Latest news with #PrasoonJoshi
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
AI and ‘Avyakt'
By Prasoon Joshi Every age and civilisation has redefined Creativity, but today, this Creativity is being subjected to unprecedented scrutiny and viewed through a different prism, that of AI. From celebration to caution and everything in between, it is discussed, debated, and dissected daily. Let's explore this. Is AI Truly Artificial? When we emphasise on 'Artificial Intelligence', are we being condescending or judgmental here? After all, it's rooted in human-produced data, our words, our images, our histories, our decisions, distilled into material. It feels transformative because it recombines the familiar with unprecedented speed and some polish. Next, let's distinguish between 'intelligent and Intelligence'. An intelligent person applies knowledge, reasoning, and experience to address specific situations within a defined context. Intelligence, however, is understood not merely as an individual faculty but as an expression of a deeper, infinite universal principle – the cosmic Intelligence. What sets human Creativity apart is our ability to make irrational leaps – the instinctive break of pattern. This is something AI will find hard to replicate. Philip Larkin, the poet and librarian, once observed that our best manuscripts are blank notebooks, because they contain infinite potential. AI can fill pages in seconds. Humans, by contrast, stare at blankness for hours, days, and at one point in time, leap. That leap – illogical, instinctive, disobedient – is where Creativity thrives. Ask AI for a poem about life's journey, and the likely output would be: 'The path is the destination; enjoy the journey.' Predictable and could be sharpened with a better prompt. Instead, i, as a poetic mind, would write: 'Raaste chahte hain main safar par niklu, par jab manzil mujh mein hi rehte ho to kaisa safar? Mujhe theher kar sunna hai apna aasman.' – Paths call me to travel, but when the destination is within me, where is the journey? I want to stand still and listen to my own sky. This is not syntax, or word soup – it is a voice shaped by my lived experience, my cultural context, and born of my seeking. AI can refine what is known, but it cannot reach into the 'avyakt' – the unexpressed. That which is yet unsaid – the instinct to wander where there are no paths, to hear what has not been heard. The most beautiful song has yet to be written, the most luminous smile still to be smiled, the highest flight still to be taken. Like i wrote, 'Main kabhi batlata nahi andhere se darta hoon maa, …main kabhi jatlata nahi teri parwah karta hoon maa', it resonated as it touched on what was felt but not expressed in this manner. Creativity is not a tidy arrangement; it is rupture – the break of pattern, defying the odds. AI cannot rupture itself. It is bound by what it has been fed. Humans, uniquely, can disobey even their own logic. That disobedience – the ability to surprise not only the world but ourselves – is the heartbeat of imagination. AI sharpens rather than diminishes human Creativity. As machines master the obvious and tidy the familiar, they leave us free to explore what lies beyond pattern: the ambiguous, the unformed, the unspoken. Here lies our task – to dwell in that space, to hear what has not been heard, to imagine what has no precedent. AI mirrors Intelligence as a vast collective, but imagination remains singular. Its role is to enlarge the canvas; ours is to paint. True Creativity will live wherever data ends and daring begins. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Censor Board discontinues full access to cuts on website
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) this month made a key change to a portal it uses to publish 'cut lists' of films, making it harder to routinely review the censorship it imposes on films. The e-Cinepramaan portal, used by studios to submit paperwork for films, and make fee payments for getting their films certified and age-rated, has since 2017 hosted cut lists that the public can review. These cut lists are not searchable on the Censor Board's main website. The QR code on CBFC certificates points to the film's corresponding e-Cinepramaan page, verifying that the certificate is valid, and providing a list of cuts enforced by the censor board. Since the web addresses of these pages ended with an 18-digit number that could be altered slightly to routinely view newer details of certificates in the order they were issued, it has been possible to have near-total visibility into the cuts demanded by the censors. For instance, The Hindu reported on the cuts imposed on the Pariyerum Perumal remake Dhadak 2 last month with the help of a code snippet that retrieved the latest films certified by the CBFC. Anti-caste references and political dialogues were muted in the film. The CBFC has increasingly acted to excise political and religious content and symbolism from films. However, in the end of May, the portal went into 'maintenance', and as of this month, the CBFC has replaced that 18-digit identifier with a token, a string of alphanumeric characters that cannot be meaningfully modified to yield any other certificate. The change appears to be retrospective, essentially breaking existing QR codes on certificates issued in the last eight years. CBFC certificates are required for any film to be exhibited theatrically, and following a series of court judgments, television channels require one for films too (though TV series do not go through government censors). The Censor Board's chairperson, filmmaker and advertising executive Prasoon Joshi, did not respond to a query by The Hindu on the change made to the site, and neither did the administrative head of the autonomous body. Director Anurag Kashyap told The Hindu that in addition to the recent developments at the Censor Board, the site making it harder to access cut lists was 'also scary'. 'It's more [focused on] taking information from the person tracking it than giving information, which should anyways be public,' Mr. Kashyap said. Aman Bhargava, a Bengaluru-based developer and researcher, has led a team of volunteers since December 2024 to retrieve these censorship records and make a slick, interactive website rich with details of over 100,000 individual cuts made to around 20,000 films in the last seven years. Mr. Bhargava shared a working copy of the website, which he was planning on publicly launching in the middle of this month. But then in May, the site went into maintenance, working on the key change that would leave Mr. Bhargava, and others, unable to retrieve this cut data. 'We did work on cleaning descriptions' of cuts, 'extracting metadata, and allowing others to run a pipeline on their own' into the data collected for the project, Mr. Bhargava said. Now, it doesn't look like this project will be able to continue actively. Mr. Bhargava said he was 'disappointed' by the development. 'There was a lot of effort put into this. I think people would have been interested in it. But I guess if this is how things are, we can publish whatever we have.' The Cinematograph Act, 1952 requires the CBFC to publish certificates it issues to films in the Gazette of India. The CBFC does not do so, it confirmed in an RTI response to The Hindu in May, instead making certificate details available in an unindexed fashion on the e-Cinepramaan portal. The CBFC did not comment on its compliance with this mandate. CBFC cut lists remain available upon scanning certificates that are provided to multiplexes and cinemas. However, not all certified films end up releasing, and there are nine offices of the CBFC certifying thousands of films, and as such, the scope of films whose cuts can be disclosed publicly has mostly narrowed to theatrically released films already in the cinemas.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Entertain or Fade Away: The New Imperative for Brands
By Prasoon Joshi Lines between advertising and entertainment have been blurring for quite some time now. Today, we openly acknowledge the role of entertainment in messaging—reflected in its recognition as a separate category at festivals like Cannes. But if we look back at the fundamentals of advertising, entertainment has always been rooted in its essence. We needed creativity to communicate. The subtle art of crafting a message was always valued. But somewhere along the way, we tried to crack a formula or templatize the process, and it became predictable. We forgot how to reward the audience. That's where entertainment re-emerged, reminding us of a basic truth. While judging at Cannes this year, one thought kept returning to me: to share an idea, you must first engage. You need to entertain. McCann Worldgroup's 17-minute documentary on Ilon Specht, which won multiple honors, served as a reminder that long-form storytelling, when done with authenticity and emotional depth, can build brand equity with lasting resonance. It might not look like a conventional ad, but it communicates with grace and intention. It also reminded us that entertaining doesn't always mean making people laugh or dance. It can be serious—but it still needs to connect, to strike a chord. And this documentary did that beautifully. Today, creative power rests with filmmakers, gamers, poets, editors, and storytellers. Collaboration is essential. Some of the strongest work this year came from hybrid teams—strategists, filmmakers, copywriters, producers—blending perspectives and expertise. Today's creatives are hybrids: producer-directors, strategist-anthropologists, creator-editors. Advertising is no longer just a medium; it is a cultural stage where content and collective experience merge. The future of branded content lies in human stories created within platform-native ecosystems. The Entertainment Lions for Music and Sport are brimming with brand-artist collaborations, sonic branding, and narrative music videos that feel like mainstream releases. More than ever, brands are not just observers of entertainment culture—they are active participants. This calls for a shift from announcement to narrative, from presence to participation. As creative leaders, our goal is not merely to craft better ads—but to build ecosystems of meaning. Campaigns that people choose to engage with. That become part of their lives. That feel less like marketing and more like memory. Our opportunity lies in creating not just ads, but culture-rich, resonant, and measurable entertainment ecosystems. Audiences are demanding, and platforms are evolving. And as the Cannes Lions Festival underscored: entertain—or fade away. (The writer, Chief Creative Officer & CEO, McCann Worldgroup India and Chairman McCann Worldgroup APAC, is an attendee at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025. Views expressed are personal.)
Hans India
17-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Dettol Fresh encourages Indians to stay ‘Always Ready' with 12-Hour Freshness
Dettol, one of India's most trusted hygiene brands, has elevated its personal care promise with the introduction of a 12-hour freshness~* across its much-loved Cologne Fresh~ and Lime Fresh* soap variants. This offering is designed to meet a growing consumer need — the confidence that comes from knowing you are protected and feeling fresh throughout the odour can strike unexpectedly — during a long commute, at work, or right before a big social interaction — causing people to feel conscious, hesitant, or even embarrassed. Dettol Fresh addresses this everyday discomfort by removing 99.9% of odour-causing germs^ and also making you feel fresh for 12-hours~*, so they can feel confident and ready to grab any opportunity. With Dettol Cologne Fresh, users enjoy a bold, invigorating musky cologne fragrance that makes you fresh after shower, while Dettol Lime Fresh offers a zesty citrus scent that energizes and uplifts, so you can use it for your social moments and daily hustle. Dettol Fresh is a daily ally in helping users put their best foot forward — so they never miss out on opportunities due to a moment of self-doubt. Kanika Kalra, Regional Marketing Director, Health, Reckitt – South Asia, said, 'At Reckitt, we believe real confidence starts with feeling fresh & protected so you are ready for anything. With Dettol Cologne & Lime Fresh, we're not just offering freshness — we are helping people feel confident. Whether you're chasing dreams in boardrooms or on stage, 12-hour freshness*~ gives you the confidence to show up at your best. This marks an exciting benefit from Dettol as we expand our promise of protection into the freshness space — because when you feel fresh, you feel always ready.' The campaign is headlined by two engaging ad films, conceptualized by McCann Worldgroup. Prasoon Joshi, Chief Creative Officer and CEO, McCann Worldgroup India said 'Opportunities don't wait - they can come anytime! And when they do, you've got to feel fresh, confident, and ready to grab them. That's what this campaign is all about. With 12 hour-freshness~*, Dettol Lime Fresh and Cologne Fresh have your back, helping go-getters feel fresh and confident, and also protect from body odour^.' In the Dettol Lime Fresh TVC, two young women preparing to pitch their startup idea at the airport encounter a potential investor — but only the one who feels fresh and ready with Dettol takes the leap. In the Cologne Fresh film, a pair of aspiring musicians at a nightclub get invited to perform — and again, it's Dettol freshness that gives one the confidence to own the spotlight. With this enhanced promise, Dettol continues to evolve in step with the lives of Indians — helping them not just stay protected from germs but also feel confident in every moment that matters. Because when you feel fresh, you feel confident. And when you feel confident, you're always ready.
Business Upturn
17-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Dettol Fresh Encourages Indians to Stay ‘Always Ready' with 12-Hour Freshness~*
New Delhi, Delhi, India: Dettol, one of India's most trusted hygiene brands, has elevated its personal care promise with the introduction of a 12-hour freshness~* across its much-loved Cologne Fresh~ and Lime Fresh* soap variants. This offering is designed to meet a growing consumer need — the confidence that comes from knowing you are protected and feeling fresh throughout the day. Body odour can strike unexpectedly — during a long commute, at work, or right before a big social interaction — causing people to feel conscious, hesitant, or even embarrassed. Dettol Fresh addresses this everyday discomfort by removing 99.9% of odour-causing germs^ and also making you feel fresh for 12-hours~*, so they can feel confident and ready to grab any opportunity. With Dettol Cologne Fresh, users enjoy a bold, invigorating musky cologne fragrance that makes you fresh after shower, while Dettol Lime Fresh offers a zesty citrus scent that energizes and uplifts, so you can use it for your social moments and daily hustle. Dettol Fresh is a daily ally in helping users put their best foot forward — so they never miss out on opportunities due to a moment of self-doubt. Kanika Kalra, Regional Marketing Director, Health, Reckitt – South Asia, said, 'At Reckitt, we believe real confidence starts with feeling fresh & protected so you are ready for anything. With Dettol Cologne & Lime Fresh, we're not just offering freshness — we are helping people feel confident. Whether you're chasing dreams in boardrooms or on stage, 12-hour freshness*~ gives you the confidence to show up at your best. This marks an exciting benefit from Dettol as we expand our promise of protection into the freshness space — because when you feel fresh, you feel always ready.' The campaign is headlined by two engaging ad films, conceptualized by McCann Worldgroup. Prasoon Joshi, Chief Creative Officer and CEO, McCann Worldgroup India said, 'Opportunities don't wait – they can come anytime! And when they do, you've got to feel fresh, confident, and ready to grab them. That's what this campaign is all about. With 12 hour-freshness~*, Dettol Lime Fresh and Cologne Fresh have your back, helping go-getters feel fresh and confident, and also protect from body odour^.' In the Dettol Lime Fresh TVC, two young women preparing to pitch their startup idea at the airport encounter a potential investor — but only the one who feels fresh and ready with Dettol takes the leap. In the Cologne Fresh film, a pair of aspiring musicians at a nightclub get invited to perform — and again, it's Dettol freshness that gives one the confidence to own the spotlight. With this enhanced promise, Dettol continues to evolve in step with the lives of Indians — helping them not just stay protected from germs but also feel confident in every moment that matters. Because when you feel fresh, you feel confident. And when you feel confident, you're always ready. Link to TVC: Lime: Cologne: Agency Credits: Prasoon Joshi, Chief Creative Officer and CEO, McCann Worldgroup India Director: Aarati Desai Production House: Picture Perfect Ricki Kapoor Creative Team: Sambit Mohanty, Head Creative McCann South, Joint Creative Head-McCann Gurugram Account Management: Srijib Malik, Executive Vice President – Head of McCann Gurugram Planning: Ankit Vohra, National Planning Director About Reckitt Advertisement Reckitt* exists to protect, heal and nurture in the pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We believe that access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right, not a privilege. Reckitt is the company behind some of the world's most recognisable and trusted consumer brands in hygiene, health and nutrition, including Air Wick, Calgon, Cillit Bang, Clearasil, Dettol, Durex, Enfamil, Finish, Gaviscon, Harpic, Lysol, Mortein, Mucinex, Nurofen, Nutramigen, Strepsils, Vanish, Veet, Woolite and more. Every day, around 30 million Reckitt products are bought globally. We always put consumers and people first, seek out new opportunities, strive for excellence in all that we do and build shared success with all our partners. We aim to do the right thing, always. We are a diverse global team of 40,000 colleagues. We draw on our collective energy to meet our ambitions of purpose-led brands, a healthier planet and a fairer society. Find out more or get in touch with us at *Reckitt is the trading name of the Reckitt Benckiser group of companies. Submit your press release Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
