Manoj Kumar R

Copy Editor at The Indian Express

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Articles

When scale replaces soul, brands lose their magic

1 month ago | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

I’m a regular listener of The Diary of a CEO. Now, Steven Bartlett has decided to lend his persona to an AI model that will generate content — it’s called 100 CEOs, an AI-driven project that generates content based on his style. The podcast essentially extracts life lessons from successful CEOs and presents them as stories, or something along those lines. To me, this exercise undermines the very brand of Steven Bartlett. It signals an unhealthy, expansionist ambition within his team.
Make limitations your ally!

2 months ago | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

Getting a voice-over done in Malayalam for a video threw a bunch of new challenges at me. I wasn’t able to get the feel I was looking for. VO artists in Kerala sent in sample after sample, but none of them landed emotionally. Something always felt off. So I jumped in on a live call during the recording session. I was on with the technician, listening as the artist recorded in real time — this way, I could give directions on the spot. That’s when I had a realisation.
If it doesn’t make sense, maybe it’s working.

2 months ago | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

Manoj Kumar R·Follow3 min read·--Wisdom is not a teachable trait. If it were, we’d all be Socrates. We may know that fire burns, but we don’t understand it until we’ve felt the heat. The consequences of touching fire differ — based on our tolerance for pain, the depth of our character, and the intensity of the drive that led us to reach out in the first place. We all have our reasons for ignoring time-tested, evangelized wisdom. Deep down, we believe our story is different.
The Education Crisis No One Is Talking About

2 months ago | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

Manoj Kumar R·Follow3 min read·--What is education? Throughout history, its definition has evolved with the needs of humanity. In hunter-gatherer societies, education meant knowing how to hunt, survive harsh climates, and evade constant dangers. Death was always lurking around the corner. Those who possessed the knowledge to navigate these high-stakes situations and provide for their families held the highest value in their groups.
You Can’t Take People to Mars If You Lose Them on Earth: The Elon Musk-Tesla Branding Lesson

Mar 12, 2025 | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

Manoj Kumar R·Follow5 min read·--A representative image showing Tesla’s brand crisis. Elon Musk is one of the, if not the, most important case studies of this century. His blind rapid ascent to power, and ongoing downfall, could be analyzed through various lenses, and one can draw some life-changing lessons that could help us understand the radically evolving world around us. But Elon’s case — in particular, the rapid downward spiral of his “baby,” Tesla’s brand value worldwide — is fascinating.
Don’t Be a Yes Person.

Mar 4, 2025 | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

Member-only storyManoj Kumar R·Follow3 min read·--Cost cuttingI’m working with a travel entrepreneur. She spent half a day with me crafting a solid pitch deck for a corporate client looking for a travel agency to organize a three-day holiday for 90+ top-performing employees. Her presentation impressed the corporate team — so much so that they picked her to design a package that aligned with their budget.
Kill Your Ego, Save Your Copy

Mar 3, 2025 | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

Manoj Kumar R·Follow3 min read·--My client needed to create content around insurance transactions — helping people understand why the fine print matters. While we’re always told about the big, flashy features of a policy, the details that could make or break your savings in a crisis are often buried deep. After days of discussion, I heard story after story of bad policies leaving people stranded, desperate for solutions. And that spoke to the journalist in me. I set out to write a powerful piece.
Chiranjeevi, Outrage, and The Midwife’s Confession: The Competitive Edge of Clear Thinking

Feb 24, 2025 | medium.com | Manoj Kumar R

Manoj Kumar R·Follow5 min read·--Chiranjeevi with granddaughter Klin Kaara. What’s my thinking process? Is my method of analysis properly calibrated to spot problems and opportunities? Or is it narrow and faulty, deprived of creativity? This is one of the self-improvement questions that keeps me up at night. I keep consuming any literature I can get my hands on about thinking and becoming a better thinker because this is one area where I want to excel.
Game Changer Review: Ram Charan, Shankar play by old rules. No game changed!

Jan 9, 2025 | desimartini.com | Manoj Kumar R

Game Changer is Ram Charan's first movie to release in theatres since RRR in 2022. Despite his stardom, the movie had a muted opening-day response. This was anticipated, as even producer Dil Raju rued that all his marketing efforts failed to capture the audience's imagination, as evidenced by the film's pre-release ticket sales. One of the reasons is believed to be the poor reception of director Shankar's previous movie Indian 2, which shocked audiences across the country.
HT Syndication: Toxic: Did Yash's film expose Geetu Mohandas' hypocrisy or did you speak too soon?

Jan 8, 2025 | htsyndication.com | Manoj Kumar R

Mumbai, Jan. 9 -- A small glimpse of "Toxic" that was released to celebrate the birthday of the movie's lead, Yash, has sparked debate online. Director Nithin Renji Panicker, who directed the infamous "Kasaba," led the criticism against the movie, effectively calling director Geetu Mohandas a "hypocrite."Nithin accused Geetu of forgetting her feminist beliefs and "conveniently reviving the definition of misogyny after crossing the state borders."First, some background.