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Digital promotions of Kurbaan get underway
MUMBAI: Dharma Productions, in association with Hungama Digital Media, has launched the digital promotions for its upcoming film Kurbaan.
This is the first time that Dharma Productions has launched an online game for promoting its movie digitally. The game is also available for users on their mobile device.
The digital promotions of Kurbaan give the audiences a sneak preview into the secret mission lead by Saif‘s character in the film.
The PC and mobile game developed for Kurbaan revolves around the secret mission which invites the audience to join Saif Ali Khan‘s squad. The winner will be rewarded with exclusive wallpapers and ringtones.
The campaign also includes the launch of a social networking application (SNS) for users of Facebook and Orkut.
The social networking application, ‘New York Rush,‘ is built around an integral portion of the film, where Saif‘s character is in the process of recruiting talented drivers for his squad.
Users will have a chance to play a Rookie Driver attempting to race against time and diffuse bombs across the city of New York. Successful completion of the mission will ensure the winner a place on Saif‘s squad who‘s mission is to avert a major calamity.
Commenting on the initiatives, Hungama Digital Media MD and CEO Neeraj Roy said, “The theme of Kurbaan is a perfect setting for an interactive digital campaign. These campaigns give the audience a chance to experience the thrilling aspects of a movie before it hits the silver screen.”
Said Johar, “Today, ‘digital‘ has become a medium to connect worldwide audiences with the stars and movie concepts. With the digital campaign for Kurbaan, we want to establish connect with the audience and get them involved with the movie even before it releases. Through our association with Hungama, we will be at every digital touch point for the consumer over mobile and internet.”
The mobile game will be available for users across telecom operators in India, while the PC game is available on Gaming Hungama.
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Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
