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Wizworks Multimedia to digitise 800 theatres of Karnataka
BANGALORE / MUMBAI: Wizworks Multimedia Ltd. (WML) is bringing digital cinema to Karnataka. The Bangalore-based company, which offers cinema post production solutions, is planning to digitise 800 theatres in the state.
Mumbai based Mukta Adlabs Digital Exhibition will be providing tele-cine and converging solutions to Wizworks for the digital distribution. Wizworks will be using digital projectors supplied by Belgium-based company BACO.
Wizworks CEO Lloyd A Robert told Indientelevision.com that the company won’t be making any big investments in the project. He said WML would help exhibitors to get loans from banks.
“WML is not making any fresh invetments in the project. BACO’s digital equipments will be reaching the exhibitors through us. Now exhibitors need to invest in the equipments and we are helping them out to get financial assistance. For this, we are negotiating with banks,” says Robert.
WML will begin its digital operations in Karnataka by converting 100 theatres in the first phase. The company has plans to get into the Andhra market as well.
Mukta-Adlabs has its digital screen presence in states Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. Mukta’s competitor in the region is Blockbuster Cinemas – a group of film distributors, exhibitors and music companies lead by Time Group’s Dhiraj Shah. In Tamil Nadu, digital cinema is initiated by Chennai-based Kalasa Entertainment Media Private Limited (KEMPL) and Real Image.
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.
