iWorld
Social media ‘Ae Dil Lets Airbnb’ contest starts
NEW DELHI: A social media contest has been launched to celebrate the upcoming smash release of ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil,‘ a Bollywood feature starring Fawad Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Community-driven hospitality company Airbnb in its ‘Ae Dil Lets Airbnb’ contest gives participants a chance to live the ‘Ae Dil’ lifestyle by revisiting the characters’ on-screen journeys in London or Paris, including local recommendations from the stars such as Ranbir Kapoor’s favourite restaurant and Karan Johar’s preferred cafes and insider shopping spots.
This curated access to two of the world’s most dynamic cities mirrors the central ethos of Airbnb, offering unique, local insight that lets you “Live like a local.”
Dharma Productions head and director Karan Johar said: “London’s grandeur and the romance of Paris have always enticed Bollywood buffs from every generation. The contest is a great way for travelers and Bollywood aficionados to relive the romance of film. I am thrilled to see Airbnb recreate the ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ experience for fans by giving them a chance to win a transformative journey in two of the world’s most iconic cities.”
Prospective participants have to create a dream ‘Wishlist’ of five Airbnb properties in London or Paris on the Airbnb platform (either website or app). Participants can make as many wishlists as desired and title them under a cinematic name to increase their chances of winning. Two lucky winners will be selected based on the most creative name for their Wishlist and will get the chance to travel to either London or Paris with a guest.
The contest opened today and closes on 30 October 2016 at noon. Each of the two winners will receive (one winner for London and one winner for Paris) a 3 nights/4 days stay for the winner and one friend.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
