GECs
Akshay Kumar to host and mentor on Life OK’s ‘Dare 2 Dance’
NEW DELHI: After getting celebrities to do stunts in Khatron ke Khiladi, Bollywood’s daredevil actor Akshay Kumar is now going to find trained and famed dancers who will struggle to manage and survive on the dance floor.
Kumar will be the anchor and the mentor on the new dance show, ‘Dare 2 Dance’, which will air on Life OK from September, every weekend.
The reality programme will see the dancer perform in challenging venues rather than on a stage or a set. One would dance on a narrow wall or even under water. Kumar will first demonstrate the format to each contestant in the dance format with a commitment of a ‘first of its kind’ show.
Produced by SOL Productions, it is open to trained dancers from across the globe rather than just celebrities. There will no audience votes, and the elimination will be done in a unique form. He and two other personalities will form the jury. “Taking a cue from my son’s Sports Day function, I have decided that no participant will be eliminated after just one failure, but will be given another chance,” says Kumar.
Life OK general manager Ajit Thakur informs that around 30 per cent of the budget of the series will be spent on marketing. Since there will be several foreign participants, apart from advertising on channels, newspaper, hoardings and radio announcements, the social media will be used heavily to reach the viewers overseas.
The contestants will be challenged to prove their mettle as ‘Extreme Dance Ke Heroes’ in a hope to rise above all odds. Thakur reveals that many had walked out of the show after being told of the challenges.
He adds, “Kumar has successfully managed to challenge the status quo with his constant need to push the envelope and move beyond the common. It was this need to challenge the norms and do something different that brought us together. ”
To provide the right kind of setting, the entire series of sixteen episodes will be shot in and around Cape Town in South Africa.
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.
