MAM
Contract Advt bags Rs 40m account of Shringar Cinemas
MUMBAI: This sure is a first of sorts when a film company involved in the movie exhibition business has engaged a professional advertising agency. In a multi agency pitch involving Bates, Percept and Contract Advertising, Shringar Cinemas Pvt. Ltd, the exhibition division of Shringar Films has signed Contract Advertising to handle its creative and media responsibilities. According to Shringar Cinemas director Shravan Shroff the account is pegged at Rs 40 million. The contract comes into effect from the first week of June.
Apart from interesting creatives for the company, what gave Contract the edge over the others was that they understood the movie business well and were total movie buffs.
Announcing the decision, Shroff said, “Contract Advertising has had a successful history in partnering businesses from relatively new industries and we are very happy to be working with them as we take the Fame brand to bigger heights. Entertainment is a serious business today and the era of marketing cinema halls through posters has gone. Today a multiplex is a brand, and thus we believe, there is a need of a professional advertising agency who can communicate our core values to our consumers.”
Speaking to indiantelevision.com about the need for Shringar Cinema to hire an agency for itself, the company’s head of marketing and sales Deepak Netram said, “We require advertising that will most effectively address our audience. We wanted someone who understands the idiosyncrasies of the movie business and can connect with the audience. Since we are not the run-of-mill kind of multiplex, we wanted someone who could partner us in communicating the same.”
Shringar Cinemas under the leadership of Shroff launched the first ever state-of art five screen multiplex of Mumbai-Fame Adlabs. Presently the company is working towards expanding its operations with launches in Surat, Nasik and Kolkata and two new multiplexes in Mumbai (Malad and Kandivali) by the end of 2004.
Contract Advertising Mumbai head and senior VP Rajiv Sabnis said, “We were very impressed with the vision of the management of the Fame brand and felt that in the long run, they will have a dominant national presence and hence the need to build a differentiated brand in the business of entertainment. This is the reason that Contract decided to pursue a partnership with Shringar Cinemas.”
In tune with the Company’s motto of providing “Best in Entertainment with World- class Service”, Shringar Cinemas has aligned the organisation, its people, processes and infrastructure to the needs of the patrons.
Brands
Maharashtra panel orders Lodha to refund Rs 5 crore to homebuyers
Consumer court flags unfair practices in long-running property dispute case
MUMBAI: In a sharp rebuke to one of India’s biggest real estate players, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Macrotech Developers to refund nearly Rs 5 crore to a senior citizen couple, Uttam and Anindita Chatterjee. The ruling, delivered on March 13, 2026, calls out the developer for “deficiency in service” and “unfair trade practices”, bringing closure to a dispute that has stretched over a decade.
The case traces back to 2015, when the couple booked a 3-BHK flat at World Towers in Lower Parel for Rs 12.22 crore, with possession promised within a year. What followed was a series of changes that complicated matters. After deciding to exit the project, they were persuaded to shift to a 4-BHK in another development priced at Rs 8 crore, with delivery scheduled for 2018. However, within months, the price was allegedly increased to Rs 10 crore. After demonetisation reshaped the market, similar flats were reportedly being offered at lower prices, but the couple were not given the benefit.
Despite paying over Rs 2.83 crore, the couple neither received possession nor clarity. Instead, in 2018, the developer unilaterally cancelled the booking, retained part of the amount as earnest money, and argued that the buyers were investors rather than consumers. The commission rejected this claim, observing that casual references to “investment” do not take away consumer rights when the purchase intent is residential.
The bench also held that the developer could not penalise buyers for payment delays while failing to meet its own delivery commitments. It noted the lack of formal documentation for revised terms and termed the prolonged retention of funds without delivering a home as exploitative.
As part of its order, the commission directed the developer to refund Rs 2.83 crore paid by the couple, along with interest at 10 per cent per annum, amounting to around Rs 2.12 crore. In addition, Rs 1 lakh has been awarded for mental agony and Rs 50,000 towards litigation costs, taking the total payout to over Rs 5 crore. The developer has been asked to comply within two months.
For now, the ruling serves as a reminder that in real estate, shifting terms and delayed promises can carry a significant cost.
