MUMBAI: Talent, passion, dedication and luck, eventually success! Big B was one such man who had all the qualities along with all the fortune. One cannot compare him with anybody in Bollywood. Right from his style, his dialogue delivery and distinct voice, he is an old time favorite actor whom everyone looks up to and is even followed by every generation.

This week, Superstar Superlives episode features about his life, how he met with an accident during the shoot of the film Coolie. Rajeev Gandhi was the one who motivated Amitabh to get in politics, which he started from his home town Allahabad. Like his movies, he proved that he is not only a good actor but even a good politician. During the year 1992-96 all things came to a halt for him. That was when he started his in house corporation, ABCL but soon after his first movie "Tere Mere Sapne" his production went down the drain, soon he was bankrupt. Even then, Amitabh did not lose hope. His come-back on small screen as an anchor in Kaun Banega Crorepati, the love and respect from near and dear ones helped him gain back his lost ground. He got back to Bollywood with the acclaimed Mohabatein, K3G and Baghbaan.

He is the ever shining star ?even at the age of 60 he can give some of the younger actors a serious run for the money.

So watch out more on Big B, Amitabh Bachchan on Superstars Superlives this Thursday, December 18 2008, 8.30pm only on ZoOm.

MUMBAI: Allied Media debuts in the ‘Top 5 Media Agency‘ list; Percept/H ranked 14th in the Agency Reckoner

Allied Media, the media services outfit of the Percept Group, has debuted in the Top 5 of the Brand Equity Agency Reckoner - Media Agencies in its very first full year of operations.

Formed just a year back, Percept‘s Allied Media has wrested the No 5 position in its maiden appearance in the Reckoner.

Allied Media received the following rankings in the Media Agency Parameters:
Ability to Manage Best Media Deals: No. 5
Ability to Utilise Power of Research well: No. 5
Quality of Talent: No. 7
Ability to effectively use Traditional & non-Traditional Media: No. 4
Ability to provide Higher Media ROI: No. 4

Explaining his Agency‘s remarkable performance Mr. Shripad Kulkarni, COO, Allied Media said, "360-degree is what the market craves for, and it‘s in our genes. Clients have accepted our 360-degree proposition."

Said Mr Harindra Singh, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Percept Limited, "This is a huge achievement for Allied Media which, in fewer than 12 months has showcased the potential of Percept‘s 360-service capabilities in servicing its clients. Allied has made a dramatic entry into the Top 5 Media Agencies space."

Kulkarni says the big success for Allied Media comes from training its people on the EPP (Engagement Planning Process). "We conceived the EPP model as there are many tools available in the marketplace. We synthesize these tools into a working process, and encourage planners to go into the fundamentals and approach both above-the-line and below-the-line at one go," he says. In the last one year, Allied Media has invested over 1,000 man-hours in training its employees in the EPP and in handling 360-degree recommendations.

This is a change from the way traditional media has worked and Allied Media‘s innovative media marketing tools backed by the Percept Group‘s inherent capabilities and strengths have ensured its success.

Allied Media‘s clients vouch for the agency‘s well-rounded thinking and execution ability. According to Alok Bharadwaj, senior vice-president, Canon India, "The whole package Allied Media offers is an integrated media offering and not just as an agent to negotiate lower media rates. They deliver on the intended goals."

Percept‘s Media services offer turnkey solutions in conventional & traditional media, out of home, below the line, activation, retail, rural, experiential marketing, entertainment marketing, new media, digital & interactive media, sports marketing, sponsorships & endorsements. They provide a unique media service delivery platform through its micro-marketing infrastructure with the support of IT based networks. This ensures reduced national and regional response time, apart from increased speed and efficiency for clients.

In Aug 2007, Allied Media launched the Engagement Planning Process (EPP) model, a one of its kind - systematic Process to arrive at a 3600 Media Solutions. This has been successfully implemented across its client base delivering stunning results for its clients.

Allied Media today, boasts of a long list of clientele that includes - DLF, Canon, Sahara, Samsung, Hero Honda, Indian Oil Corporation, Style Spa, Force Motors, TCL, Delhi Police, Nahar Group, Indo Nissan, E I Dupont Ltd, Sharp Business Systems, Toshiba, Electrolux, Essar Mobile, World Space, Bilt, Kohinoor, Zicom, DKT, Pidilite, Citizen, Panasonic Moneygram, NIIT, Force 1, Kingfisher Bohemia, and JVC.

Said Mr Shripad Kulkarni, COO, Allied Media, "It has truly been an achievement to break into the big league in India in our very first full year of operations. We hope to improve on this ranking in the coming year and Kulkarni adds, "We are by far the fastest growing media agency in the country. We have clocked $100 million (Rs 450 crore) in the first full year of operations, and our target for the current year is $200 million (roughly Rs 900 crore). So far, we are on course."

Percept‘s Media Services has a strong network of 40 offices across India and has a team strength of 200.

Percept/H, Percept‘s flagship advertising agency has also moved up one place from last year (2007) when it was ranked No. 15 to No. 14 in the 2008 Brand Equity Agency Reckoner - Advertising Agencies.

NEW DELHI: Najaam Sethi, Editor-in-Chief of Friday Times and Daily Times in Pakistan has been awarded the 2009 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers.

Mr Sethi, whose newspapers advocate liberal and secular ideas in a country too-often torn by religious extremism, was honoured for his outstanding defence and promotion of press freedom under difficult circumstances and constant personal danger.

The award will be presented at the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, the global summit meetings of the world‘s press, to be held in Hyderabad, India, from 22 to 25 March next (http://www.wanindia2009.com).

?Extremists have always used coercion to silence their critics and that is exactly what is happening now. This is a battle that the media and the country cannot afford to lose.?

Due to the editorial policies of the newspapers, which condemn autocracy and religious fundamentalism, Mr Sethi has been at odds with both Pakistani authorities and religious groups for many years. He has been threatened with death by the Taliban and other radical Muslim groups, and has been jailed and beaten for offending the government.

?All journalists are aware of the dangers of inciting extremists who violently oppose reporting that is contrary to their view of the world,? said the Board of the Paris-based WAN meeting in Beirut, Lebanon, in making the award. ?Mr Sethi has chosen, in a region fraught with such dangers, to brave them. His commitment to providing truthful and independent coverage in this region, despite great personal danger and sacrifice, is in the best traditions of journalism. We think the award will inspire others to resist such pressure.?

Mr Sethi?s home and office are under constant guard. The Taliban threatened to kill him if he did not change his editorial policy. He has also received death threats from radical Muslim groups after he published a cartoon that depicted Umme Hassaan, principal of a radical women?s school, ?educating? female students to wage jihad and embrace martyrdom.

Mr Sethi was imprisoned on 8 May 1999 for what was termed as ?anti-national activities? after he participated in a BBC documentary in which he spoke negatively of then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and corruption in the Pakistani government. He was released after six weeks and charges were dropped after an international outcry pressured Sharif?s government to release him.

Mr Sethi has long reported on corruption at the highest levels of Pakistan?s government.
WAN, the global association of the newspaper industry, has awarded the Golden Pen annually since 1961. Past winners include Argentina‘s Jacobo Timerman (1980), South Africa‘s Anthony Heard (1986), China‘s Dai Qing (1992), Vietnam‘s Doan Viet Hoat (1998), Zimbabwe‘s Geoffrey Nyarota (2002), and Iran‘s Akbar Ganji (2006). The 2007 and 2008 awards both went to Chinese journalists, Shi Tao and Li Changqing.

WAN defends and promotes press freedom and the professional and business interests of newspapers world-wide. Representing 18,000 newspapers, its membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 regional and world-wide press groups.

MUMBAI: MY FM in its endevour to reach out to Trade Fraternity and relay the message of ‘Jiyo Dil Se!‘ launched an interesting activity.The activity was commissioned especially for the ad agency executives and media planners in Delhi and Mumbai. MY FM flew down their RJs to bring the flavour of MY FM for the agency executives to experience. The activity titled ‘Satte Pe Satrah - The Power of 17‘ saw RJ Gagan from Chandigarh and RJ Mohit from Indore doing live radio shows in Delhi and Mumbai Advertising Agencies‘ premises respectively.

The Satte Pe Satrah activity saw participation from over two hundred advertising executives and media planners from agencies like Lintas, Madison, Group M, in both Mumbai and Delhi. The entire activity was planned to sample & experience a first hand feel of MY FM and to emphasize the ‘Power of 17‘ that MY FM offers in terms of the cities that it covers. MY FM planned a special floor game for the media planners where if they threw a ring around a chosen City where MY FM is present, they could walk away with gifts and goodies from MY FM. Apart from the games the agency executives also had a Simulated Radio Experience as popular RJs Mohit and Gagan did their regular shows for the participants and were appreciated even by senior level executives like L.S.Krishnan, Umesh Shetty and Avinash Pareek from the Media Planners Fraternity.

The activity had enthusiastic participation from Group M, Starcom, TME, Zenith Optimedia, MPG, Primetime, Maxus, Radar, Euro, Lintas, R.K.Swamy, MEC, Madison to name a few.

Commenting on the initiative, MY FM‘s COO - Mr. Harrish M Bhatia said, "As a radio station we always endeavour to involve our associates in our activities just like we involve our listeners. The Satte Pe Satrah activity was planned for the advertisers and media planners, for them have a first hand experience of MY FM, the feedback is very positive and we plan to come up with more of these in coming months"

MUMBAI: If you want to run a mile then run a mile?if you want to experience another life?run a marathon - Emil Zatopek, marathon runner.

Indian model and actor, Milind Soman, has taken on the challenge of running his first marathon - The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on 18 January 2009.

Milind is a fit man, yet he needs endurance training and weeks of practice to run the marathon. Find out what goes into training for a marathon, and what makes people run. This show will follow his journey across six weeks, through key steps of his training, till he actually runs the marathon. Watch how the expert team at Apollo Hospitals helps Milind to take on 42 km - from to the nutritionists to the physiotherapists and life coaches.

Will he be able to do it? Catch this must-watch show, ?Apollo Hospital presents Touching Lives: Marathon Man? on 19 December, 2008, Friday at 8.30 am and a repeat telecast at 7.30 pm only on NDTV Good Times.

MUMBAI: In preparation for Aamir Khan?s Ghajini, easily one of the most awaited films of 2008, over 100 associates of BIG Cinemas shave their heads, to sport the trendy Aamir?s look in the film! Their new look was exclusively unveiled by the superstar himself at a special photo opportunity for the media at BIG Cinemas, Wadala today.

BIG Cinemas associates volunteered to sport the Aamir Khan?s and pose for the special photo opportunity, with the process beginning on 9th December 2008. ?We are very excited to be gearing up for what promises to be a huge release and are proud to be part of such a prestigious opportunity. The film?s theme and Aamir?s look have captured public imagination and we are no exception, except that we have taken the inspiration to a whole new level,? said Tushar Dhingra ? COO ? BIG Cinemas.