Brands
Leander Paes’ Flying Man Ventures snares Apurva Sircar as CEO
MUMBAI: Very few sportsmen can cross the rubicon and move into running successful businesses. Tennis veteran and legend Leander Paes is attempting the same with his outfit Flying Man Ventures (FMV). He has hired marketing veteran Apurva Sircar as the company’s CEO. The goal: grow its business in various verticals like sports, sports education, health & wellness, corporate collaborations and entertainment.
Sircar announced his joining at the beginning of this week. Despite his experience, he expressed his nervousness.
Said Sircar on Linked in: “On Monday, I joined a legend in the world of sports to help him execute his vision of making the world a better place through sports and fitness. As I begin my days at at FMV, I feel excitement and nervousness in equal measure. The latter gets taken care of whenever Leander says (and says often), “I got you, champ!” It is my privilege to be Leander’s full-time professional partner off the court. He’s a global icon, having played professional tennis for nearly four decades. He is a man with amazing human values, Lee is an inspiration to so many across the globe.”
Sircar has had a career of 20 years having headed marketing at Bandhan Bank, brand, insights, corporate communications and digital markting at Aegas Federal Life Insurance, channel marketing at Birla Sun Life Insurance, worked as a brand manager with Kotak Mahindra Bank, apart from stints with Heinz India and Blowplast.
As he begins his journey at FMV, the gut feeling is that both he and Leander are going to hit it out of the park. Even if they are entering the sports business game a little late. That’s because the sports ecosystem is going to explode in the next decade as India works on building a sports culture.
Brands
Parle-G celebrates Bihu with music-led campaign rooted in culture
Two-part films blend nostalgia and storytelling to capture Assam’s festive soul
MUMBAI: Parle-G has turned to music, memory and meaning in its latest campaign celebrating Bihu, offering a culturally rooted tribute that goes beyond typical festive advertising.
Created by Thought Blurb Communications, the two-part campaign builds on the brand’s long-standing thought of finding joy in others’ happiness. It begins with a music-led prequel and culminates in a narrative-driven film that explores the emotional essence of the festival.
The campaign opened with a two-and-a-half-minute Bihu music video featuring Partha Hazarika, with music composed by Nilotpal Bora and vocals by Dikshu. Rather than positioning itself as a conventional brand piece, the video leaned into authenticity, capturing the vibrancy and rhythm of Bihu. Viewers also drew emotional parallels to Zubeen Garg, whose absence lent the film a nostalgic undertone. The response was swift, with over 12 million combined views across YouTube and Instagram within a week.
Building on this momentum, the main film tells the story of Ahir, a musician struggling to compose a Bihu song within the confines of a studio. His journey takes him into the open landscapes of Assam and eventually to the banks of the Brahmaputra, where a boatman helps him rediscover the true spirit of Bihu. The narrative underscores a simple idea that the festival cannot be manufactured in isolation, it must be experienced in nature, community and shared joy.
Speaking about the campaign, Parle Products vice president Mayank Shah said the initiative aims to celebrate not just the festival but the emotion behind it. He noted that Bihu reflects the idea that joy multiplies when shared, a theme that sits at the heart of the story.
From the agency side, Thought Blurb Communications chief creative officer Vinod Kunj said the team sought to tap into Assam’s cultural pulse, acknowledging the emotional void left by the absence of Zubeen Garg while celebrating the enduring spirit of the festival.
Adding to this, Thought Blurb Communications national creative director Renu Somani Karwa said the campaign draws from deeply human stories, where small acts of generosity become powerful expressions of connection.
Meanwhile, Thought Blurb Communications executive creative director Auryndom Bose highlighted the importance of nature in shaping Bihu’s identity, noting that the film attempts to capture how music and movement emerge organically from the landscape itself.
With this campaign, Parle-G leans into cultural storytelling with a lighter brand footprint and a stronger emotional core. By placing music and community at the centre, it offers a reminder that some stories are best told not in studios, but in the shared rhythms of real life
