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Hungama TV’s Express initiative becomes a chugging success
MUMBAI: Hungama Express has until now toured 376 locations in 34 cities covering 10 states in about 94 days. It has managed to touch base with over one million in the tour.
Hungama TV’s door-to-door initiative – Hungama Express was launched with the objective of taking the channel into the lives of kids across the country and letting them know what’s hot-n-happening on Hungama TV. Be it new shows, characters or the Channel Captains, the Express had them all aboard.
“With Hungama Express we took the channel directly to our viewers across the country and were able to touch them in a way that mass media advertising cannot. We had an innovative game aboard the Express and called it the Hungama Bogie. Kids had to answer a few simple questions based on info given out by the ‘TC’ of the Express and could win some great prizes,” said UTV senior vice president marketing and communications Siddharth Roy Kapur.
To build pre-event hype, the channel distributed over 750,000 tickets at over 1000 schools across 34 cities. Another first by the channel was implementing an online tracking system for the Express. Students could log on to the channel’s website (www.hungamatv.com) and track the movement of the Express in real time by city, location as well as time of arrival.
“This put the onus on us to stick to our schedule as we had children awaiting the arrival of the Express in their respective cities on the appointed day. In fact at one point of time we had four Expresses roll out simultaneously to meet the schedule. Except for one day off at Varanasi due to some local politics, the Express was absolutely unstoppable in its 94 day itinerary,” added Roy Kapur.
The journey of the Express was dotted with quite a few highlights. All the seven Hungama TV Captains of 2005 along with the 20 Captains of 2004 made special appearances on the Express in their respective cities and urged their peers to get into the Bogie. Kids in Mumbai had an unexpected meeting with their favourite character Doraemon and all the participants at Hungamathon in Delhi also received tickets for the Express.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
