GECs
Abhijit Saxena takes additional charge as Zee TV business head
MUMBAI: Zee has announced a replacement to head its flagship channel, finally filling the vacancy left by the recent departure of Sunil Khanna. The network today announced the appointment of Abhijit Saxena as business head of Zee TV.
Saxena, who is currently president – international business, has been given additional charge of Zee TV.
Announcing the appointment, Zee Telefilms CMD Subhash Chandra said, “Abhijit has been with this organisation for a long time and his efforts in spearheading several endeavours to a successful outcome has earned him this responsible designation in the network. It was truly satisfying to reaffirm that we have an extremely talented pool of people in-house. I believe in this new portfolio Abhijit will lead Zee TV into new dimensions with greater vigour and effect.”
Saxena joined Zee Network in March 1996 and since than has handled various departments like marketing services, exposure sales and International ad sales.
To his credit is the launch of business operations in the US, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, besides the launch of channels like Smile TV, Action, Classic and Premier. He was also instrumental in the launch of a separate channel for Singapore.
Saxena took charge of international operations when the channels were encrypted. He coordinates with the entire international operations across the globe and handles advertising sales from India for overseas channels and advertising sales from international markets for Indian channels. Saxena also holds the charge for syndication sales.
A postgraduate in Business Management from IMT Gaziabad and an avid sports enthusiast, Saxena, prior to joining Zee was with the Times of India and prior to that with the State Trading Corporation of India
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
