MAM
Mumbai Marathon: Business suits were replaced by track pants in India’s biz capital
MUMBAI: As it happened the corporate world of Mumbai left their business suits away and decided to hit the roads wearing jogging kit and sports shoes to participate in the largest marathon in South Asia.
The battalion of runners was filled with dignitaries from every sector of industry, and their successful completion was soon visible on social media, as they shared their rejuvenating story on various platforms.
HBO India managing director Monica Tata wrote on social media, “With everyone posting their marathon achievements today, let me also put mine. Did the dream run for Isha Vidya along with my daughter Dania and we have raised so far Rs 1.8 lacs for them! With few more weeks to go before the deadline is over hopefully will cross 2 lacs! Thank you so much to all the people who have donated generously. With heartfelt gratitude and blessings from the rural kids you have helped make a life.”
Monica’s noble post was followed by film maker Kailash Koppikar’s post stating his lap timings. “Finished the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2015 – Half Marathon in 2:13:37,” he wrote.
Grey India managing director Sunil Lulla used social media to let people know who all he dedicated this effort to. “It was a glorious morning, with my running partners, Lazarus and Krishna. We started and finished together in 1 hour 57 mins, over 21.10 km. Lazi broke his jinx of under 2. Simply superb performance by Lazi. Great friendship progressing ahead, with Krishna sacrificing his timing to run together. This run dedicated to Amrita and Parthiv Kilachand on their 15th wedding anniversary. In addition dedicated to Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness,” he wrote.
Sony Max and Sony Six executive vice president – sales Deep Drona reached his personal best and took social media to thank his well wishers. “Dear all, thank you very much for the encouraging words I completed my 3rd SCMM and am keeping the streak of improvement going. Clocked 2:00:18 hrs,” he tweeted.
Media veteran Bharat Kapadia was proud of his feat and tweeted, “My best timing so far for the half marathon… 2:12:28.”
Like them, hundred others from the fraternity descended on the roads to test their limits and spread awareness about various causes as they proudly brandished their achievements on the social media.
Brands
Yes Madam taps Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don nostalgia to power new digital campaign
Home salon platform ropes in Tanya Mittal as it bets on humour and pop culture to showcase trust and convenience
NOIDA: India’s fast-growing home salon platform Yes Madam is leaning on nostalgia and a dose of comic chaos to pitch its services. The brand has launched a new digital campaign starring Rajpal Yadav and influencer Tanya Mittal, reviving Yadav’s much-loved Chota Don character to underline the reliability of at-home beauty services.
The campaign marks Yes Madam’s first collaboration with Rajpal Yadav and revisits the quirky Chota Don persona made famous in the 2007 film Partner. Produced with Footloose Films, the film blends slapstick humour with a nostalgic callback to spotlight the platform’s promise of dependable, quality services delivered at home.
The storyline plays out like a miniature action comedy. Tanya Mittal finds herself surrounded by goons and calls for help, only for Rajpal Yadav to appear in full Chota Don mode, dispatching the attackers in his trademark comic style as Mittal cheers him on. The drama then flips abruptly to a calmer scene, with Mittal relaxing at home while enjoying a Yes Madam service and insisting the heroic episode really happened, even as posters of Chota Don decorate her house. The film ends with Yadav’s voiceover declaring that the incident may or may not have happened, but the trust and quality of Yes Madam’s services certainly have.
The collaboration also follows a broader show of support for Rajpal Yadav within the industry. In the growing wave of backing for the veteran actor, Mayank Arya, co-founder and chief executive of Yes Madam, publicly supported actor-producer Sonu Sood’s call for concrete help from the film industry and corporate brands. Arya took to the social media platform X urging companies to move beyond expressions of sympathy and instead offer tangible opportunities to the actor amid his ongoing legal and financial challenges.
He wrote, “Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the great talent. @Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam! Have already aligned the team on it. #ComeBackStronger.”
Seconded @SonuSood. Even brands should come forward to help the the great talent.@Rajpalofficial will also be a part of an ad film @_yesmadam !
Have already aligned the team on it.#ComeBackStronger https://t.co/Q7qpJttLTs— Mayank Arya (@iammayankarya) February 11, 2026
Rajpal Yadav recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay dues in a long-running cheque-bounce case. The actor had been accused in the case in 2018 after he was unable to repay a loan taken for a film project that failed at the box office. The court later ordered him to surrender after the dues remained unpaid.
The situation triggered a wave of support from several high-profile figures. Sonu Sood emerged as one of the most prominent voices, expressing solidarity and promising Yadav a role in his next film. Sood emphasised that industry support should be about dignity and real job opportunities rather than charity. Celebrities including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Gurmeet Choudhary and Guru Randhawa have also publicly extended financial and professional support.
Before surrendering, Rajpal Yadav shared an emotional statement in which he spoke about feeling alone and unsupported, a remark that struck a chord with many in the industry. However, his brother later clarified that the actor would never have intended to suggest that he lacked support from colleagues or well-wishers.
Reflecting on the campaign, Mayank Arya said the film was designed to entertain while strengthening the brand’s message. “At Yes Madam, we have always believed in creating campaigns that connect with audiences in an engaging and memorable way. I had earlier spoken about the importance of extending meaningful opportunities to Rajpal Yadav, and we are glad to be the first brand to take that step forward with this collaboration. Through this film, we wanted to create a compelling narrative while also reinforcing the trust and reliability that customers associate with Yes Madam’s services,” Arya said.
Akanksha Vishnoi, co-founder, said the campaign leans on nostalgia to strike a chord with digital audiences. “Consumers today engage deeply with content that blends entertainment with relatability. With this campaign, we wanted to revisit a nostalgic moment while subtly reinforcing the convenience and reliability of at-home services. Rajpal Yadav’s Chota Don is an iconic character that instantly evokes nostalgia and humour, making it the perfect fit for this campaign. Tanya Mittal’s presence added a vibrant energy and helped us bring the vision of the campaign to life,” Vishnoi said.
Founded in 2016, Yes Madam offers salon and spa services at home through trained professionals using hygienic, single-use product formats. The platform now operates in more than 55 cities across India, pitching convenience, transparency and quality to a growing base of urban consumers.
The new campaign, rolling out across social media and video platforms, makes its pitch with a wink. The Chota Don rescue might be fiction, but the promise of a salon at your doorstep, the brand suggests, is the real deal.
