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Zomato-Sony partner for CID for content integration through a co-branded promo
MUMBAI: In another clever marketing ploy, Zomato and Culver Max Entertainment have
partnered each other to give their respective brands -CID and Zomato – a bit of a nudge into consumers minds. In an interesting and entertaining attempt at content integration, the duo has released a video that is grabbing eyeballs and generating conversations – basically buzz online.
It begins with a Zomato partner calling up ACP Pradyuman (Shivaji Satam) and informing him that he found the CID office door broken when he had come to make a delivery – a perfect set up for a CID investigation.
On arriving at his office, the ACP is informed of the break in and the missing door and he concludes in his typical style that “daal mein kuchch Kaala hain (There’s something funny about this.” )
To which the delivery boy responds “Nahin, Sir. Daal Tadka ka order hain.”
CID’s investigation and forensics team discovers in a funny round about way that the burglar wears size 12 footwear. ACP Pradyuman immediately orders Daya (Daynanad Shetty) to question the neighurhood shoe sellers to find out who in recent times has purchased a size 12 shoe.
But Daya is not available so his replacement does the questioning of shoe shop owners and comes back to inform ACP Pradyuman that his deputy was the only recent buyer of the footwear.
The assistant commissioner then questions Daya who is eating his favourite bhel about his act and his response is that inspector Abhijeet (Aditya Srivastava) had talked about having an open-door policy which is why he broke the door.
To which ACP Pradyuman responds: “We had talked about an open-door policy and not a broken door policy. Ab tumhe bhel bi nahing milegi, bail bhi nahin, sirf jail. (Now you will not get the snack, nor bail, only jail) to Daya’s astonishment.
The video then cuts to the dates and times when Sony is airing CIID.
(To watch the video on I nstagram click here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DD13n12T4jl/)
Does the video work for both brands equally?
The jury is out on this one. Some believe that the promotional message is probably more skewed towards CID, while others point out that it’s okay if the talent was provided and production was done by Sony.
“Zomato’s short form videos normally highlight the partner’s ability and back stories. Either they are informative or they bring forth a chuckle. Followers are familiar with their style of presentation; so let’s not make a hue and cry about this,” says a marketing consultant. “In my opinion the setting works for both. I see a lot of clever marketing and content integration coming out of Sony now that they have a leader who is creative on top.”
MAM
Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
