GECs
Aditya Ray takes over as CEO, Maharaja Television
MUMBAI: Zee Network’s head of operations, (eastern region) and business head of Alpha Bangla, Aditya Ray, has quit the organisation after a stint spanning seven years.
Ray joined Sri Lanka-based Maharaja Television Corporation that runs a network of three terrestrial television channels in Sri Lanka, as CEO from 1 June 2004.
Ray, who spent five years as head of marketing services at Zee Network before moving to the eastern region in 2002, was also responsible for turning around Alpha Bangla’s fortunes and making it a profit making venture in the first year that he took charge.
One of the few Bangla channels that is in the black, Alpha Bangla was also the first among the regional Alpha channels from the Zee stable to run up profits.
The IIT Mumbai and IIM-A alumnus will now be heading the television business of the 65-year old Maharaja Corporation, which also has a separate broadcast division that runs four radio stations in the country.
Ray’s charge includes the Sinhalese Sirasa channel, the Tamil Shakti channel and the English language Channel 1 MTV. His priorities would include establishing Sirasa as the leader among existing Sinhalese channels and exploring different distribution modes and markets for the three channels.
During his tenure at Zee, Ray looked after its marketing as well as for the other channels in the bouquet. He was part of the core team instrumental in the relaunch exercise undertaken in 2001, before he headed east in January 2002 to look after Zee Network’s operations there.
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.
