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Alpha Marathi lines up ground events, talent hunt
MUMBAI: This year too is going to be an ‘eventful’ one for Zee Network’s Marathi channel Alpha Marathi. The channel, which launched a slew of talent hunts and ground events in the last few years, is carrying on with the initiatives this year as well.
Hunts and events coming up from the Alpha block this year include Ekankika Spardha (intercollegiate one act play competition), Ganesh pendol contest and Marathi dandiya. The cycle will be completed with the Alpha Gaurav puraskar in February 2005. The channel launched the Alpha Marathi family awards Apla Alpha in August this year.
The intercollegiate one act play competition Alpha Ekankika Spardha, which has entered its third year, is currently underway. The six month long activities which will be held in nine cities across Maharashtra was kicked off with the Mumbai city round on16 August.
Winners from each city will compete in the mega final to be held in Mumbai on 18 December and three best teams will be honoured during the Alpha Gaurav Puraskar ceremony. According to Alpha Marathi business head Nitin Vaidya, the channel has been providing opportunities to the finds of this talent hunt by casting them in shows and serials. He says the hunt is also meant to expose the talents in rural areas.
“The theatre is very strong in Maharashtra. But the exposure is restricted to artists living in Mumbai and Thane. So we launched this initiative to tap talents in the fields of acting, direction and writing across the state of Maharashtra,” says Vaidya.
Coming up next include ground events woven around various festivals. The festival season unfolds with Gokulastami on 7 September followed by the Ganesh festival. Alpha Marathi will telecast a 10 day long Brooke Bond Alpha Ganesh festival covering 10 cities. Come October and the channel will be organising Marathi dandiyas for the Navratri festival.
“Last year the channel’s Navratri coverage had generated impressive TVRs. According to TAM, Alpha Marathi’s Navratri show registered TRPs 7 in rest of Maharashtra and 3.5 in Mumbai on an average,” says an official communiqué.
“Life’s joy is events,” points out Vaidya. “We believe in maintaining a strong local connect and for that you have to capture the real life going around you,” he says explaining the channel’s stress on ground events.
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.
