MAM
Parle-G launches Ugadi film celebrating life’s sweet-bitter mix
Heartfelt ad in Kannada and Telugu ties Bevu Bella symbolism to shared joy.
MUMBAI: Parle-G just sweetened Ugadi with a bitter twist because life, like Bevu Bella, tastes best when you take both the neem and the jaggery together. Parle-G has released a special Ugadi film for audiences in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, embracing the festival’s traditional Bevu Bella (or Ugadi Pachadi) as a metaphor for life’s blend of sweetness and bitterness. Created in Kannada and Telugu, the short film captures a relatable family moment, a young girl sulks after missing selection for her school cricket team, dismissing her elder sister’s attempts to cheer her up with past happy memories.
During Bevu Bella preparations, the elder sister arrives with only jaggery, sparking a protest from the younger one. That protest becomes the turning point, the sister gently explains that just as the ritual requires both jaggery’s sweetness and neem’s bitterness, life too brings ups and downs that must be embraced together. The realisation brings a smile and turns the preparation into a warm family celebration.
The story reinforces Parle-G’s enduring message of shared joy (“Jo auron ki khushi mein paaye apni khushi”) and builds on its iconic “G mane Genius” legacy by showing how small, shared moments strengthen bonds.
Parle Products vice president Mayank Shah said, “Parle-G has been a part of everyday moments in Indian homes for generations. Festivals give us a unique opportunity to celebrate regional traditions and connect with consumers in a way that feels personal and meaningful. Our Ugadi film draws from the symbolism of Bevu Bella and reflects values that resonate deeply with families.”
Thought Blurb Communications chief creative officer Vinod Kunj added, “Most Ugadi work showcases the celebration of the festival. We delved into what it means to the people of the region and stumbled upon a singularly unique ritual associated only with this festival. We loved the message it holds for the community and how that message is passed on to successive generations through a culinary ritual.”
Thought Blurb Communications national creative director Renu Somani Karwa noted, “This is a talking film that was born out of talking to the people. The ritual of Bevu Bella beautifully captures the essence of Ugadi, the idea that life is a mix of sweetness and bitterness. That insight inspired a small, warm story between two sisters.”
The film is live on Youtube in both languages Kannada and Telugu.
In a festival that tastes both bitter and sweet, Parle-G isn’t just reminding us to accept life’s flavours, it’s handing us a biscuit to chew on the lesson: the best moments are the ones we share, no matter how mixed the emotions.
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.
