MAM
Vivel TVC uses MMA fighter Bharti to prove a point
MUMBAI: An impactful TVC integrates the brand’s point of view with Ab Samjhauta Nahin. It introduces a fresh and a more meaningful understanding of confidence that is aimed to make a positive and an emotional connection and resonates with the modern day consumers with a new TV commercial.
Vivel prides itself on being a true Indian brand created to international standards, catering to the modern Indian woman’s growing aspirations. To raise its voice Vivel’s brand’s message #AbSamjhautaNahin aims to inspire women to change the mindset and inspire ‘unconditioning’. Click here to watch the film.
ITC’s leading personal care brand, Vivel, launched the Lotus Oil variant of soap recently. Lotus Oil is widely regarded for its skin care benefits. In the beauty and the wellness space, Lotus is well known for moisturisation, restoration of skin radiance and improving skin texture.
The genesis of Vivel’s Lotus Oil variant is entrenched in the brand’s core philosophy of Ab Samjhauta Nahin. Vivel’s Ab Samjhauta Nahin inspires women to challenge status quo, question timeworn mind-sets that tend to stereotype and live a life without compromising on her own choices. The Lotus Oil variant combines Vivel’s functional and the emotional promise.
The Vivel Lotus Oil TVC, portrays women from varied professions who have chosen to unshackle themselves from the stereotypes that impede choices. The film narrative opens with girls’ voices defining the way they must live their lives to conform to the accepted behavioral norm in society; a lesson that is taught to most girls at a very young age. It showcases an empowering journey of a woman’s grit, determination and struggle to break social barriers and continue to conquer and rise above it all in her own unique way. Click here to watch the film.
Bharti Dhoundiyal, a promising Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter in India and one of the protagonists of the film reflects, “MMA is a difficult sport. It is a full-contact combat sport and not many women in India have taken this up as a career option. I come from a humble background and live in the northern outskirts of New Delhi where there is little respect for a girl’s own choice. Women’s MMA is a fairly new sport in India. Hence many people do not understand the nuances nor the efforts and the rigorous practice hours required. Neighbours have often gossiped about my odd choice of profession. I have been told by people that this is not a sport for women. I have been questioned about my training methods as they involve physical combat with men. I have been looked down upon for choosing to break away from traditional gender stereotypes.”
“With the release of the TV commercial, the same people who had cast aspersions on my character and choice are now lauding me for my efforts,” she added.
ITC Limited CEO – personal care products business Sameer Satpathy adds, “The Lotus flower, is a symbol of strength and beauty. Much of its symbolism evolves from the way the lotus blooms in spite of its environment and adversities.”
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
