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Ronnie Screwvala to launch mobile games, animation series & movie on Pro Kabbadi League
MUMBAI: 10 Kabaddi, 9 Kabaddi will soon reach mobile screens as serial entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala invests in setting up a mobile game with all the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) franchises and players in it.
What’s more, Screwvala also envisions television and animation series alongside a movie around PKL. Screwvala, who is also the owner of PKL’s UMumba franchise, is of the opinion that such innovations around the traditional sport will help in making it more aspirational.
Kabaddi saw a decent beginning in its first year, attracting over 435 million television viewers, which prompted Screwvala to plan an array of properties around the sport. What’s more, the second season of Pro Kabaddi League picked up not only in terms of sponsorships, but also viewership. According to the TAM Sports analysis, PKL season 2 has seen a 60 per cent growth in viewership as compared to the last season for the first 26 matches. “It is a popular sport. Now, we want to make it into an aspirational one, give it some stature,” Screwvala was quoted as saying in an ET report.
Not only Screwvala, the sport’s success also garnered appreciation from veteran media mogul Subhash Chandra. “Star Sports is doing a great job and is packaging the sport well. It is sports like these, which will make India a sporting nation and not just a cricket nation,” he had said recently.
The mobile game around PKL being built for all platforms will seek to initially build brands out of some recognisable UMumba players such as Anup Kumar and Shabeer Bapu. Later, as the game grows, Screwvala plans to integrate other teams as well. His team at USports has been fielding queries from people to make a live action television series and an animation series around Kabaddi. For the animation series, Screwvala is looking at a feel-good kind of underdog story of a young kid, where characters from the UMumba team will guide the protagonist. “Eventually, we want to create characters. The idea is that kids should play this in school, make it more of an aspirational sport,” Screwvala said.
The ET report further suggests that in the live action TV series, the story is likely to focus on three friends who come from three different states and how their lives intertwine, through kabaddi. “Our experience also teaches us that if you want a game to arrive, you want to have a big screen attachment to it. So, therefore, a movie is also being planned,” he said, pointing out that scriptwriters are right now understanding the back story of kabaddi players.
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.
