Page 16 - Seniors Today - Jan25 Issues
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media company that was Executive Chairman of the Company.
formed by the merger However, his inspirational leadership
of Disney’s Star India throughout the earlier decades has left
and Reliance Industries’ its indelible stamp on every aspect of the
Viacom18. company’s functioning.
Shankar has played As a member of the Rajya Sabha, Gupta
a key role in transforming India’s media assumed the “voice of the media” in
landscape. After working with a slew Parliament, batting for his colleagues at any
of media entities, Shankar assumed a given opportunity. He has been the driving
leadership position in Aaj Tak and then force behind the CSR of the company under
CEO of Star News in 2007 where he the umbrella of the Shri Puran Chandra
created pioneering television content, Gupta Smarak Trust.
including the talk show Satyamev Jayate. Given its dominance in the all-important
He also transformed cricket coverage on state of Uttar Pradesh, Gupta and his
television and popularised kabaddi. family have enormous influence on daily
A few years later, he was made CEO and key matters in the country.
of Star India which later turned into
a regional position with Disney Star. 24 Rajnikanth, 75, Actor
Shankar believes that JioStar has the Shivajirao Gaekwad aka
potential to reshape India’s media and Rajnikanth was born
entertainment landscape. He says that the in humble environs
merger provides a strong foundation for and evolved from a bus
innovation and experimentation conductor into one of
In 2022, Shankar and James Murdoch biggest megastars in
co-founded Bodhi Tree, which uses Indian cinema.
technology to provide solutions for Rajinikanth, who began his career in 1975,
consumer-engaged sectors. remains one of Tamil cinema’s biggest
The media in India is gung-ho about names despite the emergence of several
Shankar, talking about his ‘Rise & Rise’; we younger stars. The mass hero is regarded as
agree that he’s certainly a person to track a synonym for style and swag.
in 2025. Rajinikanth’s 2023 film Jailer was a
blockbuster, earning over ₹600 crore. It
23 Dr Mahendra Mohan Gupta, 83 Media made him the only actor in the Tamil film
Baron industry to have two films gross over ₹500
The Guptas – Dr crore.
Mahendra Mohan and Rajinikanth’s film Jailer won the Best
the next generation – are Picture award at the 2024 IIFA Utsavam
the owners of the largest- and at the 2024 South Indian International
selling daily in India, Movie Awards (SIIMA).
Dainik Jagran, with a From people worshiping him (well, his
readership of 5.59 crore people, they reach cut-outs) with milk before his film release
Indians across the country. to politicians quaking when he speaks
As of 2023, Dr Mahendra is Non- his mind, his words have a tremendous
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