MAM
Sahara One ties up with D’damas for ‘Kohinoor’ contest
MUMBAI: Sahara One Television has weaved an interactive contest around its new suspense thriller show Kohinoor. The contest, ‘Kohinoor Ki Diwali Heeron Wali,’ will be held from 17 – 31 October where viewers can win Rs 4.4 million worth of diamonds.
The channel has tied-up with Gitanjali Group’s D’damas diamond brand for the contest.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sahara One Television COO Purnendu Bose says, “For the first eight days, we will be giving out 300 diamonds per episode worth Rs 1000 each. And on the last day of the contest, we will be giving out 2000 diamonds. That adds up to close to Rs 4.4 million worth of diamonds in the nine days of the contest.”
Kohinoor’s launch on 5 September was preceded by a huge marketing push but the show has not been throwing up substantial numbers on the rating charts. On Thursday last week, the show’s rating was 0.7.
Bose, who is dissatisfied with the ratings, said that Kohinoor was throwing about the same ratings as what one of their third time repeat show in the same time band was giving on the channel earlier.
When queried as to whether this contest was brought on to increase the ratings, Bose says, “We don’t expect this contest to translate into higher ratings for the show. Our aim is to get viewers associated with Kohinoor and get that connect from them.”
For participating, viewers have to watch Kohinoor and SMS a unique number that will be flashed on the screen everyday during the show to 9090.
Bose further adds, “This Diwali, we are extremely happy to offer our viewers an opportunity to celebrate this festival of lights with precious diamonds. ‘Kohinoor Ki Diwali Heeron Wali ‘ contest gives them an opportunity to be a part of this exciting contest and win diamonds everyday.”
Kohinoor airs from Monday to Thursday at 10 pm on Sahara One Television.
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.
