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Centuary Mattresses marks World Sleep Day with film and mattress donation
Brand releases ‘Better Moments Begin Here’ and donates 150 mattresses.
MUMBAI: Sometimes the softest stories are the ones that speak the loudest. To mark World Sleep Day, Centuary Mattresses has released a digital campaign film titled Better Moments Begin Here while donating 150 mattresses to children and elderly residents across several institutions in Hyderabad. The initiative supports organisations including Devnar School for the Blind, Desire Society, Telangana State Model School and RK Foundation, benefiting visually impaired, special and orphaned children as well as elderly residents. The effort aims to highlight the emotional importance of comfort while improving access to quality sleep.
At the centre of the campaign is a short film that captures visually impaired children experiencing the mattresses for the first time. The film opens with lively scenes of children laughing, jumping and playing together before gradually transitioning into a calm moment as they drift off to sleep. The narrative gently reinforces the campaign’s message that comfort is often felt rather than seen.
The initiative reflects the company’s broader belief that good sleep is essential not only for physical health but also for emotional wellbeing, particularly for children.
Centuary Mattresses, executive director Uttam Malani said the campaign was inspired by the company’s interactions with students during the initiative. “World Sleep Day presented a meaningful opportunity for us to create moments of comfort and joy for special children. Our interaction with students reminded us that genuine comfort and happiness are not always visible but deeply felt,” he said.
Founded more than 35 years ago and headquartered in Hyderabad, Centuary Mattresses has grown into one of India’s established mattress brands. Often referred to as India’s Sleep Specialist, the company manufactures a wide range of products including spring, foam, coir, memory foam and orthopaedic mattresses.
The brand operates across 18 states through a distribution network of more than 4500 dealers and over 450 exclusive brand stores. Its manufacturing facilities are located in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar.
Centuary has also introduced several sleep technology innovations over the years, including copper gel mattresses, micro spring systems and Centuary Protect, an antimicrobial technology recommended by the National Health Academy.
With the Better Moments Begin Here campaign, the company has used World Sleep Day not just to promote better sleep but also to underline a simple idea: comfort can create moments that matter, especially for those who need it most.
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.
