SEBI imposed penalties totalling Rs 35.67 crore on PNB Finance and Industries Lts, Camac Commercial Company Lts and other companies, including promoters Samir Jain and his wife Meera Jain. The Jains have also been barred from the securities market.

They have also been reportedly restrained from holding any key managerial position or associating themselves with any listed public company. These restrictions will apply until the two companies comply with SEBI's minimum public shareholding requirement. Listed companies are required to have at least 25 per cent public shareholding.

The two companies, according to SEBI, did not entirely disclose their promoter entities. These companies have been listed on Calcutta Stock Exchange and asked to disclose their promoter details.

Samir Jain was the Vice Chairman and the MD of Bennett Coleman and Co. Limited (BCCL) and Meera Jain the Whole Time Director at BCCL. Six entities -- the Jains, Ashoka Viniyoga Ltd, Artee Viniyoga Ltd, Camac Commercial Company Ltd and Combine Holding Ltd -- have been restricted from the securities market.

Sant Tulsidas’ famous couplet says … ‘jab tu aye jagat mein, log hanse, tu roye. Jagat mein kaam aise karo ki jagat se jane ka samay, log roye aur tu hanse.” (When you came into this world, people laugh and you cry. But while you are here, you should do such work that when it is time to leave the world, everyone cries and you laugh.

The last journey of filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar, who was fondly called Dada, from this world to the crematorium was testimony to the kind of life he lived, the kind of lives he has touched and what he meant to his colleagues, associates and family. The outpouring of grief, messages and the presence of ex-colleagues, colleagues, technicians, photographers, actors, models, camera men, bollywood stars, people who he was associated with, in large numbers, was an indication of the kind of impact he had on people.

Dada was someone with whom everyone build a relationship not only at a professional level but also at a personal level.

His craft, his work ethics, creative sensibilities brought to the industry a new style of

Story-telling. Anyone who worked with him by default imbibed a little bit of his genius. The best part was that he was so liberal and magnanimous in sharing what he knew best, he never held back.

Editors learnt from him his individualistic free flowing editing style, his cuts his dissolves, cameramen imbibed a bit of the acute sensitivities he brought to the table, choreographers learnt his sense of rhythm, production people learnt detailing, set designers learnt from his profound sense of aesthetics, the list is endless.

He put so much of himself into each project that each ad or each section of a film, could deliver a practical playbook of the various aspects of film making. Apocalypso Filmworks was the learning ground for many. Many learnt, found their own calling and built their own ventures. But Dada never held back. He spotted talent, groomed them, and gave them all he had.

So much was the respect his colleagues and past team members had for him that they would be at his door at short notice whenever he would call them. It just needed one call. The remarkable thing one noticed that, there were countless people with whom he a built a relationship that transcended the level of transactions. So, many times he would call people who worked with him earlier on projects and more often than not they would be keen to help him get the work done without even talking money or fee.

 His relationship with clients over the years was developed on the back of this one simple thing. Trust. Clients would swear by his sincerity and dedication. They were convinced that nothing would come from Pradeep Sarkar that was not good for the brand and the business. He was even willing to sacrifice  a creative urge at the cost of what is right for the brand. The Client and the creative agency were often astounded at how much of himself he would pour into each project.

He placed his work above everything. If there was anyone who followed the dictum “Work is Worship’ to the core, it was Dada. He gave it all, at the altar of his own health.

He pushed through difficult health issues but never compromised on what was needed to deliver a good film. Till the very end, he travelled to outstation locations, followed punishing shoot schedules only to deliver to his personal exacting standards.

In his personal life too, he gave it all. Whoever needed help with whatever resources, whenever, he was there. He supported his family, his colleagues, past and present. A heart and fist  that was open. Money and help flowed from him to others, freely, always.

Pradeep Sarkar was no ordinary creative person. He was the genius with the Midas touch. Whatever he touched he brought in a refreshingly different perspective through his nuanced storytelling, capturing the myriad textures of human emotions. That is why the work he did for Euphoria Dhoom Pichak Dhum, Mairi, the music video Ab Ke Savan (Shobha Mudgal) or the refreshingly effervescent Parineeta, or The Pappu Pass Ho Gaya commercials, or the Coke, Kurkure ads got etched forever in the collective consciousness of the audience.

It was a play of emotions that was almost transported from another world. The world of Pradeep Sarkar.

Dada was the industry’s darling. He loved all and the Industry loved him back. He flashed his creative brilliance through his work while his heart of gold flashed in its own luminosity. Creative excellence and Human excellence all rolled into one personality.

Om Shanti Om Shanti Om Shanti

My observations as a Family member, ( he was married to my sister), as an admirer of his work, I got into advertising because of him, as part of a creative agency while working with his Production House  and as a Producer at Apocalypso Filmworks for a brief period, where I worked closely with him on projects.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com

Viacom18 today announced a new rights deal that will see MotoGP exclusively live-streamed on JioCinema and Sports18. The coverage will tip off with the Grand Premio de Portugal. The network will offer an exhaustive live presentation that will include practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, qualifying and the Sprint on Saturday and the main race on Sunday.

The MotoGP World Championship is the highest level of motorcycle racing in the world, in which the most skilled riders compete on world-class, high performance, fastest prototype motorcycles on the planet, made by leading manufacturers. The 2023 season, the biggest series to date, will witness 21 races across 18 countries, including the milestone 14th round in India as MotoGP will make its debut in the country.

MotoGP fans in India will be able to catch all the action from the pinnacle of two-wheeled racing through this new partnership as the 11 teams, and 22 riders of MotoGP will arrive at the Indian shores for the Grand Prix of India from September 22-24. Including the Moto2 and Moto3 races, the India round will feature 80 riders and 40 teams during the race weekend.

“MotoGP is one of the most dramatic racing events in the world and Indian sports fans are in for a treat as the series makes its historic debut in India this September,” said Viacom18 Sports Head of Strategy and Partnerships Hursh Shrivastava. “We look forward to giving sports fans in India the world’s best motorcycle racing show possible and widen our fanbase through our diversified offerings.”

Dorna CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta added: “We have a lot of fans in India and we’re excited to be able to bring the sport to them. India is also a key market for the motorcycle industry and therefore, by extension, for MotoGP as the pinnacle of the two-wheeled world. We are very excited that Viacom’s reach across India will bring MotoGP to all corners of the country and allow more fans to watch this incredible sport.”

Pushkar Nath Srivastava, COO of FairStreet Sports, the promoters of the India race and the Broadcasting Rights licensee, shared his enthusiasm about the collaboration: “We are confident that Viacom18 is the ideal partner to showcase the exhilarating sport of MotoGP in India. Their extensive reach on both television and OTT platforms, combined with their commitment to launching and promoting sports, perfectly aligns with our vision for the historic debut of MotoGP in the country. The increased accessibility would help galvanise our youth and create a new generation of talented riders to represent our nation on the global stage.”

The addition of the MotoGP strengthens Viacom18 Sports’ diversified portfolio of world-class sporting events, including the TATA IPL, TATA WPL, Diamond League, FIFA

Netflix India hosted the official celebration for its Oscar-winning documentary, The Elephant Whisperers in Mumbai with filmmakers, Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga. 13th March, 2023 was a proud moment for India when Netflix’s The Elephant Whisperers made history by becoming the first film produced in India to win an Academy Award in the “Documentary Short Film” category at the 95th Oscars. To make this occasion even more special, Bomman and Bellie, the protagonists of the documentary, joined a very special press conference, coming all the way from the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Tamil Nadu. They both shared their feelings of utmost joy and gratitude of  being recognized and celebrated locally and globally. 

This year India won two Academy Awards, one for The Elephant Whisperers and one for RRR. Both films are streaming on Netflix.

Director Kartiki Gonsalves, Guneet Monga and Achin Jain of Sikhya Entertainment and Monika Shergill, Vice-President-Content, Netflix India, spoke about the journey of The Elephant Whisperers from its inception to its release, and finally, its win at the 95th Academy Awards. Bomman and Bellie addressed the gathering on the importance of teaching children that they need to love animals and protect them. They spoke as parents of Raghu and Amu, the two orphaned elephant calves and their newest calf. Kartiki spoke about her bond with Bomman, Bellie, Raghu and Ammu, which only grew stronger over the five years of filming. The filmmakers highlighted the beauty and urgency of the heartwarming story which speaks of the bond between indigenous people, animals and the planet. They also said that the journey of developing the story with Netflix and taking it to 190 countries around the world was critical to the success the film received. Both Kartiki and Guneet were elated at being the first Indian women creators to achieve this milestone for an Indian production, and encouraged women and young filmmakers to dream big and be determined to make it happen. 

On the historic win for an Indian Netflix Production, Monika Shergill, Vice President Content, Netflix India said, “We are honored to be part of the heartwarming journey of The Elephant Whisperers along with the team of Kartiki and Sikhya. Bomman and Bellie’s story as the parents to baby elephants Ammu and Raghu is a celebration of the bond between humans and nature. As Netflix, we loved the vision of the creators and knew it was a truly inspirational local story from the beginning that would have universal appeal.”

On being celebrated as the first Indian woman Director to win the Oscars, Kartiki said, “The Elephant Whisperers is a very special film of the sacred bond between man and nature. Having grown up in this very space, I wanted the world to see and experience the immense beauty of this breathtaking landscape. Being celebrated at the Academy Awards feels so surreal and I am very thankful for the partnership of my mentor Douglas Blush, Bomman and Bellie, my parents, Sven Faulconer, Karan, Krish, Anand, my film crew, Sony India, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Sikhya and Netflix and finally to each person who has poured love into this film. I hope this win encourages a new generation of documentary filmmakers to share their stories and the beauty of our country.”

Sharing her thoughts on the prestigious win, Producer, Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment said, ““This is our first film set in wildlife, and it has been a wonderful journey with Kartiki, Bomman, Bellie and the baby elephants. We got to learn so much about nature and we are grateful that Kartiki chose us for this story. We are glad that Netflix empowered us throughout this journey. We started Sikhya with a vision to tell heartland stories and it has been our endeavour to give them a global footprint. The Academy’s recognition for The Elephant Whisperers has inspired me and my team to double down on this vision. We will continue to collaborate with new filmmakers and find such heartfelt stories. This award belongs to the extraordinary stories hidden in the most ordinary corners around us. It belongs to the indigenous communities of our beautiful India. You inspire us!” 

PEN Music Pvt. Ltd. Is launching two new channels on DD Free Dish MPEG-2 on 1st April 2023.

PEN has been entertaining audiences across the country for the last five years, with 2 existing channels – ‘BFLIX Movies’, their Hindi Movie Channel, and a Hindi Music Channel. ‘BFLIX Movies’ has witnessed a 10x growth over the last six months.

In his official release statement, Aksshay Gada, Managing Director of PEN Music said “Having grown sharply as a network, I am proud to announce that we are augmenting our strength by adding two new channels to our stable. We are launching ‘BFLIX Cinema’ – our new Hindi Movie Channel and ‘BFLIX TV’, our new Hindi GEC on the 1st of April. Both our new channels will be available across HSM, and on DD Free Dish from day one. ‘BFLIX Music’ will follow soon. We will continue to grow ‘BFLIX Movies’. We are now a four channel Entertainment Network and will stay committed to entertaining audiences with the best content across platforms.”

Siddharth Chopra, COO PEN Music says “Our new channels, ‘BFLIX Cinema’ & ‘BFLIX TV’ promise to offer the best in Hindi Movies & Hindi GEC content respectively. We have acquired superlative Hindi Movies & Hindi GEC content, that will be available exclusively for audiences on these channels. Amongst the exciting titles lined up are record breaking blockbusters like RRR, Gangubai and evergreen shows like B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharat, Hum Log, Khandaan, Fauji! We stay focused on growing as a network, by continuing to give our best to our audience, our platform trade partners and advertisers.”
PEN Music is the broadcasting arm of PEN Studios.

Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik, a well-known political analyst and freelance columnist, passed away at the age of 78. Dr Vaidik was associated with the Press Trust of India as the founder-editor of its Hindi news agency "Bhasha."

Padma Shri Alok Mehta, former President Editors Guild Of India, expressed his condolences over the demise of the veteran journalist: "It is very sad to hear about the sudden death of Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik. He was a great journalist and a great writer on national and international affairs. Above all, he was a very kind person who upheld human values and deeply believed in our social values as a country.

He has contributed to Hindi Journalism in a big way and was the President of the Bharatiya Bhasha Sammelan. Despite being entrenched in Hindi, he had no bias for the English Language, and he wrote a book too in English. He has given lectures across continents and had a personal relationship with almost all of our prime ministers despite being a socialist at heart. His death is a big loss to journalism."

Veteran journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik has passed away. He was 78.

He was a political analyst and freelance columnist. Vaidik was associated with the Press Trust of India as the founder-editor of its Hindi news agency "Bhasha".

He was earlier Editor (views) at Navbharat Times of the Times Group.

Vaidik was currently Chairman of Bhartiya Bhasha Sammelan and the Council for Indian Foreign Policy.

His columns were published in over 200 newspapers.

While doing research on Afghan Foreign Policy, Vaidik enrolled into Columbia University. He has also studied at School of Oriental and African Studies, London and Institute of the Peoples of Asia, Moscow.

An expert on international affairs, Vaidik had rubbed shoulders with various world political leaders and thinkers.