MAM
Cosmos-Maya celebrates 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with its brand-new kids’ show ‘Bapu’
MUMBAI: Cosmos-Maya is launching ‘Bapu’, a new show inspired by Gandhiji, for kids. This development comes soon after the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, held recently. 2019 also marks the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma.
Founded by internationally acclaimed Indian filmmakers Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi, Cosmos-Maya is a leading India and Singapore based Animation Company that produces high quality 3D & 2D animation content. KKR backed Emerald Media, a Pan-Asia platform established by the leading global investment firm, for investments in the media and entertainment sector, has a controlling stake in Cosmos-Maya. The company presently has 13 shows on air including Intellectual Properties (IPs) like Motu Patlu, Inspector Chingum, Selfie With Bajrangi, Eena Meena Deeka, and is working with all major broadcasters in this space.
Out of the many gifts Gandhiji left for kids of subsequent generations, the greatest is instilling in them self-belief. “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, said the man who walked almost 400 km for the Dandi March. Cosmos-Maya has been working on the concept for the past two years. The company aims to not only empower half a billion Indian kids with Gandhiji’s values in a non-didactic format, but also to spread the Mahatma’s teachings to kids world over with entertaining, child-friendly storytelling.
“Kids are an impressionable audience. Hence parental approval is imperative. We aim to make each episode a family affair with parents giving additional commentary.”, Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos-Maya.
Suhas Kadav, Chief Creative Officer, Cosmos-Maya and creator of the show said, “Bapu belongs to everyone and is a perpetual part of the collective conscious of us Indians. Our show ‘Bapu’ will help kids learn the value of goodness and inspire and entertain in the process.”
Anish Mehta, CEO Cosmos-Maya added, “‘Bapu’ will be a tribute to the man who had the power to shape the thinking of generations. Cosmos-Maya’s biggest IPs are all ‘Swadeshi’. With our production might, we are best equipped as story tellers in the sense that we can exercise our Creative Social Responsibility and communicate Gandhiji’s teachings in a fun but responsible manner.”
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
