Latest news with #Ahlawat
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Golf: Ahlawat and Sharma struggle in Netherlands
Amsterdam, Indian golfers Veer Ahlawat and Shubhankar Sharma opened their campaign at the KLM Open with disappointing rounds of seven-over 78 each and looked in danger of missing the cut here. The Indian pair has struggled since the Hero Indian Open in March this year. However, Ahlawat had shown signs of finding form with a tied 13th finish at the Austrian Alpine Open last week. Both the players are now placed at tied 141 in the standings with a lot of ground to make up if they hope to make the cut this week. The first day leader was Ricardo Gouveia of Portugal with an outstanding round of seven-under 64. He started his day on the back nine and made seven birdies on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes. In the front nine, he picked one shot on the third hole before his sole bogey for the day on the ninth hole to somewhat diminish an otherwise great start to the week. It was the best round of his life. Ahlawat started his round on the 10th tee and dropped four shots on the 12th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes before bogeying the sixth, seventh and ninth holes. Sharma began his round on the front nine and dropped two shots with a double bogey on the third hole and had two more bogeys on the seventh and ninth. On the back nine, Sharma stumbled to another double bogey on the 11th followed by bogeys on the 12th, 15th and 16th holes. However, an eagle on the 18th and last hole of the round reduced the impact. Leader Gouveia is followed closely by Connor Syme, who returned a six-under 65 to stay within one shot of the leader.
Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
#SmarterWayToUPI - MobiKwik Launches Pocket UPI Campaign Featuring Jaideep Ahlawat
PRNewswire Gurugram (Haryana) [India], May 20: One MobiKwik Systems Ltd., India's largest digital wallet, has unveiled a multi-media campaign for its innovative 'Pocket UPI' product. The campaign positions Pocket UPI as a smarter alternative to traditional UPI payments by eliminating the need for direct bank account linking & other superior product benefits. Actor Jaideep Ahlawat headlines the campaign, reprising his popular cop avatar to bring authenticity and edge to the screen. In a series of engaging digital films, Ahlawat navigates everyday financial scenarios with humor & candidness, demonstrating why Pocket UPI represents a smarter way to UPI. Digital Payment Challenges in India: The Pocket UPI Solution Despite the rapid growth of digital payments in India, users struggle with managing UPI transactions across platforms and bank accounts. Some of these issues include cluttered bank statements, security risks, expense tracking difficulties & payment delays. MobiKwik addresses these challenges through a series of engaging and witty creatives across Digital and Social platforms. Throughout the campaign, the brand aims to highlight real-world situations where digital payments are made and why Pocket UPI is the smarter choice. Users can make UPI transactions without directly linking their Bank accounts, significantly reducing fraud risk. They can keep bank statements clutter-free by routing payments through their Pocket UPI balance. The product enables better control over monthly spending by allowing users to load specific amounts into their account and use them as per their needs. Additionally, customers can experience faster, PIN-less transactions. Announcing the launch of the multi-media campaign, Jaskaran Singh Kapany, Chief Marketing Officer at MobiKwik, said, "As a company, we have been known to introduce innovative products that simplify consumers' interaction with financial services. Pocket UPI is one such revolutionary product that simplifies UPI payments and adds tremendous value to possibly the largest product use case in the world." "Jaideep's relatable on-screen presence and authenticity make him the perfect face to bring the convenience of Pocket UPI to our millions of users. Pocket UPI really is the smarter way to UPI," he added. The campaign launched with a teaser posted by Ahlawat on his Instagram account on May 16, 2025, creating intrigue around how his cop character would tackle digital payment complications and saw tongue-in-cheek engagement by many celebs. The first film launched today showcases how small daily transactions can lead to cluttered bank statements, positioning Pocket UPI as the solution for maintaining cleaner financial records. Link to the Film: Click Here Upcoming films will showcase secure enhanced security, PIN-less payments & improved budgeting control and will be released soon on the company's and actor's social platforms. Credits: MobiKwik Marketing Team CMO: Jaskaran Singh Kapany Associate Vice President: Shishir Kataria About MobiKwik One MobiKwik Systems Ltd. (MobiKwik) is India's largest digital wallet that offers a wide range of payments and financial products to both consumers and merchants. The Company, founded by Bipin Preet Singh and Upasana Taku in 2009, today offers various payment products such as MobiKwik Wallet, UPI, Pocket UPI, and Zaakpay (payment gateway), serving 172 Mn+ registered users and 4.5 Mn+ merchants. The Company has expanded into the distribution of financial products ranging from credit (MobiKwik ZIP, ZIP EMI), savings & investment (Fixed Deposits, Mutual Funds, Digital Gold, and insurance products on its platform. According to the RedSeer Report, as of Fiscal 2023, MobiKwik had the fourth-highest user base in India in terms of total registered users on the platform. MobiKwik was termed as one of the leading digital financial product and services platforms in India by registered users. MobiKwik is the largest digital wallet in India with a 23% market share of the PPI wallet gross transaction value (GTV) as of November 2024. Media contact:
Business Upturn
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
#SmarterWayToUPI – MobiKwik Launches Pocket UPI Campaign Featuring Jaideep Ahlawat
By PR Newswire Published on May 19, 2025, 17:36 IST GURUGRAM, India , May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — One MobiKwik Systems Ltd., India's largest digital wallet, has unveiled a multi-media campaign for its innovative 'Pocket UPI' product. The campaign positions Pocket UPI as a smarter alternative to traditional UPI payments by eliminating the need for direct bank account linking & other superior product benefits. Actor Jaideep Ahlawat headlines the campaign, reprising his popular cop avatar to bring authenticity and edge to the screen. In a series of engaging digital films, Ahlawat navigates everyday financial scenarios with humor & candidness, demonstrating why Pocket UPI represents a smarter way to UPI. Digital Payment Challenges in India : The Pocket UPI Solution Despite the rapid growth of digital payments in India , users struggle with managing UPI transactions across platforms and bank accounts. Some of these issues include cluttered bank statements, security risks, expense tracking difficulties & payment delays. MobiKwik addresses these challenges through a series of engaging and witty creatives across Digital and Social platforms. Throughout the campaign, the brand aims to highlight real-world situations where digital payments are made and why Pocket UPI is the smarter choice. Users can make UPI transactions without directly linking their Bank accounts, significantly reducing fraud risk. They can keep bank statements clutter-free by routing payments through their Pocket UPI balance. The product enables better control over monthly spending by allowing users to load specific amounts into their account and use them as per their needs. Additionally, customers can experience faster, PIN-less transactions. Announcing the launch of the multi-media campaign, Jaskaran Singh Kapany , Chief Marketing Officer at MobiKwik, said, 'As a company, we have been known to introduce innovative products that simplify consumers' interaction with financial services. Pocket UPI is one such revolutionary product that simplifies UPI payments and adds tremendous value to possibly the largest product use case in the world.' 'Jaideep's relatable on-screen presence and authenticity make him the perfect face to bring the convenience of Pocket UPI to our millions of users. Pocket UPI really is the smarter way to UPI,' he added. The campaign launched with a teaser posted by Ahlawat on his Instagram account on May 16, 2025 , creating intrigue around how his cop character would tackle digital payment complications and saw tongue-in-cheek engagement by many celebs. The first film launched today showcases how small daily transactions can lead to cluttered bank statements, positioning Pocket UPI as the solution for maintaining cleaner financial records. Link to the Film: Click Here Upcoming films will showcase secure enhanced security, PIN-less payments & improved budgeting control and will be released soon on the company's and actor's social platforms. Credits:MobiKwik Marketing TeamCMO: Jaskaran Singh Kapany Associate Vice President: Shishir Kataria About MobiKwik One MobiKwik Systems Ltd. (MobiKwik) is India's largest digital wallet that offers a wide range of payments and financial products to both consumers and merchants. The Company, founded by Bipin Preet Singh and Upasana Taku in 2009, today offers various payment products such as MobiKwik Wallet, UPI, Pocket UPI, and Zaakpay (payment gateway), serving 172 Mn+ registered users and 4.5 Mn+ merchants. The Company has expanded into the distribution of financial products ranging from credit (MobiKwik ZIP, ZIP EMI), savings & investment (Fixed Deposits, Mutual Funds, Digital Gold, and insurance products on its platform. According to the RedSeer Report, as of Fiscal 2023, MobiKwik had the fourth-highest user base in India in terms of total registered users on the platform. MobiKwik was termed as one of the leading digital financial product and services platforms in India by registered users. MobiKwik is the largest digital wallet in India with a 23% market share of the PPI wallet gross transaction value (GTV) as of November 2024 . Media contact: Diksha, [email protected] Photo: View original content to download multimedia: Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. PR Newswire is a distributor of press releases headquartered in New York City.
India Today
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Crazy casting, crazier pairing: How OTT is heralding a bold new chapter
'Jewel Thief', which was released on Netflix on April 25, had been on the radar for Indian movie buffs for a very good reason - a song from the film titled 'Jaadu'. While everything seemed like a regular song and dance routine, Jaideep Ahlawat's smooth moves made everyone go 'Ah La La'! His acting prowess is known, but the audience still did not see this coming. Moreover, how can that same man playing the relatable Hathi Ram Choudhary, who would hold his knee in pain when jumping or chasing goons in 'Paatal Lok', become this smooth criminal anyway? advertisementActors are expected to be chameleons. The quicker they can shift personas on screen, the more impressive their craft. Yet in mainstream cinema, actors often find themselves pigeonholed—either boxed into certain roles or overlooked altogether. Ahlawat has been part of the big screen ecosystem for years, delivering solid performances in films like 'Raazi' and 'Rockstar', albeit from the sidelines. Few even remember him as Janardhan, Ranbir Kapoor's elder brother in 'Rockstar', or the sharp intelligence officer in 'Raazi'.However, with OTT and the reduced risk of 'numbers', Ahlawat took the centre-stage not only as Rajan or Haathi Ram Choudhary but also as shy school teacher Naren Vyas in 'Jaane Jaan' or Maharaj Jadunath in 'Maharaj'. What's better - the bunch of people we saw him with and his unlikely chemistry with Ishwak Singh, Vijay Varma, and now Saif Ali Khan. What's best - Ahlawat isn't the only beneficiary. In fact, his trajectory is emblematic of a larger shift that's allowing actors to experiment, stretch their range, and surprise On this week's cinematic Saturday, let's look into some of the crazy casting and even crazier on-screen pairing on OTT that's helping actors bring out their THE UNEXPECTEDTraditional cinema continues to operate under the tyranny of box office returns—a flawed but persistent yardstick of success. This results in formulaic casting and less creative audiences began expressing fatigue with cookie-cutter narratives. Enter OTT, with its genre diversity and willingness to back offbeat casting. With no opening weekend pressure, storytellers found space to take bold leaps—and audiences were more than ready for that's probably why Jaideep Ahlawat, who one would not even cast in a lead role, is now gliding on the screen. Speaking about it, Ahlawat told India Today Digital, "Expect nahi kar rahe the toh achi baat hai. Badhiya hai ek naya kuch karne ko mila, logon ko naya dekhne ko mila (If the audience was not expecting, that's good. It's good too that I got to do something new and the audience got to see something new). So, it's good. It feels good as an actor because you get to experiment and it is also reaching the audience." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)He credited OTT with enabling more layered scripts and longer-form storytelling that allow actors like him to go is just one of the many actors who has been able to showcase his range, thanks to OTT. The audience was equally surprised to see their favourite Arnav Singh Raizada aka Barun Sobti as Nikhil Nair in 'Asur'. More surprising was his performance as Amarpal Garundi in 'Kohhra'. The same can be said for Paramvir Singh Cheema, who impressed all with 'Sapne vs Everyone' and then donned a completely different look for 'The Black Warrant'. Even Zahaan Kapoor was a revelation in the Netflix series, with his diction to body language being perfect for the role, yet starkly different from what he did in his debut film 'Faraaz'. Vijay Varma has also been able to switch from villainous to suave from 'She' to 'IC 814' shift isn't exactly new. Remember the surprise when Saif Ali Khan starred in 'Sacred Games', or Manoj Bajpayee in 'The Family Man'? Ali Fazal's switch in 'Mirzapur' was just as eyebrow-raising. OTT has simply amplified and accelerated this analyst Ramesh Bala, weighing in on how OTT has been showing actors in a different light, told us, "Theatrical systems or the movie studios have a bad habit of limiting artists after a certain age. If a female artist gets married, they will not give her a lead chance, or they'll put her in a supporting role or, after a certain age, they'll bracket or stereotype the artist."However, OTT broadens the horizon for PAIRING, UNPRECEDENTED MAGICNo project is truly a solo performance. While leads draw the spotlight, it's the ensemble—and often, the most unexpected pairings—that create lasting years ago, who could have imagined Shabana Azmi sharing screen space with Jyotika? Or Shaheer Sheikh and Vijay Varma portraying abusive partners to Kriti Sanon and Alia Bhatt respectively? Or even Bengali icons Jeet and Prosenjit appearing together in a Hindi-language series?Even more intriguing - directors like Jahnu Barua and Nagesh Kukunoor stepping in front of the camera, joined by singer-turned-actor Prashant Tamang playing a sharpshooter in 'Pataal Lok 2'. These combinations would've been unthinkable in a conventional theatrical precisely where casting directors step DIRECTORS - THE GAME-CHANGERS"To us, casting isn't just filling roles — it's shaping emotional architecture. It's about finding voices that echo long after the screen fades to black," says Anmol Ahuja, Founder, Casting Bay. They have been credited for the casting in projects like 'Paatal Lok', 'Qala', 'Kohhra', 'Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankein', 'Rana Naidu', 'Tribhuwan Mishra: CA Topper', 'Guns and Gulaabs', among Ahuja calls the casting journey "incredibly fulfilling". Sharing a few examples, he mentioned, "In 'Kohrra', Suvinder Vicky's portrayal of Balbir Singh wasn't just a powerful performance — it was genre-defining. The way the audience responded to him, especially those unfamiliar with his past work, was a reminder of why taking casting risks matters. We consciously blended local Punjabi talent into a national format, trusting emotion and authenticity over recognisability. It's a reminder that good storytelling always transcends language."He added, "In 'Darlings', casting Vijay Varma — who was already well-regarded in indie and regional spaces — in a role that completely flipped audience expectations was intentional. He brought depth and unpredictability to a character that could have otherwise fallen into 'Guns and Gulaabs', we drew from a range of actors across languages and genres and placed them in a completely new aesthetic world — retro, pulpy, comedic. It allowed us to reimagine how regional identities could mix into a larger, stylised narrative."advertisementNikita Grover, a part of Casting Bay and responsible for the casting of 'Paatal Lok 2', had spoken about the challenges of casting in an interview with The Print. 'People don't understand how important the casting department is. We are one of the first departments who start working and we work till the end. If some actor cannot give dates, we have to figure it out, beginning to end of the show," said OTT revolution hasn't just changed how we consume content—it's revolutionised who gets to tell the story and how they tell it. Actors once relegated to the margins are now leading the charge, backed by a new generation of casting directors who value skill, depth, and daring over audiences, we no longer just expect the unexpected—we demand it. And in that space between surprise and satisfaction lies the future of storytelling in Watch
Hans India
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Saif Ali Khan admits he ‘hated himself' on first day of shooting Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins in IMDb exclusive
Saif Ali Khan admits he 'hated himself' on first day of shooting Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins in IMDb exclusiveJewel Thief: The Heist Begins, the high-octane action thriller starring Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Kunal Kapoor and Nikita Dutta, has recently hit screens. Produced by Siddharth Anand, the film revolves around a high-stakes diamond heist and the complex characters caught in its web. In an exclusive conversation with IMDb, Khan, Ahlawat, and Anand opened up about their experiences making the film, from intense shoot schedules to humorous behind-the-scenes moments. Speaking about what drew him to the film, Saif Ali Khan shared, 'For me, it was the role and the story of a talented kind of person who has these dark skills and goes against the system. He's a rebellious kind of guy who has made his way in the world. He's a sympathetic character who has his heart in the right place and does things for the right reasons. He has a line in the film where he says that sometimes good people have to do bad things to save their family, and that was an important line for me.' Director Siddharth Anand said, 'It's a genre that I love watching and it's always exciting to create something like this. I love to do things that push me and give me sleepless nights.' Jaideep Ahlawat added his usual humour, stating, 'For me, it was simple. Marflix, Netflix, Saif Sir, Siddharth, Mamta ma'am, and blonde Jaideep Ahlawat.' Reflecting on the first day of shooting, Khan admitted, 'I remember my first day, it was very late at night. We started at 1AM. I would finish at about 5AM as the light came up. It was the first time I met Jaideep. As usual, I hated myself because it was the first day. Sometimes to be honest, I don't know what I'm doing. It takes a while to get used to it, I was a little nervous. A little tired. A little lost.' Adding a lighter note, he recalled a moment involving Ahlawat's on-screen dog: 'I was shooting with Jaideep sir's dog in the movie and it's a massive rottweiler. I didn't know they were that big. The owner said you can do whatever you want with it. I was feeding it biscuits and playing with it. At one point, I pulled it slightly. It growled at me in the most ferocious way and then he said that you can do what you want but don't pull it.' On being asked what surprised them about each other during the shoot, Ahlawat commented, 'I'm surprised just working with him (Saif). I've done something good that I'm working with him, that's a surprise for me also.' Khan, in turn, said, 'I was surprised by how thin he was. The last time I saw him as Hathiram (Ahlawat's character in Paatal Lok), he was looking quite solid. Here he was lean, mean, badass, very sexy, giving young Sanjay Dutt vibes to me. The other thing, I shouldn't have been surprised but I was, was the commitment to the reality of the shots.'
