MAM
Mumbai girl will lead India on the field against Zimbabwe
MUMBAI: “Stand tall, don’t lose hope in victory or defeat, don’t get nervous. Just take the next step. Don’t blame it on destiny, as destiny is a matter of choice and not chance. Do build castles in the air but make a strong base for it.” These words of wisdom have given 14-year-old student from Arya Vidya Mandir Santa Cruz Akanksha Maker the opportunity to lead Saurav Ganguly and team onto the field against Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
This comes courtesy the ‘Pepsi Badaa Shikari Hunt’ organised by Pepsi, Nickelodeon, MTV, Max. The channel claims to have received 12,000 entries so far.
When Indiantelevision.com caught up with her and asked about how she heard of the Pepsi Badaa Shikari Hunt contest she said, ” I watch Nickelodeon regularly and on that I heard about this competition. In school there was a competition and we got forms in school, which we had to fill up and submit. When I heard the news that I was chosen I couldn’t believe it because I had never won anything like this. I am not a lucky person and was therefore very excited to win something this big .
Talking about her television viewing pattern she said, ” I watch a lot of television which usually happens when I am not studying. I spend most of my free time in front of the telly. Usually my viewing lasts for around eight hours a week. Television can sometimes be a social event. I watch with both my friends and family. With friends it is mostly over the weekend when we get together. With family, which in my case is a joint one everyone watches cricket together. It is a family viewing experience. We even pray together to God that the team does well. Our Indian team deserves better than the best. We won in 1983 and this another chance for us.
Akanksha’s mother too chipped in saying, “My relatives watch Star Plus and Sony shows like Kkusum and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki. These shows are anyway too late at night for the kids. Not only do kids not watch soap operas they do not like it if we tune in. They like fun in the form of ‘Boogie Woogie‘ and ‘Khuljja Sim Sim‘.
Questioned about the appeal of Nick Akanksha says, “My younger sister is a bigger fan of Nickelodeon than me. So we watch it together. It understands what kid needs better that most other channels because it is very entertaining. Earlier I never used to watch it but when I started I got hooked. My favourite shows are Figure it out, Hey Arnold! The former is educative and the second one is entertaining. “
Interestingly while Akanskha plays Tennis she does not really watch it. This also applies to the four Grand Slams. “I do play tennis except that now studies are difficult so it is not easy to find too much time. We have games in school and so there is no need for me to play any other sport. I watch the Tata Open Tennis championship. My parents are very supportive. To practice tennis you need a proper court. It is not like cricket where you can play in any gully
Taking about whether pester power works she said, ” Ads that convey the message that if you buy a product you get one free attract children the most. I like ads that are funny. The Pepsi Blue ad as well as Pepsodent where the mother is scolding the child are entertaining.”
Asked whether other sports were being neglected due to excess attention to cricket she neatly deflected the question saying, ” Cricket is a good game and everyone should be equally interested in it. It attracts a lot of advertising.”
MAM
Sleepwell unveils nationwide sleep study on World Sleep Day
79 per cent use screens before bed, 36 per cent of 18–25-year-olds sleep ≤5 hours.
MUMBAI: Sleepwell just dropped the pillow truth bomb because when India’s sleeping less and scrolling more, even the mattress wants to stage an intervention. On World Sleep Day 2026, Sleepwell released its nationwide Sleep Study, painting a stark picture of India’s escalating sleep crisis. The findings show that 79% of Indians use screens right before bed, fuelling restless nights and drowsy days. Alarmingly, 36% of young adults aged 18–25 sleep five hours or less making them the country’s most sleep-deprived group.
The study also busts the myth of “catch-up sleep”, 65% of respondents actually sleep even later on weekends, pointing to increasingly irregular patterns that spill fatigue into the working week. Mattress discomfort emerged as a frequently overlooked culprit behind late-night wake-ups and constant leak-anxiety checks.
To drive the message home, Sleepwell’s CMO Puneet Gulati appeared on Zee Business, stressing that quality sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s foundational health. He highlighted how the right mattress can transform restless nights into restorative ones.
The brand doubled down with clever late-night activations, partnering with a quick-commerce platform to serve contextual ads between 11 pm and 3 am, gently nudging bleary-eyed scrollers to consider mattress discomfort as the reason they’re still awake and pointing them to the nearest Sleepwell store. Digital influencers and creators also shared relatable stories of how poor sleep fuels impulsive late-night behaviour.
In a nation that celebrates hustle but quietly pays for it in lost rest, Sleepwell isn’t just selling mattresses, it’s selling the radical idea that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is close your eyes and actually sleep well.
