People
India’s favourite ‘Bhabhi’ back to reel life
MUMBAI: Come Monday Jan 29, UTV produced serial ‘Bhabhi’ on Star Plus would see the come back of one of Indian Television’s favorite bhabhi, Saroj played by the adorable Dolly Sohi. Bhabhi is an unrequited love story set in a classical mould, a story of conflicting value systems in a contemporary consumerist society. The Bhabhi crew has two reasons to celebrate, one is to have Saroj aka Dolly back after a gap of more than a year & the completion of 1000 episodes this month.
It was the unvarying love and remembrance by the UTV team, which kept in touch with Dolly that got her back with a bang. Confesses Dolly “I realized how much my team loved me and missed my nonattendance as a part of the caste, along with the numerous mails from my fans who have always bestowed me with colossal affection consistently even when I was in Canada”. Having got to spend a lot of time with her family Dolly took complete rest aboard in contrast to her demanding and hectic life in Mumbai.
Having settled in Canada after martial bliss Dolly aka Saroj left the show, which was artistically portrayed through the occurrence of Saroj taking Samadhi parting from all the worldly materialistic tie-ups. Now her track that airs on Mon Jan 29 would begin from Reshma, Saroj’s mother-in-law who takes a pilgrimage to Vaishnodevi, where she stumbles upon an absolutely radiant Saroj (her very own daughter in law) who has given up all worldly processions and become a recluse.
She is busy taking care of the poor and needy. Reshma is ecstatic, she tries talking to Saroj and begins requesting her to come back home to help sort the crisis in the Chopra family. Saroj in her new Avtaar of a Jogan appears to be unaffected by the course of events that are unfolding in the Chopra family. Will she be able to find solutions to the problems of the Chopra family to find watch Bhabhi Mon- Thurs 1.30 pm with repeat at 7 pm.
On being solicited about one thing she missed the most about India she quickly responds without pondering, “After leaving India it was Bombay’s fast Life that I missed the most in Canada, a place where everything happens on the appointed time compared to the busy unscheduled dynamic Mumbai life” says Dolly who bunged watching the serial after she felt her absence in the serial who initially was ecstatic when the show being broadcasting from September 2006.
Dolly’s parents especially her mother has been upbeat about this come back along with her UTV serial crew, which boosted her morale on giving her first shot with the same energy and enthusiasm post her protracted gap. With a lot of expectation from this Indian Bhabhi, Dolly promises to deliver her level best and cover up for all the emptiness that her fans must have encountered in the past one-year.
People
Senior exec Madhu Soman reflects on stepping away from Indian TV news
Sometimes the toughest story in a newsroom is the one about the newsroom itself.
MUMBAI: For Madhu Soman, a media executive whose career spans more than two decades at global news organisations including Reuters and Bloomberg, the decision to step away from India’s television news industry followed conversations with several leading networks.
Soman returned to India in 2022 to take up a senior leadership role in television news.
He transitioned to the business side of the industry in 2014, joining Bloomberg in Hong Kong to lead broadcast sales, news syndication and strategic partnerships across Asia-Pacific. He held the role for nearly eight years before returning to India.
“WION and Zee Business were the reason I chose to return to India after long years with Reuters and Bloomberg, transitioning from telling stories to selling them,” Soman said.
“The landing strip back home was always narrow, but it was one I was happy to take.”
The stint at Zee Media Corporation Ltd., however, proved shorter than expected.
“It didn’t take very long to realise that my runway within Zee (Media) was going to be rather short,” Soman said.
“Let’s just say I was a cultural misfit.”
Even so, he says the experience had its rewards, including exceptional colleagues and a few good friends.
After stepping away from the organisation, Soman was in discussions about potential roles.
“I spent the better part of the last two years in conversations with a few leading networks, long enough to realise the difference between being unemployed and being unemployable.”
Some of the feedback, he says, was unusually candid.
“Two of them informally told me I’m perhaps one of the best media executives in the television news business. But someone like me fronting a television news network would be considered a business risk,” Soman said in conversation with IndianTelevision.com.
For Soman, the implication was clear.
“A news network fronted by someone whose instincts were formed in journalism rooted in independence, accuracy and editorial distance from power was unlikely to find much favour with the powers that be.”
Beyond the personal dimension of his decision, Soman says the experience reflects broader pressures shaping the news industry today.
“Journalism’s job is simple: ask hard questions and hold power accountable. Keep it honest,” he said.
Quoting former Washington Post editor Marty Baron, he added: “We’re not at war with the government. We’re at work.”
“That principle applies to anyone in a position of influence, whether in government, business, sport or entertainment.”
At the same time, he says the industry faces growing pressures.
“Authoritarian regimes that resist scrutiny, along with rapid technological change including AI, are reshaping and often undermining journalism’s traditional business model.”
“There’s also a growing credibility deficit, as the race for eyeballs rewards whoever delivers the news first rather than whoever confirms it best.”
Having worked on both the editorial and commercial sides of the industry, Soman says he is acutely aware of the economic realities media organisations face.
“Running a media organisation today means being a pragmatic P&L owner. The challenge is to keep investing in strong journalism while making the economics work at a time when a growing share of the industry’s revenue is increasingly being captured by technology platforms.”
“If we drop the ball on accuracy and trust, we do a grave disservice to the democracy we’re meant to serve.”
His experience straddling both content and commerce has shaped his view of how the industry must evolve.
“Good journalism and good business strategy are not opposites,” he said.
“The best media businesses are built when editorial integrity, audience trust and sustainable economics reinforce each other.”
“And ultimately, none of it works without strong teams. Leadership in media is as much about building people and institutions as it is about building products.”
Soman is now preparing to return to his hometown of Trivandrum, barely four years after returning to India.
“Delhi NCR has a way of testing your patience, your stamina and occasionally your sanity,” he says. “But it also leaves you with stories that will last a lifetime.”
“So as I pack up and head home to Trivandrum, I do so with no complaints and no regrets.”
“I didn’t sell my soul. Some things, after all, aren’t for sale.”
Soman’s reflections underscore the tensions between editorial independence, commercial realities and political pressures shaping television news today. His experience offers a window into the challenges facing media leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry. For him, the decision marks a moment to step back after decades spent across global newsrooms and media businesses.
