GECs
Smile TV’s Ronita Mitra joins UTV
MUMBAI: In its endeavour to tap creative talent exclusively for UTV, the production house is in the process of hiring creative minds. Building upon this, UTV has roped in Smile TV’s programming head Ronita Mitra who has been appointed as UTV’s creative director.
At the outset, Mitra will primarily be handling creative outputs for the production major’s kids’ programming for Hungama.
Commenting on the move, Mitra says, ” I am very interested in kids programming which is very different from the cliched soaps genre. This niche has a huge potential and I wanted to be hands on with the content being produced rather than be on the channel side.”
UTV COO Vikas Varma says, ” With UTV moving from seven and a half hours of programming to about 23 hours, the need of the hour was definitely to have people who could deal with the amount and kind of content to be generated. Also, Ronita was very comfortable with the kids genre. A lot of her is very child like in her attitude and therefore understands children’s psyche very well.”
Mitra, prior to Smile TV was with Bag Films.
Interestingly, the production house has also recruited Rajesh Beri, a well known script writer in the television fraternity who is known for Saajan Sajani on Zee, Cats on Sony, Kehta hain Dil on Star Plus
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.
