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Bhojpuri GEC Dishum launched, targets 65 mln C&S homes
MUMBAI: It’s hoping to make a big impact on Indians love for everything Bhojpuri. Mumbai-based Dishum Broadcasting flagged off the free-to-air Bhojpuri TV GEC Dishum just as India entered its seventy-first year of becoming independent.
Branded Bhojpuri Dhamaka- Dishum, it is expected to have the majority of its audience in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Jharkand, apart from the millions of Biharis/Jharkandis spread all over India and the world.
The company’s management is working on making Dishum available on major Indian DTH and cable TV platforms such as Tata Sky, Airtel, Den UP, Siti Maurya, Dash Digital and other local MSOs. The goal: to reach a cumulative 65 million C&S homes. The international rollout will follow later.
The channel has a slate of programmes covering both, fiction and non-fiction at different time slots covering devotional, bhakti, mythological, drama, movies and music.
Dishum has launched in a cluttered Bhojpuri TV space crowded with the likes of BIG Magic (now owned by Zee), Dabangg, Dhamaal, and movie channels like Oscar Movies Bhojpuri, Bhojpuri Cinema TV, apart from other DD channels and news services.
However, the company’s director Vishal Gurnani is undaunted by the competition and is quite focused on pole-vaulting the new launch into the second position amongst Bhojpuri channels in the next six months.
Says he: “We are here to bridge the void left behind by Mahuaa, and are looking forward to bringing world class content, packaging and production values to the large Bhojpuri audience spread across UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and the migrant Bhojpuri audience across India and the world. We are working with the best production houses and the research agencies to understand the audience better.”
Observers are of the view that Dishum will have its task cut out. Recently, the Bhojpuri cinema ecosystem saw investments being upped in production of movies.
“However, the challenge has been in collection at the box office; the theatres simply refuse to pay up for a successful movie,” says a media observer. “While this does not directly affect Dishum, it shows the lack of transparency in that ecosystem. Dishum, being free to air, will have to depend on advertising. And, advertising spends from local brands; not just the national FMCG brands from the likes of Levers, P&G, Patanjali, Dabur etc. The latter will give it loose change in terms of ad spends. However, if it does manage to nurture and collect from local advertisers, it could have a good future.”
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Dishum Awards hoist Bhojpuri flag in London, to be telecast on 27 Aug
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.
