GECs
Star Plus to host awards based on Box office collections
MUMBAI: In a bid to up the ante of Bollywood Awards shows in India, Star Plus has partnered with Box Office India magazine to present a new offering. Come October, the channel is all set to launch ‘Star Box Office Awards.’
It will recognise an achievement of Hindi films at the most important altar of them all – the box office. The event will see the big and mighty of the film industry with Salman Khan leading the way.
Keeping in mind that box office collections govern the success of each movie, not only by virtue of the revenues made, but also as a measure of the number of people investing their time in watching any movie; these awards have been introduced to felicitate the best works of the year.
In addition to honouring films, directors and actors of the year, the ‘Star Box Office India Awards’ will also recognise unique and interesting records set at the box office. Since there is nothing more objective than numbers as represented by box office collections, the collections of each movie will be at the core of the entire nomination and judging process. The ceremony has been conceptualised keeping in mind the celebratory mood of the country, during the upcoming festive season.
Star Plus general manager Gaurav Banerjee believes that viewers are always interested in films that have been the most popular and who are the stars who have the biggest draw. “We are happy to have partnered with Box Office India magazine to come up with the first ever ‘Star Box Office India Awards.’ These awards are the first to be primarily based on Box Office collections. In essence it’s really people’s votes in the form of their hard earned money which sets the box office register ticking. The first ‘Star Box Office India Awards’ will have the most iconic Bollywood names on stage and provide for a perfect Diwali celebration for all Star Plus viewers.”
Box Office India publisher Nitin Tej Ahuja feels that show business is ultimately a business and it is box office numbers – historic or potential that drive the entire film production distribution and exhibition ecosystem. “As India’s premier film trade magazine, box office collections are at the very heart of Box Office India’s editorial mandate and we are delighted to partner with Star Plus on the ‘Star Box Office India Awards.’”
Ahuja further goes on to say that Box office collections are the most objective measure of the paying public’s acceptance or rejection of films and the ‘Star Box Office India Awards’ shall honour the verdict of the actual film watching audiences. “Conversely, the awards ceremony shall give our readers – the film fraternity – a chance to repay the love of movie-goers by doing what they do best, entertain!”
GECs
Sony ties up with EU for MasterChef India finale
GI-tagged European ingredients headline finale week
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has struck what it calls a landmark association with the European Union for the finale week of MasterChef India, marking the first such collaboration between the bloc and an Indian television format.
The tie-up will culminate in the “European Union mystery box challenge”, which opens the much-anticipated finale week. The task will see the top six contestant pairs cook with a curated basket of ingredients bearing geographical indications (GIs) from across EU member states: a nod to provenance as well as palate.
Chef Ajay and Chef Guntas, introduced as chef ambassadors to the European Union, will present the mystery boxes and set the brief: use the fewest ingredients from each category and produce a MasterChef-level dish that marries European produce with Indian flavour sensibilities. Precision and restraint, rather than extravagance, will be tested.
For Sony, the move signals a push towards high-value integrations that blur the line between sponsorship and storytelling. The network said the association underscores the show’s growing global stature and its ability to attract world-renowned institutions to Indian screens.
Chef Ajay Chopra, food ambassador in the European Union, described the collaboration as a strategic opportunity to spotlight the heritage and authenticity of GI-tagged European products to India’s vast food-loving audience.
Over the years, MasterChef India has positioned itself as a gateway to global cuisines. The EU partnership sharpens that pitch, turning the finale into a stage for cross-continental culinary diplomacy.
The finale week will air from 2 March, 2026 at 8 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony Liv.
