9, Dec 2025
slice UPI credit card: India’s best UPI credit card for everyday payments
Bengaluru, Dec 09: slice recently launched its UPI credit card; a card designed for everyday payments. As UPI has become the country’s default mode for digital payments, integrating credit directly into this ecosystem was essential to provide people with greater access, convenience, and flexibility in their everyday spending. It combines the familiarity and convenience of UPI with the benefits of credit, giving users a way to earn rewards, manage liquidity, and access short-term credit.
Why slice introduced it:
Most credit cards in India are optimized for infrequent, high value spends, whereas the average user’s daily transactions happen on UPI. slice introduced the slice UPI credit card to bridge this gap, so that everyday payments, whether small or recurring, also come with the option of credit and rewards. The idea is to enable users to continue paying the way they already do on UPI, but with the added benefit of cashback while maintaining a balance in their savings account.
How it helps customers:
- Users can earn up to 3% cashback on UPI payments with no transaction limits. People can earn rewards even on a Rs.50 payment.
- Because payments are made using credit instead of a savings balance, customers can maintain liquidity and continue earning interest on their deposits.
- For bigger purchases, any transaction above ₹2,000 can be instantly converted into three interest-free EMIs through the slice app. This feature is available on 40 million merchant outlets.
- The card has no annual fees and avoids hidden or complex charges.
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- By Neel Achary
9, Dec 2025
Cloudera FSI Customers Win at IDC Future Enterprise Awards 2025
India, Dec 9:-Cloudera, the only company bringing AI to data anywhere, today announced that its customers, Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank and Axis Bank, have been named winners in the IDC Future Enterprise Awards 2025. These wins reflect the region’s accelerating shift toward AI-powered operations and reinforce Cloudera’s role as a trusted partner, enabling organizations to harness governed, scalable, and hybrid data capabilities for real-world impact.
“Cloudera is proud to support Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank and Axis Bank in their AI and data transformation journeys” says Remus Lim, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Cloudera. “Their achievements at this year’s IDC Future Enterprise Awards demonstrate how a strong, governed, and hybrid data foundation enables organizations to build enterprise AI that delivers measurable business outcomes. We congratulate the winners for setting new benchmarks in innovation across the region.”
Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank Wins “Best in Digital Innovation” for Full-Product Recommendation and Optimal Contact Time Model
Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank has transformed its customer engagement strategy by replacing rule-based marketing with a fully AI-powered personalization engine. Powered by two advanced machine learning models the Full-Product Recommendation Model and the Optimal Contact Time Model the bank delivers hyper-personalized, real-time offers embedded directly into digital and telemarketing workflows. This AI-driven approach has resulted in a 2.4× increase in conversion rates, a 1.3× uplift in engagement, and reduced operational waste across channels.
“Personalization is a key differentiator for the future of financial services, and AI is enabling us to engage customers with far greater precision and relevance,” says a spokesperson from Taipei Fubon Bank. “By combining product recommendation intelligence with optimal engagement timing, we have transformed the way we connect with our customers across channels. This award from IDC is a meaningful recognition of our team’s ability to apply machine learning creatively and responsibly to deliver better outcomes, higher engagement, and more seamless customer experiences.”
“Fubon Bank’s dual-model strategy reflects a shift toward intelligence-led marketing, where relevance and timing are optimized simultaneously. It’s a data-driven approach to engagement that measurably improves conversion and reduces friction,” says Daniel-Zoe Jimenez, Vice President, Digital Innovation, IDC Asia/Pacific. “The impact metrics—2.4× lift in conversion and reduced waste point to a maturing AI capability that aligns business goals with intelligent automation. It’s an example of how data science can be translated into everyday marketing decisions.”
Axis Bank Wins “Special Award for Customer Experience” for AI-Driven Personalization at Scale
Axis Bank has transformed customer engagement for over 50 million customers by building an AI-powered personalization engine on Cloudera’s anywhere cloud platform on AWS. The system analyzes more than 2,000 attributes per customer daily and generates 17,000+ personalized nudge variants across nine channels, including WhatsApp, email, push notifications, and Relationship Manager-assisted engagement.
This initiative has delivered measurable impact:
- 45% of term deposits now originate from personalized nudges
- 70% of instant credit card loans booked via nudges
- 10% uplift in personal loan campaign effectiveness
- 1.5× increase in BillPay registrations through experimentation-driven optimization
“At Axis Bank, delivering meaningful and timely customer experiences is at the heart of our digital transformation,” says Balaji Narayanamurthy, President & Head of Business Intelligence Unit at Axis Bank. “Through our personalization engine built on Cloudera’s platform, we’ve moved beyond traditional segmentation to real-time, AI-powered engagement that reflects each customer’s needs and behaviors. This shift has helped us deepen relationships, increase product relevance, and elevate satisfaction across millions of interactions daily. Our customer-first strategy is not just about using data it’s about turning insight into action to create seamless journeys that build long-term trust and value.”
“Axis Bank’s customer engagement transformation shows how scaled personalization, driven by AI and deep behavioral insight, can move the needle on both experience and conversion. The combination of a robust data foundation and intelligent decisioning models demonstrates maturity in applying AI across complex customer journeys,” says Dhiraj Badgujar, Senior Research Manager, IDC Asia/Pacific.
9, Dec 2025
HEED Unveils India’s First Additively Manufactured Electric Hydrojet Propulsion System
Mysuru, Dec 09: HEED, a marine deep tech homegrown startup focused on clean and accessible water mobility, proudly unveils India’s first additive-manufactured electric hydrojet propulsion system. Designed, developed, and tested entirely in house in the royal city of Mysuru, this venture marks a significant step in India’s
In its initial phase, HEED is applying its hydrojet propulsion system to the recreational watercraft segment, developing fully electric jetboards that combine performance with forward-looking design and clean propulsion. With this foundation, the company aims to deliver accessible, clean-powered products that can set new benchmarks in personal water mobility.
The hydrojet propulsion system is 100% electric and optimised for efficiency across India’s diverse water conditions. While the current focus is on recreational use, the system has the potential to power a wider range of future applications, including performance vessels, passenger transport, and even defence and cargo solutions, positioning HEED as a foundational player in the country’s long-term ambitious blue economy goals. Engineered in India
The propulsion unit is supported by a dynamic test bench and sensory system, both developed entirely in-house. This test setup enables high-fidelity performance assessments and real-time data collection. With a payload capacity of up to 1000kg and force measurement capabilities reaching 500KgF (equivalent to 5000N or 5kN), the platform ensures the propulsion system can be precisely tuned and validated under realistic load conditions. In perspective: Successfully conducted first aquatic test
Why It Matters
This business initiative is a significant step toward strengthening India’s capabilities in designing and building next-generation watercraft. Rooted in Mysuru, HEED demonstrates what is achievable when performance engineering, local talent, and electric mobility intersect. As a deep tech venture, the company combines advanced hardware innovation and systems engineering to tackle complex challenges in water mobility.
The commitment to in-house development, local sourcing, and domestic assembly reflects a broader vision of economic self-reliance and technical excellence in India’s blue economy.
Impact Potential:
| Impact Area | Details and Data |
| Carbon
Emissions |
Zero-emission design supports India’s national climate goals. Under the IMO, India commits to:
• 40% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 • Net-zero emissions by 2050 in the shipping sector. |
| Employment Creation | Maritime Vision 2030 aims to generate 2 million employment opportunities across ports, shipping, shipbuilding, and inland waterways. |
| Safety and
Comfort |
Hydrojet systems reduce underwater radiated noise by over 50% compared to conventional propellers, especially at speeds over 20 knots. They also significantly reduce vibrations, improving user comfort and safety. |
| Cost Efficiency | Hydrojet propulsion systems can be up to 10 times more cost efficient than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) systems due to lower maintenance and energy costs. |
As one of the first Indian companies to focus exclusively on electric hydrojet propulsion, HEED is uniquely positioned to help shape India’s future in maritime transport. While recreational watercraft remain the core priority today, the foundational technology being built has the potential to scale into multiple sectors as the company grows.
9, Dec 2025
CavinKare’s Indica Easy Redefines DIY Grooming with a Humorous Twist in Its “So Easy, Anyone Can Do It” Campaign
Chennai, Dec 09: Bringing together wit, creativity, and brand purpose, Indica Easy, India’s No.1 Shampoo Hair Color brand (Source: NielsenIQ Retail Measurement Report, MAT Sep25) from CavinKare, has rolled out a brand-new digital campaign titled “So Easy, Anyone Can Do It!”. Through Ten short, character-driven films, the campaign delivers a fun and relatable take on self-reliance, establishing Indica Easy as the most effortless DIY hair color and the ultimate go-to choice for anyone.
Created to further reinforce the brand’s offering of hassle-free hair color, the campaign smartly flips the script on everyday dependency. It showcases characters who usually lean on others for the simplest tasks but become surprisingly self-sufficient when it comes to coloring their hair with Indica Easy. The result is a light-hearted, sharply observed storytelling format that uses humour to reinforce the functional proposition of ease and convenience.
Speaking about the campaign, Mr Rajat Nanda, Business Head, Personal Care- CavinKare said:
“With our brand-new digital campaign, ‘So Easy, Anyone Can Do It!’, we wanted to celebrate the confidence and independence that comes with taking control of your own hair color. Indica Easy has always been about making hair coloring simple for everyone. Through this campaign, we showcase everyday characters who, despite relying on others for routine tasks, can easily achieve professional-quality hair color at home. The short, engaging films highlight how stress-free the process is, bringing a sense of fun to self-grooming. We are delighted to connect with our audience in a relatable and authentic way, reflecting the growing cultural shift where people value everyday practicality over perfection. Ultimately, this campaign reinforces that with Indica Easy, anyone can confidently color their hair- quickly, easily, and beautifully, without any compromise.”
The DVC series demonstrates how Indica Easy makes hair coloring elementary, convenient, and accessible for everyone. Through everyday, engaging stories, characters like “Lazy Dad”, a father too idle for chores yet confident with his hair, and “Clueless Husband”, who struggles with daily tasks but achieves salon-quality results at home, showcase the brand’s effortless usability. Other films, including Boss, Messy Roommate, Neighbor Aunty, Help Wife, Daughter Dad, Clumsy Husband, and Clueless Friend, bring everyday situations to life with a light and entertaining approach.
The campaign was rolled out across Indica Easy’s official social media channels, leveraging storytelling and wit to spark organic conversations around DIY grooming, convenience, and self-empowerment. Using short-format videos optimized for digital engagement, the campaign taps into a growing cultural shift, where audiences increasingly value authentic, everyday experiences over aspirational perfection.
9, Dec 2025
Palo Alto Networks Predicts Autonomous AI Agents to Bridge Cyber Skills Gap in 2026
Palo Alto Networks 2026 Predictions: Autonomous AI Agents To Close Cyber Skills Gap
Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), the global cybersecurity leader, today released “6 Predictions for the AI Economy: 2026’s New Rules of Cybersecurity,” forecasting a transformative leap to the AI economy. This new AI-native global economic model, where AI drives productivity and operations, also introduces a seismic shift in risk. In 2026, autonomous AI agents will fundamentally redefine enterprise operations, setting the stage for major changes in identity, the security operations center (SOC), quantum computing, data security and the browser.
Palo Alto Networks forecasted 2025 as the Year of Disruption based on the rise in mega breaches that take entire enterprise networks offline — driven by supply chain vulnerabilities and attackers reaching new levels of speed and sophistication. This has since been proven true, as 84% of the major cyber incidents that Unit 42® investigated this year have resulted in operational downtime, reputational damage or financial loss. In 2026, we will enter into the Year of the Defender, where AI-driven defenses tip the scale in the defense’s favor, driving down response times, reducing complexity and increasing visibility to quickly respond to cyberattacks. These themes also mirror India’s experience, where hybrid work and rapid GenAI adoption continue to expand the attack surface for both enterprises and critical infrastructure.
While AI adoption is rapidly redefining cybersecurity risk, it also creates the ultimate opportunity for defenders. As attackers utilize AI to scale and accelerate threats across a hybrid workforce—where autonomous agents outnumber humans by 82:1, defenders must counter that speed with intelligent defense. This necessitates a fundamental shift from reactive blocking to a proactive approach that actively manages AI-driven risk while fueling enterprise innovation.
Swapna Bapat, VP and MD, India and SAARC at Palo Alto Networks said, “In 2026, the velocity of innovation is inseparable from the urgency of governance. The immediate threat is not just a theoretical deepfake, but the ‘CEO Doppelgänger’ and the surge in digital identity fraud that is already eroding public trust across our digital economy and financial sector. This is magnified by the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which has made data trust and accountability an immediate, high-stakes executive priority; breaches of personal data, especially those caused by a rogue AI agent, now carry clear financial penalties up to ₹250 crore. For Indian enterprises to lead globally, security must evolve beyond a compliance checklist. We must adopt unified, AI-native platforms that enforce the principles of the India AI Governance Guidelines, making trust-by-design the foundation for every machine, every application, and every digital identity, ensuring the twin goals of ‘AI for All’ and ‘Safe & Trusted AI’ are met.”
Kunal Ruvala, Senior Vice President & GM, India at Palo Alto Networks, said: “AI-driven deception and data exposure are now frontline risks for Indian enterprises. Deepfakes, contextual data leakage and prompt abuse are creating a new class of insider threat at a scale we have never seen before. At the same time, hybrid work has made the browser the new enterprise workspace, increasing interest in secure enterprise browsing. These shifts are pushing Indian organizations to strengthen identity-first, behavior-based and Zero Trust defenses much earlier in their AI adoption journey.”
- The New Age of Deception: The Threat of AI Identity: In 2026, identity will become the primary battleground as flawless, real-time AI deepfakes or CEO doppelgängers make forgery indistinguishable from reality. This threat is magnified by autonomous agents and a staggering 82:1 machine-to-human identity ratio, creating a crisis of authenticity where a single forged command triggers a cascade of automated actions. As trust breaks down, identity security must transform from a reactive safeguard into a proactive enabler for the enterprise, securing every human, machine and AI agent.
- The New Insider Threat: Securing the AI Agent: Enterprise adoption of autonomous AI agents will finally provide the force multiplier needed to solve the 4.8 million-person cyber skills gap and end alert fatigue. This is also an inherent risk, creating a potent new insider threat. These always-on, implicitly trusted agents are given privileged access and the keys to the kingdom, instantly becoming the most valuable target. Adversaries will no longer make humans their primary target; they will look to compromise these powerful agents, turning them into an “autonomous insider.” This forces a shift to autonomy with control, requiring AI firewall governance tools at runtime to stop machine-speed attacks and ensure the AI workforce isn’t turned against its owners.
- The New Opportunity: Solving the Data Trust Problem: Next year, the new frontier of attack will be data poisoning — invisibly corrupting AI training data at its source. This attack exploits a critical organizational silo between data scientists and security teams to create hidden backdoors and untrustworthy models, igniting a fundamental “crisis of data trust.” As traditional perimeters become irrelevant, the solution must be a unified platform that closes this blind spot, using data security posture management (DSPM) and AI security posture management (AI-SPM) for observability and runtime agents for firewall as code to secure the entire AI data pipeline.
- The New Gavel: AI Risk and Executive Accountability: The enterprise race for an AI advantage will collide with a new wall of legal reality. By 2026, the massive gap between rapid adoption and mature AI security (with only 6% of organizations having an advanced strategy) will lead to the first major lawsuits holding executives personally liable for rogue AI actions. This “New Gavel” elevates AI from an IT issue to a critical liability issue for the board. The CIO’s role must evolve to that of a strategic enabler — or partner with a new Chief AI Risk Officer using a unified platform to provide verifiable governance that enables innovation safely.
- The New Countdown: The Quantum Imperative: The “harvest now, decrypt later” threat, accelerated by AI, creates a crisis of retroactive insecurity, as data stolen today becomes a future liability. With the quantum timeline shrinking from a ten-year problem to a three-year one, governments’ mandates will soon force a massive, complex migration to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). This immense operational challenge requires organizations to shift from a one-time upgrade to building long-term crypto agility the ability to adapt cryptographic standards as a new, non-negotiable security foundation.
- The New Connection: The Browser as the Novel Workspace: As the browser evolves from a tool for information synthesis into an agentic platform that executes tasks, it is becoming the new OS for the enterprise. This trend creates the single largest, unsecured attack surface — an AI front door operating with a unique visibility gap. With GenAI traffic up over 890%, organizations will be forced to adopt a unified, cloud-native security model capable of enforcing consistent zero trust security and data protection at the last possible millisecond inside the browser itself.
9, Dec 2025
Colliers Secures Full Ownership of India Business to Accelerate Growth and Market Leadership
Gurgaon, Dec 09: Colliers, a leading diversified professional services and investment management company, today announced that it has acquired 100% ownership of its business in India. This strategic milestone underscores Colliers’ confidence in the Indian market and its commitment to driving accelerated growth in one of the world’s most dynamic and fast paced real estate landscapes.
India is a key growth engine for Colliers globally, and this move positions the firm to deepen client relationships, invest in talent and technology, and build market-leading capabilities across all service lines. With new leadership in place, Colliers India is entering a transformative chapter aligned with the company’s vision, focused on innovation, sustainability, and delivering exceptional outcomes for clients.
“The Colliers India business is recognized and strongly supported by the firm’s global platform for its ambitious vision and strategic importance,” said Badal Yagnik, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Colliers India. “Our ambition for Colliers India is bold, we are investing in our people, platforms, and capabilities to set new benchmarks for excellence. Our focus is on delivering innovative solutions, strengthening client partnerships, and creating long-term value for all stakeholders.”
Looking ahead, Colliers aims to unlock new opportunities by combining global expertise with deep local insights, driving sustainable growth, and reinforcing its position as the most trusted advisor in India’s real estate sector.
9, Dec 2025
Why India Can’t Stop Watching Micro Dramas
Micro-dramas have become India’s fastest-growing form of storytelling — short, emotionally charged narratives lasting just 60 to 120 seconds. Rooted in melodrama, these bite-sized stories draw inspiration from soap operas, Korean and Chinese short-form trends, and Bollywood-style twists. Their power lies in delivering high-stakes drama through cliffhangers, reversals, and heightened emotion, a formula that drives tens of millions of views and fuels binge-worthy “snack seasons” under ten minutes long.
Revenge Arcs
Revenge stories dominate the micro-drama space, where protagonists plot dramatic comebacks against those who betrayed them. These narratives often blend class conflict with personal vendetta, offering instant emotional gratification through swift justice. Zupee Studio’s Maut Ki Ghati exemplifies this genre, a high-stakes thriller where betrayal and retribution unfold rapidly. Such arcs resonate deeply with Tier-2 and Tier-3 audiences, satisfying a hunger for emotional payback and moral equilibrium.
Forbidden or Will-They-Won’t-They Romances
Lovers separated by family opposition, hidden identities, or social barriers form the emotional core of this trope. These stories sustain tension across ultra-short episodes, drawing viewers into a slow burn of longing and unspoken confessions. Taboo Match, hosted on Kuku TV, delivers this tension through a forbidden step-sibling romance entwined with family secrets and blackmail all packed into under two-minute thriller episodes. The emotional tug-of-war between love and duty echoes the charm of K-dramas, condensed into a quick, addictive format.
Sudden Reversals of Fortune
Audiences are endlessly captivated by stories where everything changes overnight escapes from monotony that celebrate hope and transformation. These plots often follow humble heroes who discover hidden wealth, secret identities, or lost royal lineage. Billionaire Heir on Pocket FM fits this mold perfectly, chronicling a dramatic rise from poverty to power. Such tales offer feel-good, aspirational storytelling that blurs the line between fantasy and wish fulfillment.
Family Power Struggles
Drawing inspiration from India’s long-running television serials, family sagas remain the heart of micro-dramas. They revolve around domestic conflict, saas-bahu rivalries, inheritance battles, sibling betrayals, and generational power plays. These stories mirror the ongoing clash between tradition and rebellion, delivering a nostalgic yet contemporary dose of drama to regional audiences. Baap Baap Hota Hai, from Story TV, dives into family power dynamics and inheritance tensions in tightly edited highlight clips that capture classic soap opera energy.
Contract or Fake Marriages
A fan-favourite trope, fake or contract marriages strike the perfect balance of conflict, chemistry, and surprise. Typically beginning as a sham union arranged for inheritance, business, or revenge these stories gradually bloom into genuine love. Zupee Studio’s Where Love Returns captures this transformation beautifully, blending misunderstandings, revelations, and emotional vulnerability into highly shareable, viral moments.
9, Dec 2025
Latest version of One UI brings enhanced productivity, privacy and performance across the Galaxy ecosystem
Samsung Electronics today announced the One UI 8.5 beta program, introducing new and easier ways to create, connect and stay safe. One UI 8.5 enables users to do more with less effort, featuring upgrades that enable more seamless actions, device management and enhanced security.
One UI 8.5: What’s New for Content Creation?
One UI 8.5 makes creating and sharing content more intuitive from start to finish. Users can keep generating new images without interruption with the updated Photo Assist. They can edit photos using Photo Assist features continuously, without needing to save each iteration. When finished, they can easily review all the creations in edit history and pick their favorites to keep.
Sharing is smoother too, thanks to enhancements to Quick Share which now recognizes people in photos and proactively suggests sending them directly to those contacts.
How Does One UI 8.5 Improve Device Connectivity?
New cross-device features make managing devices easier, whether users need to manage files, share their network, or communicate with nearby devices. Audio Broadcast enables effortless communication with LE Audio-supported devices nearby using Auracast. In addition to audio from media sources, users can now broadcast their voice using their Galaxy phone’s built-in microphone ideal for group situations like tours or events
Storage Share brings even more fluidity to the Galaxy ecosystem by showing files from other Galaxy devices including tablets and PCs — directly in the My Files app. It also allows users to access their phone’s files from other Samsung devices, including their TV.
How Is My Galaxy Device Staying Protected?
One UI 8.5 strengthens device protection and gives users clearer control over their security settings. Theft Protection keeps phones and their data secure in the case that it is lost or stolen. For additional protection, Failed Authentication Lock automatically locks the screen if there are too many failed attempts to verify identity by fingerprint, PIN or password. Identity check also safeguards more settings than before, adding an extra layer of protection.
Availability
The One UI 8.5 beta program will be first available to Galaxy S25 series users in select markets including Germany, India, Korea, Poland, the UK and the U.S. from December 8. Galaxy users can apply to join the beta program via the Samsung Members app.
9, Dec 2025
Heliocare 360° Color Gel Oil-Free SPF 50 Winter-Proof Sunscreen & Tone Perfector
Even in winter, the skin is exposed to strong UVA rays the leading cause of tanning, pigmentation, premature ageing, and long-term UV damage. This is where Heliocare 360° Color Gel Oil-Free SPF 50 becomes the ideal everyday sunscreen for the colder season, offering protection + repair in one powerful step.
Powered by advanced, clinically proven Fernblock technology, it not only shields the skin from UVA, UVB, visible light, and infrared (IR) radiation but also works at a cellular level to reverse and minimise past sun damage. Fernblock helps neutralise free radicals, strengthens skin’s immune defence, and supports long-term skin health, making it especially valuable during winter when UV exposure is often underestimated.
The formula has a lightweight, oil-free gel texture that absorbs instantly non-greasy, breathable, and comfortable even on dry, winter skin. Its natural-looking tinted coverage evens out tone, blurs minor imperfections, and leaves a soft, healthy finish without heaviness or cakiness. Being non-comedogenic, it keeps pores clear and works well for acne-prone, oily, combination, sensitive, and normal skin types. It layers smoothly under moisturisers and makeup, making it perfect for daily wear.
With full-spectrum protection, skin repair benefits, and a natural tint that perfects the complexion, Heliocare 360° Color Gel Oil-Free SPF 50 offers everything winter skin needs in one simple step making it a standout sunscreen choice for the season.
9, Dec 2025
Sascha Sippy Marks Dharmendra’s Birthday With an Emotional Tribute to India’s Iconic Matinee Idol
Mumbai, Dec 09 : Today, on what would have been Dharam-ji’s birthday, Sascha Sippy honours the legendary star with a deeply emotional tribute, making this remembrance even more poignant.
“Had GP Sippy Sahib been here with us today, he would have been the first to champion this tribute to Dharam Ji, honouring the legend who defined the film’s greatness,” said Sascha Sippy.
Sascha Sippy, custodian of the iconic Sholay legacy, has issued a heartfelt tribute following the passing of Dharmendra, fondly known as Dharam-ji, one of India’s most beloved matinee idols.
Sascha has shared a deeply emotional message on social media following the passing of Dharmendra, lovingly known as Dharam-ji. Describing the news as “a shocker for me,” Sascha expressed the profound grief he felt.
“It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Dharam-ji, India’s ultimate matinee idol. A true legend who left an indelible mark on the hearts of our nation and every fan of the silver screen. His generosity and kindness to one and all will never be forgotten,” said Sascha Sippy.
In his post, Sascha wrote: “Farewell Dharam-ji. A legend whose kindness and humility touched everyone. Sholay was built on his spirit, and the memories I shared with GP Sippy sahib remain unforgettable. Through my toughest times, he stood by me with love and strength. His absence leaves a void.”
Sascha also acknowledged Dharmendra’s unwavering support during difficult phases of his personal and professional life. His generosity, guidance and encouragement served as a pillar of strength during challenging times, making his passing deeply personal for him.
Sascha’s tribute highlights Dharam-Ji’s pivotal role in making Sholay – the magnum opus, recalling how GP Sippy sahib built the film with him at its core. The widely remembered moment when Dharam-ji supported the casting of a young Amitabh Bachchan remains one of the defining decisions in Indian cinema. During the making of the film, Dharam-ji carried the responsibility of Sholay on his shoulders, lending it the warmth, spirit and emotional depth that helped define its timeless identity.
The post also reflects on cherished memories shared between Dharamji and Sascha.
As I was the chosen custodian of the Sippy legacy and SHOLAY in 1999, I had the honour and privilege of meeting Dharam-ji with my late grandfather the legendary GP Sippy sahib. At the 25th anniversary press conference Dharam-ji was one of the first to arrive and certainly the last to leave. Dharam-Ji and Hema-ji arrived separately, interacted with the press and in the private lunch thereafter reminisced with GP Sippy sahib and our family about the many special moments that occurred in the making of SHOLAY. 5 hours later Dharam-ji and Hema-ji left together in one car!
“Dharam-ji was always a source of support when I had plans to make SHOLAY in 2000 and went out of his way to help. Another indication of his generosity. I will truly miss him as when my grandfather GP Sippy sahib passed away and I went thru very tough times not only was Dharam-ji was a source of support and inspiration but of love and encouragement when it felt like the World was against me.” He further added.
Dharmendra leaves behind a towering legacy, one that is cinematic, cultural and deeply personal to all who had the privilege of knowing him. His spirit endures through his unforgettable performances, the relationships he nurtured and the timeless place he holds in the hearts of millions.
On Dharam-ji’s birthday, this tribute becomes even more meaningful a celebration of a life that shaped Indian cinema and touched countless hearts.
It is without doubt that had GP SIPPY sahib been alive, the 50th year celebrations would be dedicated in his honour. Dharam ji’s absence makes it heart wrenching to celebrate, and therefore we reminisce and honour the life of India’s greatest matinee idol.
Sascha also acknowledged the monumental efforts of everyone who Contributed shape Sholay into the timeless classic it became. He paid special respect to Hema Malini ji, whose grace and strength remain inseparable from the film; Amitabh Bachchan ji, whose unforgettable performance defined an entire generation of cinema; and Jaya Bachchan ji, whose quiet power added depth and emotion to the narrative. Amjad and Sanjeev Kumar were the backbone of the story, He further recognised the dedication of the entire cast, the brilliant technicians, the creative teams behind the scenes, and the British crew whose technical expertise contributed significantly to the film’s scale and visual identity, and ofcourse the GP Sippy Sahib. Their collective artistry, discipline and passion continue to be celebrated as the backbone of Sholay’s enduring legacy.
