News Broadcasting
Tarrant on TV hails Mudra’s anti smoking commercial
MUMBAI: Mudra Communications has won critical acclaim for its anti-smoking commercial Godfather.
London’s popular show Tarrant On TV has decided to telecast the commercial, ‘as it is a very good example of the power of advertising to highlight serious issues’. Tarrant on TV from the ITV Network in the UK celebrates the best of humorous commercials from around the world.
An official release says that the creative brains behind the commercial are the two Creative Directors of Mudra, Mumbai, Anup Chitnis and Rensil D’Silva who have previously worked on Channel [V]’s ‘Gheun Taak’.
Godfather centres around a hit man who enters a restaurant to kill a mafia don called Frankie The Fist. Frankie who has an unlit cigarette in his mouth, refuses to die no matter how many times he is shot. The point of the commercial is that by not lighting up a cigarette, a person can add valuable minutes to his or her life.
This is the first of a two-commercial campaign, says the release. The second spot is a Bollywood take-off featuring look-alikes of Rajesh Khanna and Shetty the villain, both of whom are in the middle of a fight. Rajesh decides that a cigarette would be more useful than a gun in killing Shetty.
Both these spots are Mudra’s in-house productions – written, directed and produced for Mudra by Anup and Rensil. The production design has been handled by UTV. The spots ran on music channel MTV as part of a public service campaign duringApril and May .
Tarrant on TV conducted by popular TV and radio host Chris Tarrant, celebrates the style and wit of advertising and looks at trends and idiosyncrasies of worldwide television. This is the programme’s 17th year on British TV.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
