MAM
The verdict is out: Kids love Selfie with Bajrangi
MUMBAI: Cosmos-Maya’s Selfie With Bajrangi airing on Hungama TV is on its way to become the next big thing in kids’ animation. Given its consistently high ratings, trade is abuzz with reports of the show being touted as the next big thing.
Selfie with Bajrangi’s success can be attributed to the fact that it has the ability to speak to its target audience in a language and manner that the kids love and appreciate. The protagonist Ankush's life changes when he meets Bajrangi, the 7-year-old avatar of Hanuman, who no one but he can see. The show is modeled on kids’ day to day lives and it beautifully captures the nuances of Indian culture. Bajrangi does not just help his buddy Ankush with his day to day problems, he also inspires millions of kids who watch the show. He is a true friend and an angel figure to the viewers.
After its successful launch on Amazon Prime Video in Oct, 2017, the first half was launched on Hungama TV as a summer holiday attraction early this year. The kids have loved absolutely every aspect of the show
Now the second half has made the show an even bigger hit. It is now rubbing shoulders with the likes of Motu Patlu, another Cosmos-Maya IP. It began airing on Hungama TV 29 Sep, 2018 onwards and has been a category topper ever since. It has managed a 30% increase in average ratings in comparison to the first half!
Speaking on the development, Anish Mehta, CEO, Cosmos-Maya said “Selfie With Bajrangi is the first ever series to have little Hanuman as a buddy. Only Ankush can see Bajrangi. He is invisible to the rest of the world. This is a new idea which has worked. He is not out to save the world, rather he befriends Ankush and helps him with his day to day issues in a mundane setting. Both Bajrangi and Ankush are extremely loved by kids and families across markets.”
The show is currently airing across day-parts on Hungama TV and is available in Hindi – Tamil – Telugu.
Dheeraj Berry, SVP, Development & Current Projects, and creator of Selfie With Bajrangi said “The idea of having the revered figure in a slice of life, buddy comedy has worked wonders with young viewers. As a leading studio, our endeavor has always been to come up with novel ideas to create futuristic trends.”
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
