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SET to air Fashion Week 1-hour capsules on Sundays in August
MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television, the official exclusive broadcaster of Lakme India Fashion Week with Liberty shoes (LIFWL) 2003, will in all probability, showcase the event on 10, 17 and 24 August 2003 (all Sundays) at 9 pm.
The event which kicked off last Friday is currently underway at Mumbai’s Jamshed Bhabha auditorium at the NCPA in south Mumbai.
The channel will use the footage of the LIFWL 2003 to develop three special one hour capsules. Sources reveal that SET India’s plans are to broaden the base of fashion and ensure that the ‘fashion revolution’ reaches people in different parts of the country.
SET India’s stall at Jamshed Bhabha auditorium had hair stylists, make up artists, tarot card readers and accessories and jewellery designers who catered to visitors even as sequences from Sony TV’s serials flashed in the background. In fact, sister channel MAX’s popular anchor Mandira Bedi was also seen making her appearance felt at the stall and the venue. Other popular Sony serial stars were also spotted.
The channel has plans to leverage its strong distribution network and introduce fashion concepts to people who live in places other than the four metros, say channel sources. Each of the three one-hour episodes will have different themes and will adopt a magazine style storytelling format interspersed by ‘fashion messages’ by popular television icons. The idea is to maintain the tempo and sustain interest in fashion even after the LIFWL 2003 comes to an end.
NAFISA JOSEPH TO ANCHOR SHOW ON FASHION
The channel plans to use TV celebrities to communicate fashion trends and precepts. Nafisa Joseph will be an anchor in a show on fashion that will be on air soon after the telecast of LIFWL. The show will seek to demystify fashion concepts and present them to the C&S audiences in different parts of the country. Joseph teamed up with fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore to conduct “Fashion Quiz – Fashion Grill” on Sunday, 20 July 2003 at 10 am at the LIFWL 2003 venue. This was part of the FDCI-DHL business fashion seminar series.
SET was supposed to organise a surprise for fashion enthusiastics during the Liberty Revolutions show scheduled for Sunday 20 July 2003. Channel officials were trying to get leading Sony TV stars such as Simone Singh Heena, Gauri Pradhan Kutumb, Naam Gum Jayega, Shilpa Kadam Naam Gum Jayega, Rahul Bhatt Heena and Nafisa Joseph to walk the ramp.
However, the one-of-its-kind sequence was shelved as the stars couldn’t commit their presence due to previous engagements. This was unfortunate as the Liberty Revolutions show really rocked and had the audiences drooling for more. In fact, it was one of the high points of the weekend sessions.
Despite being the official broadcaster, SET is not airing the proceedings of LIFWL 2003 on a daily basis – unlike several other news and general entertainment channels. All the other channels are bound by restrictions as per the terms and conditions put forth by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) – for instance news channels can only air three minutes of LIFWL footage per 21 minutes of original programming during LIFWL,
However, several rival TV channels indulged in “ambush telecasting” over the first three days of LIFWL 2003. Zee Turner group’s Trendz was very much a part of the proceedings and even held some gigs prior to the commencement of the LIFWL 2003 event at popular Mumbai hotspots. Prannoy Roy’s NDTV managed to exclusively tie up with certain designers who had their nocturnal private parties at popular hotspots.
The NDTV channels (24×7 and NDTV India) beamed the happenings ‘live and exclusive’. On 20 August, sports channel Star Sports made its presence felt between 5 pm to 7 pm when giant screens showing the live telecast of F1 London were put at Foster’s Pitstop (Foster’s is the official partner for LIFWL 2003) within the premises of Jamshed Bhabha auditorium as well as Sidewok restaurant within the NCPA premises.
Looks as if SET will have to urge the FDCI to incorporate several new clauses so as to counter this “ambush telecasting” as the channel has bagged the official rights for the next three years.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
