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Weekend Unwind with: FoxyMoron, Zoo Media NCD Dhruv Warrior
Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind—a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.
aIn this week’s session, we have FoxyMoron, Zoo Media national creative director Dhruv Warrior.
Warrior started his stint at FoxyMoron as a national creative director in February 2021. In this role, he leads the creative mandate for the agency’s clientele across all three locations including Mumbai, Gurugram and Bengaluru. Warrior’s area of expertise lies in digital advertising, brand building and advertising communications.
Warrior joined FoxyMoron from VMLY&R Dubai, where he served as an associate creative
director and executed multiple award-winning campaigns, some of which have also won recognition at the Cannes Lions. Prior to VMLY&R he worked at JWT Bangalore for close to 7 years on campaigns across industries including the iconic #BleedBlue campaign by Nike.
Warrior holds 13 years of experience having worked with brands across industries from technology, pharmaceuticals, fashion, food, alcohol, real estate, banking and more. He has an exceptional track record of delivering exceptional creative campaigns across these markets.
He also served as a jury member at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in 2019. In 2014, he was named amongst India’s top 30 creators under 30 in the Economic Times Hot Young Creatives 2014.
A year later, in 2015, he was amongst the top 100 copywriters in the world in the Big Won Report. In 2021, he won honours at the Cannes International Festival for his contribution to the Betty Crocker campaign at his previous agency, VMLY&R. Warrior has completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Relations, Economics and Sociology from Saint Joseph’s Arts and Science College, Bengaluru.
So, without further ado, here it goes…
- Your mantra for Life
C’est La Vie
- A book you are currently reading / plan to read
Essentialism, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
- Your Fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
I’ve been a sportsperson my whole life. Working out has always been a part of my daily and weekly routine. So I exercise as much as I can. I cycle to work every day. During the pandemic, I worked out almost every day and diligently did speedwork and ball control drills for football. So in a nutshell my fitness mantra is do something every day.
- Your comfort food
I don’t really have a comfort food. I enjoy different cuisines. So anything from pizza to rajma chawal, egg curry to burritos, pizza to a delicious salad. I’m not fussy so most food makes me happy.
- When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going
One of my favourite bits of writing from the advertising world. Unsurpsingly it’s related to sports. The manifesto for the Nike Greatness campaign (my laptop wallpaper):
SOMEHOW WE’VE
COME TO BELIEVE THAT
GREATNESS IS ONLY
FOR THE CHOSEN FEW,
FOR THE SUPERSTARS.
THE TRUTH IS, GREATNESS
IS FOR US ALL. THIS IS
NOT ABOUT LOWERING
EXPECTATIONS; IT’S
ABOUT RAISING THEM
FOR EVERY LAST ONE
OF US. GREATNESS IS
NOT IN ONE SPECIAL
PLACE, AND IT’S NOT
IN ONE SPECIAL
PERSON. GREATNESS
IS WHEREVER
SOMEBODY IS TRYING
TO FIND IT.
FIND YOUR GREATNESS.
- Your guilty pleasure
Cold Draft Beer
- When was the last time you tried something new?
A week ago, I tried raw tuna.
- A life lesson you learnt the hard way
The ones you hurt the most, tend to be the ones closest to you
- What gets you excited about life?
The endless opportunities to grow and explore, to do the extreme and get your heart racing, to make a change for the better and most importantly, to do good.
- What’s on top of your bucket list?
Snowboarding in Gulmarg
- If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Spend more time focussing on your passions and crafting them, and a little less time partying.
- One thing you would most like to change about the world
There are many things, poverty, pollution, inequity, war. We are all capable of so much better. But honestly, I would love to give all the children out there who are suffering and struggling all the security and protection they need to live good lives and succeed.
- An activity that keeps you motivated / charged during tough times
It always has been and always will be sport. Primarily football.
- What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
My family and friends
- Your go-to stress buster
My incredible wife and daughter
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.
