MAM
Selfie With Bajrangi’s success continues as creators Cosmos-Maya focus on the L&M Strategy
MUMBAI: Bajrangi, the contemporary, child version of the Indian God Hanuman has penetrated households like no other. Latest BARC data indicates that Cosmos-Maya’s one of a kind buddy comedy ‘Selfie With Bajrangi’, which airs daily on Disney’s Hungama TV is a hit with children and parents alike. The show ranks #1 among all the shows in Kids Category (Local + International, Animation + Live Action) basis Average Impressions (Week 16, 2018 to Week 23, 2019).
After two successful runs on Disney’s Hungama TV in Summer and Diwali last year, the recently launched third run, comprising brand new episodes of the second season of the show, has also garnered high ratings. Disney is excited with the consistent numbers and kids may have a chance to get more of their favourite buddy Bajrangi. Cosmos-Maya is planning 10 TV Films and a theatrical film on the IP.
Bajrangi’s admiration can be attributed to the fact that it has the ability to speak to viewers in the universal language of relatability. The secret sauce is familiarity with novelty. It is set on a quintessential Indian family who all viewers can relate with. The protagonist Ankush's life changes when he meets Bajrangi, the nine-year-old child version of the Indian God, who no one but he can see. The show is modeled on kids’ day to day lives and beautifully encapsulates the nuances of Indian culture in an entertaining format. Bajrangi does not just help his buddy Ankush with his day to day problems, he helps comfort the millions of kids who watch the show. The show has become an everyday affair for families and Ankush and Bajrangi have become household names.
Jubilant on the development, Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos-Maya said, “Selfie With Bajrangi has just exploded. Programming of the show was just as important as the creative aspect and I’ll take this opportunity to thank team Disney.”
Dheeraj Berry, SVP, Development & Current Projects, and creator of Selfie With Bajrangi added, “With Selfie With Bajrangi, we ticked all the boxes pertaining to Indian entertainment. There is the beloved Hanuman, there is a quintessential Indian family, there are mild antagonists. Basically, it is a very feel good show that the entire family can enjoy. Thank you to Disney for helping us build this brand with their innovative programming strategies.”
Selfie With Bajrangi is another Cosmos-Maya IP after Motu Patlu to stay on top of the ratings chart for such a long period. The show’s success over the last year has helped it cross the critical juncture of being just a fad and Cosmos-Maya foresees L&M potential given its consistent success.
CEO Anish Mehta further added, “We are now our own competitors. Selfie With Bajrangi is everything Motu Patlu is not. L&M is the next logical step with this proven and consistent success. Motu Patlu’s foray into consumer products began two years after its launch. Selfie With Bajrangi has taken lesser time in establishing itself as a highly relatable brand.”
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
