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Cricket, kids programmes drove viewers; fiction & rest suffered during IPL
MUMBAI: People? What people? Indians suffer from cricket fever the moment a league starts. Abandoned malls, and streets with only some who were hurrying to reach home. Abandoned were the remote controls as well because ‘there is no question about changing the channel anymore so the TV remote gets lost somewhere without a trace and no one minds.’ Cricket is considered a religion in India and T20 is the latest format of worship.
The Indian Premiere League is undoubtedly one of the biggest properties in this format whose ninth season started in April and just concluded in May with 60 matches. Due to this curfew, programming themes like movies and fiction have seen a negative growth. Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) took a close look at the series to understand the unifying and divisive factors across series in this format. According to BARC, serials have witnessed a 2.4 per cent decline in its growth, while movies have observed 1.4 per cent decline.
The only program themes to show growth during IPL are cricket and kids. While cricket’s viewership growth was driven mainly in weekends, growth in viewership of kids content was in weekdays. This was followed by a commensurately high drop in series and fiction. This might be a result of summer holidays wherein the kids’ content might have been eating into TV viewing hours of the primary viewers of fiction series viz. their mothers. News, non-fiction, music, reality and talk shows are the other themes that get affected during IPL.
As opposed to that cricket had grown significantly more on weekends, which might have resulted in a drop in viewership across all other themes. However, the drop for fiction was reduced on weekends which are in keeping with conventional wisdom of soaps being popular on weekdays.
With such a crazy fan following, driving viewers to their programmes and channels remain to be a challenge for the broadcasters. It will be interesting to see what innovations broadcasters intend to bring during the next series to attract eye-balls.
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.
