News Broadcasting
BBC, HBO’s to co-produce 12 hour epic series ‘Rome’
MUMBAI: After co-producing the television miniseries Band of Brothers; HBO and BBC have come together once again for a multimillion pound co-production series. This time round, the two are planning a 12 hour epic series titled Rome.
According to a report in The Guardian, Rome will be an epic dramatisation of the events leading to Julius Caesar’s murder by Brutus, and will focus on the creation of the ancient Roman Empire.
The series will be shown in the US and on BBC2 in the UK in 2005. Ciaran Hinds will play Julius Caesar and Lindsay Duncan will play Servilia (Caesar’s mistress and mother of Brutus) in Rome.
Prior to this, HBO, which is responsible for hit series such as Sex and the City, Six Feet Under and The Sopranos, has worked with the BBC on the critically acclaimed Band of Brothers. The series was a rage abroad although in India it wasn’t able to make as much of an impression.
According to the report, BBC is hoping that Rome will ignite audiences’ interest in all things Roman in the same way as its 1976 drama I Claudius caught viewers’ imagination.
Buzz is that if the first series of Rome which will be broadcast in 2005, is a success, two more could follow.
The Guardian reported that the series will use the latest computer-generated imagery to follow the key events within the Roman Empire from 51BC, such as Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul as seen from the perspective of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo.
Filmed on location across Europe and north Africa, Rome will also take in the rise and fall of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
