GECs
Orange TV goes on air
KOLKATA: Viewers in West Bengal will get to see one more Bengali satellite entertainment channel starting today.
Named Orange TV, the new channel will be launched today at 7pm by Kolkata-based production house, T Sarkar Productions. With tie-ups with distributors like SitiCable, KCBPL-GTPL, Manthan, Digicable, AMBC and DEN Networks already in place, Orange TV aims to have a national presence soon and a team of nearly 70 to 75 professionals in the next one year.
“People in West Bengal can see Orange TV from today. We plan to have a national presence sooner,” Orange TV channel coordinator Subhajit Manna told indiantelevision.com. “We started the test signal from 4 March,” he added.
While T Sarkar Productions operates out of Lenin Sarani, the Orange TV studio is located at Tollygunge, better known as Kolkata’s entertainment hub. The channel will cater to the youth by airing a mix of Bengali movies and music and shows related to the Bengali and Hindi film industry. For the next few months, it will air shows at different time slots between 7pm and 10pm.
An anchor-hosted music show titled ‘Orange Ishq’ will be aired at 7pm, followed by ‘Orange Retro’ featuring retro music. For ‘Orange Studio’, the channel has already started getting feeds about the whereabouts of Bollywood from Mumbai-based sources. “The shows will be anchored in Bengali but the music will be in the respective languages,” said Manna. Also in the pipeline are ‘Orange Dhaba’ (cookery show), ‘Orange Blockbuster’ and ‘Orange World Premiere’. The company has produced shows for leading networks including ‘Ei Ghar Ei Sansar’ and ‘Spandan’ for Zee Bangla, ‘Joto Haasi Toto Ranna’ for STAR Jalsha, the ‘Feluda’ series and ‘Arjun’ among others.
According to Manna, Orange TV would be a reflection of contemporary lifestyle and entertainment choices and enjoy a universal appeal among the audience. “The identity of Orange itself is entertainment. Like any other channel that dabbles with fiction, non-fiction, movies and reality shows, we will do that too, with the difference being that we are youth-skewed and more ‘filmi’,” he concluded.
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
