MAM
Sahara India to start a Bengali channel; roll out IPTV services soon
KOLKATA: The Lucknow-headquartered Sahara India Pariwar that has been in the media and entertainment business since some time now, plans to start a Bengali infotainment channel very soon.
Currently, the company has entertainment channels, a movie channel and many regional news channels. It also has round the clock regional news channels, Sahara Samay in 30 cities.
Sahara India chairman and managing director Subrata Roy, who was in Kolkata for a media interaction on Friday, said, “We have already widened our channel offerings. We plan to start a channel in the Bengali language space as well.” However, he refused to provide any further details.
Not just that, Roy also mentioned that the company plans to roll out internet protocol television (IPTV) system, though he didn’t divulge any further details about it too.
When Roy was quizzed about the low distribution of the Sahara channels, he rubbished it and said that the channels are doing well.
The Sahara Group would also be hiring 48,000 executives and 2.5 lakh lower level employees over a period of 8-10 years.
MAM
Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
