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Somany Ceramics taps Tamil Nadu’s favourite on-screen duo for latest TVC
MUMBAI : Somany Ceramics has unveiled its latest Tamil TV commercial, starring popular on-screen duo Gomathi Priya and Vetri Vasanth from Siragadikka Aasai. The light-hearted ad blends humour with home transformation, reinforcing the brand’s presence in Tamil Nadu by tapping into local charm and star appeal.
The TVC presents a playful take on home renovation, with Meena (Gomathi Priya) guiding Muthu (Vetri Vasanth) as a ‘divine mentor’ towards a hassle-free, stylish upgrade using Somany’s range of tiles and bathware. The duo explore the coverstone range of tiles and the French collection bathware, showcasing how effortlessly homes can be transformed with Somany’s elegant and durable solutions.
Highlighting the campaign’s significance, Somany Ceramics head of marketing & communications Anshuman Chakravarty said, ‘Tamil Nadu is a key market for us, and we aimed to create a campaign that resonates locally. With our expanding footprint across the state, we are confident this TVC will connect with homeowners seeking stylish, long-lasting, and stress-free solutions.’
Somany’s coverstone range brings the raw elegance of natural stone into modern interiors, while the French collection bathware combines European sophistication with durability, making it ideal for luxury spaces. With a compelling narrative and a beloved lead pair, Somany’s latest TVC is set to captivate audiences across Tamil Nadu.
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
