News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak adds an animation edge to Singham Returns
MUMBAI: Aaj Tak the nation’s most watched News Channel has taken movie partnerships to the next level with an exclusive tie up with the upcoming mega movie – ‘Singham Returns’ starring Ajay Devgan and Directed by Rohit Shetty.
Aaj Tak leverages on the larger than life role of Ajay Devgan in the film for promotions of the popular show – Halla Bol on the channel. High quality animations have been used in the series of cobranded promos that drive the message of ‘Halla Bol’ and encourage people to boldly take on the burning issues of today.
Speaking on the partnership, the Director of the film Rohit Shetty said: “It is a great and unique video conceptualized by Aajtak and we all are quite happy to see the way it has been created as it will further spread social awareness amongst the people.”
The first video shows the animated character of Singham helping an Ambulance to get out of traffic to reach the hospital. The video is already running01 across TV Channels and digital platforms of the group. Ajay Devgan the lead star of the film has also tweeted about this unique association (All of us have a Singham inside us.
The show Halla Bol runs on weekdays at 6 PM on Aaj Tak and has covered crucial topics of public relevance. The episodes highlight the issues faced by the society and economy while also suggesting on a roadmap to a lasting solution with recommendations from expert panellists.
Ashish Bagga, Group CEO India Today added, “Animation is amongst the most expressive forms of communication and I’m glad that with a strong social message hidden behind the initiative, this will be appreciated across classes.”
News Broadcasting
Book Cricket gets a digital century on News18 amid T20 fever
Nostalgic classroom game revamped in English, Hindi plus Telugu on web and app.
MUMBAI: When the T20 World Cup fever hits fever pitch, News18 decides to flip the script straight back to the classroom. The digital news platform has revived the timeless schoolyard favourite Book Cricket as an interactive online game, perfectly timed to ride the cricket wave gripping fans across the globe. The reimagined Book Cricket ditches textbooks for smartphones, blending old-school nostalgia with modern gameplay. Once a sneaky recess pastime played by flicking book pages to score runs, the digital version now offers seamless fun for anyone craving a quick cricket fix between overs.
Available in English, Hindi and Telugu (with more languages planned across News18’s network), the game sits within the platform’s fast-growing gaming portfolio of over 20 titles, all built in-house. It joins event-driven hits like ‘Kursi Catcher’ and ‘Result Rewind’ during the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, plus festive specials such as ‘Durga’s Astras’ for Durga Puja and ‘Mouse Modak’ for Ganesh Chaturthi.
News18 Digital CEO Mitul Sangani said, “Gaming is a key pillar of our engagement strategy. At News18, we uniquely combine our newsroom agility with immersive gaming experiences. By blending credible content with interactive formats, we are creating meaningful engagement in an era defined by shrinking attention spans and evolving consumption habits.”
Select titles have expanded beyond News18.com to CNBC-TV18.com and Firstpost.com, reflecting the network’s push to deepen user interaction across platforms. The Book Cricket game is live now at https://www.news18.com/games/book-cricket/.
In a tournament where every boundary counts, News18’s digital Book Cricket proves the simplest games can still deliver the biggest smiles no syllabus required, just pure cricket joy one page-flip at a time.
