News Broadcasting
The Brahmastra journey begins on Maha Shivratri, at the Kumbh Mela!
MUMBAI: On March 4th, the auspicious day of Maha Shivratri, and the culmination of the Kumbh Mela, the team of Brahmāstra, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Ayan Mukerji, launched a swarm of drones that illuminated the evening sky to reveal the Brahmāstra logo. (watch the event video – https://bit.ly/2NGcBab)
Above the confluence of three sacred rivers – the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, at the sacred Triveni Sangam of Prayagraj, with a background of over 10 million visitors, a whole phalanx of drones flew overhead to light up the sky with the logo of the film.
Set in contemporary India, but imbued in Indian mythology, magical energies and powers, Brahmāstra is a film that takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination – a blend of massive spectacle, storytelling and emotion. The makers could not imagine a more fitting platform than the Kumbh to commence the Brahmāstra journey.
Says Karan Johar – “The Kumbh is the epitome of our rich cultural history and is a reminder of our roots. It is everything that India stands for, a confluence of spirituality and history”
Adds Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions “There could not be a more befitting canvas for us to initiate our journey. We thank the platform for this wonderful opportunity”
Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios, “Brahmāstra, at its core, is a vehicle that brings alive the boundless wisdom of ancient India. And what better event than the Kumbh that showcases India at its finest, as an ancient tradition of all its different cultures coming together in a glorious melting pot.”
Ayan Mukerji – “Brahmāstra is a film deeply inspired by the spirit of Indian history and mythology. The film aspires to touch that chord of Indian spirituality that exists within all of us. I feel very grateful that we can kick start the journey for our very ambitious film on the occasion of Maha Shivratri at the Kumbh Mela. May all the positive energies at Kumbh rain down upon our movie! “
From a strategically placed take-off and landing pad at the sangam point, the drones went through several levels of checks, simulations, capability tests, formation pre-runs and light sequencing to prepare for the grand logo reveal. Special drone pilots were engaged to make this spectacle happen. The planning and execution took over 6 months to come together.
Shikha Kapur, CMO, FSS – “This has been the most exciting and challenging launches to plan and execute. What seemed like an impossible idea became a dream we committed ourselves to pursue. It’s a testament to the passion that FSS, Dharma and all our partners bring to the film to make the impossible happen”
The Brahmāstra trilogy is a three–part–film, the first part is slated for release on Christmas 2019.
Directed by Ayan Mukerji, Produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Namit Malhotra, Ranbir Kapoor, Ayan Mukerji & Fox Star Studios.
Brahmāstra stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy & Nagarjuna Akkineni.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI: Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
