GECs
Smile TV experiments with successful DD shows
MUMBAI: Smile TV, the fun and entertainment comedy channel from Zee stable, is experimenting with shows which have already proven their mettle.
The channel has lined up successful DD shows Nukkad, Wagle ki Duniya, Wilayatee Babu and PA Saab.
All the shows will air at 7:30 pm. While Nukkad is scheduled for Monday, Wagle ki Duniya will air on Tuesdays, Wilayatee Babu on Wednesdays and PA Saab on Thursdays.
Speaking on the launch of these shows Smile TV business head Nitin Vaidya said, “We did a dip stick amongst a cross section of viewers and also some focused group discussions and the result was surprising. Most of our viewers missed these two serial and the decision to show them on Smile TV has already brought smiles on their faces”.
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.
