofas, Best Chairs, Best Tables, Best High Chairs (for kids), Best Container for Mukhwas, Best Doormat, Best Washroom, Best Toilet Seat, Best Toilet Paper, Best… so you get the drift.

     

     

  • NewsX has announced another addition to the content line-up with 'Mandate with Destiny'

    NewsX gets Vir Sanghvi to host ‘Mandate with Destiny’

    By a correspondent

     

    Having undergone a repositioning exercise recently, NewsX announced another addition to the content line-up with ‘Mandate with Destiny’. The show would be hosted by distinguished journalist and TV show host Vir Sanghvi.

     

    ‘Mandate with Destiny’ is a show that tells the story of the making of modern India through the elections that have shaped our country.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Kartikeya Sharma, MD, iTV Network which owns and runs NewsX & India News said “We are happy to launch one of its kind show on NewsX. Vir’s understanding of Indian political landscape will provide invaluable insights as he takes us through a momentous journey of the historic elections that shaped modern India. I am confident that the show will generate a huge level of excitement amongst viewers”

     

    Written and presented by Vir Sanghvi, the show unites archival footage, personal insights and interviews with many of the key players to provide a gripping narrative that makes the complexities of Indian politics instantly accessible.

     

    ‘Mandate with Destiny’ goes on air from Friday, 4th April 2014. It will be a weekly show, every Friday 10 pm.

     

  • NewsX has unveiled a new look with youthful colors (blue and red) and new fonts adorning the channel as it gets set for the general elections

    Vir Sanghvi stars in NewsX’s new line-up and channel packaging

    By A Correspondent

     

    After having made a quantum leap after being acquired by Kartikeya Sharma’s iTV Network, NewsX has unveiled a new look. Youthful colors (blue and red) and new fonts adorn the channel as it gears up for the general elections.

     

    “The new look is in line with the channel’s profile, which caters to the young, affluent and urban viewers within the SEC AB category in the 25-44 age group,” notes a communiqué.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sharma, Managing Director of the iTV Network, said: “Over the last few months, NewsX has become the home of breaking news, in-depth coverage, analysis and hardcore news reporting from the ground and this is a significant new phase to build our growth story.”

     

    Along with the look-and-feel, joining the line-up of well-known presenters is Vir Sanghvi who will present a show called ‘Ideas that shaped Indian Democracy’. This is in addition to ‘Decode India with MJ Akbar’ which is already on air.

     

    Added R K Arora, CEO, iTV Network: “Our success in the recent times only reinforces our belief in ‘News not Noise’. We are glad that our strategies have resulted in unparalleled success for the channel. Our constant endeavour is to produce and present news in the most engaging manner”.

     

  • After Brunch Dialogues in Mumbai, HT Media launched 'The Brunch Night' last week

    HT Media extends ‘Brunch’ equity to ‘Brunch Night’

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the success of Brunch Dialogues 1 & 2 in Mumbai, HT Media launched ‘The Brunch Night’ in New Delhi last week to celebrate the good life.

     

    Held with the stars of Chennai Express – Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and UTV Movies boss Siddharth Roy Kapoor, the invitees included the creme de la creme of the Capital’s glitterati. From the likes of Kalyani Saha, Harmeet Bajaj, Ayaan Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Khan, Rina Dhaka, David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore, Anuja Chauhan, Ira Trivedi, Shivani and Amir Pasrich, Sujata Assomull, among others.

     

    Talking about the reason behind building such a property, Rajan Bhalla, Group Marketing Head, HT Media Ltd. said, “Brunch stands for the “Good Life”, and The Brunch Night is a very exclusive platform for brands to connect with their premium audience with stimulating conversations and entertainment. It’s a platform that will find great connect for our consumers and advertisers with quality content, live experience and a strong proposition to build brands, amplified through our strong media offerings. With the overwhelming response to ‘The Brunch Night’, we will be planning more such events in the coming future, both in Delhi and Mumbai.”

     

    The highlight of the evening was a conversation that Vir Sanghvi had with Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Siddharth Roy Kapoor. The evening was hosted by Rajiv Makhni.

     

    Said Poonam Saxena, Editor, HT Brunch on the first Brunch Night: “It’s a great new platform for interacting with Bollywood stars in an informal, enjoyable atmosphere.”

     

  • BCCC members and representatives of the channels discussed women-related thematic issues that ranged from sex, nudity, obscenity, stereotyping and violence

    BCCC conducts session on Portrayal of Women on TV

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC), the independent self-regulatory body for non-news general entertainment channels set up by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), conducted an interactive session with the S&P/Creative/Programming teams of its member Channels to sensitise them about the ‘Portrayal of Women in Television Programmes’ recently in Mumbai.

     

    A.P. Shah

    BCCC members and representatives of the channels discussed women-related thematic issues that ranged from sex, nudity, obscenity, stereotyping and violence.

     

    BCCC Chairman Justice (Retd.) A.P. Shah said, “Scenes of violence against women can have a damaging impact on all sections, especially children. For instance, such violent depiction can put a vulnerable section like women domestic help at high risk. Such scenes should be done in a subtle manner.”

     

    Shabana Azmi

    BCCC Member Shabana Azmi said, “The business of camera is the business of images. If fragmented images of a woman’s body are shown, it is actually robbing the women of all autonomy and subjecting her to male gaze. If we objectify women, there will be a little chance that society will have great respect for them.”

     

    Talking about violence, Ms. Azmi said, “Violence may be necessary for the story. But mistreatment should not be glorified. It can be suggestive and creatively done. It can be done in a way that doesn’t reinforce violence against women. It is time to introspect how we can contribute to minimise violence against women.”

     

    Vir Sanghvi

    BCCC Member Vir Sanghvi said, “Our concern is with entertainment that promotes stereotyping of women in a situation where they are portrayed in a negative fashion and where they are consistently portrayed as victims who are to be enjoyed or to be mistreated. If mass media promotes that image, it will have horrific consequences.” Mr. Sanghvi said if content auditors look into the content as dispassionate viewers themselves, the chance of objectionable content being aired gets minimal.

     

     

    Sudhir Mishra

    The Council also invited filmmaker Sudhir Mishra to interact with the Channel representatives on stereotyping of women. Mr Mishra said, “Stereotyping leads to tragic ends. If we are corroborating the stereotypes, then we are corroborating the idea of women needing protection and, in turn, corroborating awful things.”

     

    “If you project yourselves on screen the way you are, there will be no stereotyping,” Mr Mishra said.

     

    The BCCC members reiterated their intention of not curtailing artistic freedom of the content creators but only to sensitise them.

     

    Issues like portrayal of Children and stereotyping of Minorities in television programmes were also discussed at the interaction which was well attended by all general entertainment channels.

     

    Wajahat Habibullah, Chairman of National Commission for Minorities, and also a member of BCCC said, “Targeting a particular community can cause lot of damage to the psyche of that community. We need to develop practices that are constructive and are not curtailing creativity.”

     

    The session turned out to be a fruitful one for the broadcasters as they also got an opportunity to share their sensitivities and structural limitations regarding content that goes on air.

     

    In view of the increasing number of complaints pertaining to southern Channels, BCCC will conduct a similar session in Chennai/Hyderabad in the coming months.

     

  • Film personalities on and behind the screen discussed the role of the Indian heroine and how it has changed over the years, at the HT Brunch Dialogues.

    HT Brunch Dialogues on the changing face of Indian heroine

    By A Correspondent

     

    The launch of a coffee table book on print advertising – ‘The Magic of Print’ – by HT Media was followed by the HT Brunch Dialogues. The second edition of HT Brunch Dialogues was launched by Hindustan Times Brunch, and was themed, The Changing Face of the Indian Heroine. Two rounds of panel discussions were held.

     

    The panellists in the first round included Film Director, Madhur Bhandarkar; Producer, Siddharth Roy Kapur and filmmaker and screenplay writer, Raj Kumar Gupta. The panellists discussed the filmmaker’s role in portraying the Indian female lead. They delved on how the female oriented films and the roles offered to actresses have changed and evolved over the years. They also pondered on whether an actress in the long run would be at par with the actor, in terms of pay.

     

    “Times have changed, today heroines are willing to experiment with their roles or even their image which was not so earlier, when they were very conscious about their image and the roles they play” said Madhur Bhandarkar.

     

    On whether heroines will also be paid on par with heroes, Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “If a female oriented film crosses Rs. 100 crore, it may see heroines getting paid as much as the heroes.”

     

    The second session of the panellists included film personalities Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore. Both these sessions were moderated by Vir Sanghvi, Advisor, HT Media.

     

    Their discussions revolved around the way scripts or films have evolved over the years for the Hindi film heroine. And how they have managed to stay relevant or break the myth about actress only as a show piece in the film and their take on whether things will get any better for the Hindi film heroine in the near future.

     

    According to Sharmila Tagore, there is a huge difference in the roles women or heroines do today. Times have certainly changed, cinema has become professional today, unlike before, but roles are still not written for women.

     

  • in its event avataar, Brunch Dialogues is a heady mix of glamour, music, spirits and style which is to be led by Vir Sanghvi

    HT extends Brunch IP to live events

    By A Correspondent

     

    Brunch Dialogues are essentially conversations with the Indian Film Industry that are light-hearted in context, yet deep-rooted in content; just like the weekly Brunch.

     

    However, in its event avataar, it is a heady mix of glamour, music, spirits and style. The endeavour is to be led by Vir Sanghvi;  whom we all know best for his ‘In Conversation’ sessions at the HT Leadership Summit and the ‘Rude Food / Travel’ columns in HT Brunch – that make the Sunday read quite irresistible. It is his inimitable expertise in exploring living biopics and his astute humour, liberally laced with repartees, that forms the central character of this evening.

     

    While the conversations will set the pace for a racy evening, the evening will also have live performances to lift up the mood. It will culminate into a showcase of ‘THE DAMN GOOD LIFE’ – full of Fine Food, Good Wine and Smart Indulgences – something that weekly Brunch encapsulates in print every Sunday.

     

    A host of showbiz icons like Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Vidya Balan, Ekta Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut, Sanjay Gupta, Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Sonu Sood, Mahesh Manjrekar will be attending the event whoch will see some stellar musical performances.