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Sony’s Madhuri show launching 29 July as ‘Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai’
Almost 11 months to the day after Sony Entertainment announced plans to launch Shubh Vivaah with Bollywood queen bee Madhuri Dixit as host, the mega matchmaking show is finally set to have its day on television.
Launching on 29 July under a new name, Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai, the show will air thrice a week.
It has been a long wait mired in litigation for SET and the show’s producer UTV (the original announcement was made on 28 August 2001) and the channel must be hoping the delay does not impact negatively on it. This might well be the reason for the change of name as there are too many “bad vibes” around it.
Sony’s problems started after Taal Communications, which had earlier announced its own weekly matchmaking show Swayamvar, slated for an October 2001 launch on national broadcaster Doordarshan, went to court charging copyright violation.
In its suit, Taal, promoted by Anil Gupta, a former consultant with Zee, and actor politician Vinod Khanna, claimed that the original concept belonged to it and that it had made several presentations to the channel over the past three years without any response after which they approached DD and got approval.
According to industry sources, Sony and Gupta reached an out-of-court agreement last week to “amicably resolve” the issue. Gupta will be an advisor on KNKKH for the time the show is on air and will get a fee per episode, sources say.
With an estimated Rs 200 million sunk in and around 40 episodes in the can, the news comes as a big shot in the arm for Sony which has three other big ticket shows being readied for launch.
Apart from KNKKH, the next two months is expected to see the launch of Russian Roulette, which is a licenced product from Sony Pictures International. The show has been a huge success wherever it has broadcast. There is also a musical format game show launching soon. Then there is the Balaji weekender series that is set to launch. It will run for thirteen weeks over 39 episodes.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
