News Broadcasting
Sanjeev Kapoor ke Kitchen Khiladi premieres on September 16, 8 pm only on Sony Entertainment Television
Mumbai, September 13, 2013: India’s most loved Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will get your taste buds tingling as Sony Entertainment Television presents a brand new cooking reality show “Sanjeev Kapoor ke Kitchen Khiladi”. This delectable show premiering on September 16 at 8pm will be a gastronomic delight for all food lovers. Get ready to celebrate food in a whole new way as we see a family take on a chef, in cooking up dishes, which are the families’ culinary pride.
Sanjeev Kapoor ke Kitchen Khiladi will witness a cook-off between ordinary families and a professional chef. Both the chef and the families will cook and present the same dish to Sanjeev Kapoor (Chief Judge) for the final verdict. The show will not just entertain viewers by the competition element but also give viewers an opportunity to learn interesting recipes as a part of the “Dish of the Day” in each episode.
This culinary battle will feature families from all over the country, that have been auditioned and the best amongst them will find their place in the show. The renowned chefs who will be pitted against the families are entertaining and energetic Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, experimentative Chef Ajay Chopra, Mexican food specialist Chef Vikas Seth, India’s Youngest TV Chef and Limca record holder Chef Saransh Goila and last but not the least Continental food specialist Rahul Kulkarni.
Speaking about the new culinary show, Ms. Sneha Rajani, Senior EVP and Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television said, “”Sony Entertainment Television has always introduced path-breaking innovations for its viewers. As we launch ‘Sanjeev Kapoor ke Kitchen Khiladi’, we will introduce cooking with a new dramatic twist. The concept of the show is very fresh and we have the Badshah of cooking in India, Sanjeev Kapoor as the host and judge of the show. His charm and inevitable smile will surely melt many hearts and reignite the audience’s love for cooking.”
The charming host and Judge Sanjeev Kapoor said, “I always believed and thought that food is not niche. It is a specialty but it is mass. I wanted people to view it like that and I am glad that Sony Entertainment Television is supporting us in this endeavor by presenting this new culinary reality show. The concept of the show is very interesting. It will be fun to watch the difference between the cooking of professional chefs and a normal housewife and we will see who wins hands down.”
The show celebrates food in a whole new way as we see a family of four take on a chef in cooking up dishes which are the competing family’s culinary pride. The Chefs will be handicapped as they will have no advance knowledge of the dishes & no one to help them. It will be a gastronomic treat for the viewers as they will feast their eyes on Punjabi, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Chinese, Fusion, Continental and various other cuisines. The families along with the Chefs will battle it out for the coveted title of the show ‘Swaad ke Sartaaj’.
Get ready to watch the ultimate culinary battle in Sanjeev Kapoor ke Kitchen Khiladi; Mondays to Fridays at 8pm, only on Sony Entertainment Television
News Broadcasting
GenNext takes charge as Network18 reshuffles leadership
With Avinash Kaul bowing out, Network18 hands reins to younger leaders, streamlines operations, and pushes data-driven growth across TV, digital and regional markets
MUMBAI: Network18 is redrawing its leadership map just as a long-time lieutenant bows out. Avinash Kaul, a central figure in the broadcaster’s rise since 2014, is leaving after 12 years to pursue “professional and personal goals”, triggering a broad-based reshuffle that puts a younger cohort directly under the top brass.
Kaul joined at a pivotal moment during the company’s transition and went on to scale the television business, combining strategic nous with data-led decision-making and a sharp read of the news landscape. “Avinash has been an integral part of the Network18 story,” the company said, thanking him for his leadership of the broadcast business and wishing him the best for the future.
In his wake, Network18 is betting on what it calls a “young and restless” leadership bench. “The team has taken charge and proved its mettle in quite adverse circumstances,” the note said, adding that “GenNext has seamlessly stepped in as we continue to outperform our peers.”
Operationally, the structure is being flattened. Smriti Mehra, S Shivakumar and Mitul Sangani will work directly with the top leadership, as they did in the fourth quarter. Ganesh Iyer and Abhinay Chauhan continue in their existing roles, while younger executives are being handed wider mandates across social, digital, connected TV and linear.
The reporting lines are being tightened to drive revenue and product momentum. Prabhat Chatterjee, business head–Forbes, and Arun Thapar, president–content and communication for AETN-18, will report to Smriti Mehra, alongside Mallika Nath Handa, who will lead special projects spanning new shows and non-linear properties. Jayesh Gokalgandhi, CFO for AETN-18, will report to Ramesh Damani.
Mitul Sangani will oversee expansion in Hindi and regional markets, with Sidharth Newatia, CRO–ILC, focusing on reach and revenue growth, particularly in tier-II and III markets. Pankaj Soni, head of marketing–ILC, will also report to Sangani while working functionally with Ganesh Iyer.
The group is also consolidating its branded content play. Moneycontrol’s branded content business will be folded into News18 Studio, with Don Zarrar moving to work with Shivakumar while continuing to lead existing studio and Focus teams.
International and platform growth are being bundled together. Pranav Bakshi takes on additional charge of the international business alongside connected TV and social platforms, with Naveen Mathur, who leads revenue management for the international unit, reporting to him. Bakshi continues to report to Puneet Singhvi.
On the technology and operations side, Rajesh Sharma, head of broadcast technology and IT; Rahul Singh, head of events and technical operations; and Bhupender Bhardwaj, head of IT security, will now report to Singhvi. Darshil Parekh, head of sales strategy, planning and operations, will work directly with Ramesh Damani and the top leadership, with Stanley Cyril, who manages digital sales operations, reporting to him.
Data is being pushed to the centre of decision-making. Jitamitra Mohanty, who leads research and analytics, will now work with Santosh Menon to turn audience data into “actionable insights that drive content strategy, product innovation and sustainable viewership growth”.
The message is clear: fewer layers, faster calls, sharper bets. With Kaul’s exit closing one chapter, Network18 is handing the wheel to a younger crew and doubling down on scale across screens. The race, it signals, will be run at full tilt.
