Brands
Weekend Unwind with: Chtrbox VP Karan Pherwani
Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind—a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.
In this week’s session, we have Chtrbox VP Karan Pherwani.
So, without further ado, here it goes…
Q1. Your Mantra for Life
Consistency is the key
Q2. A Book you are currently reading?
Leading by Sir Alex Ferguson
Q3. Your Fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic?
– Playing a sport as part of any fitness routine is a must.
– Eat healthy & till you’re 80 per cent full.
– Consistency is everything.
During the pandemic since it wasn’t possible to play any sport – I spent an 45-60 mins cycling or did home workouts.
Q4. Your comfort food?
A chicken salad sandwich
Q5. When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going?
Every cloud has a silver lining
Q6. Your guilty pleasure?
Eating only desserts at a buffet dinner
Q7. When was the last time you tried something new?
Tried canvas painting for the first time last month.
Q8. A Life lesson you learnt the hard way?
“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
Q9. What gets you excited about life?
Not knowing what the next day/the future holds! What excites me the most is trying new things, exploring new cultures, travelling to places I’ve never been to before and adventure sports.
Q10. What’s on top of your bucket list?
Watching Manchester United play at Old Trafford
Q11. If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Spend more time on learning & experiencing new things.
Q12. One thing you would most like to change about the world?
I think discrimination against caste, race & gender is prevalent all around the world. It’s scary and disturbing to see what people are put through. I’d love to see a world where we’re all accepting of one another irrespective of our race, gender or caste.
Q13. An activity that keeps you motivated/charged during tough times?
Growing up I wanted to become a professional football player but unfortunately, I wasn’t good enough to make the cut. But even now it’s an activity I enjoy doing with friends that keeps me charged and motivated.
Q14. What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
Spending quality time with family & friends
Q15. Your go-to stress buster?
I love gaming in my free time and I get really lost in it. So whenever I get the chance I enjoy an hour or 10 of Fifa or Football Manager.
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.
