News Broadcasting
Amrita TV shines at Kerala state TV awards
MUMBAI: Amrita Television recorded a rich haul in the Kerala state television awards for the year 2005. The one-year old channel won as many as 14 awards, including important titles such as best telefilm, script, actor, actress, cinematography, music director, art director and best story.
In the Telefilms category, Annum Mazhayayirunnu directed by B Unnikrishnan emerged as the winner. Doordarshan’s Agnisakshi, directed by Sreejith Paleri, was chosen as the second best teleserial. M Mohanan won the award for best script writer for Samasya telecast by Amrita. The jury found no winner in the teleserial category.
Siddique won the best actor award for his performance in Annum Mazhayayirunnu and Samasya. P.Sreekumar got the supporting actor award for his performance in ‘Annum Mazhayayirunnu’. K P Sivakumar received the best director award for his telefilm Kuttilekku aired by Jeevan TV. Amma, a telefilm directed by John Paul and aired by Amrita TV, won the award for the best story.
Ambili Devi and Sona Nair won the best actress and supporting actress award respectively for their performances in Amma and Samasya. Sanusha was adjudged the best child artiste for her performance in Violin aired by Asianet.
In the news section, Praleyasmitham Kailasam directed by Vinod Mankara and aired by Asianet won the best documentary award. R S Ajan won the best director award for his documentary Everyday Heroes aired by ACV.
S Saratchandran of Kairali TV won the best newsreader award while C M Mochita won the best compere award. V R Sudheesh of Asianet won the best interviewer award while P Shajahan of Asianet won the best investigative journalist award.
The award for the best critical writing on TV programmes went to S D Prins for his column Telikalam in the Madhyamam Weekly.
Jury chairman Vijayakrishnan announced the awards. The judging panel also included George Onakkur, Harikumar and Chalachitra Academy chairman T K Rajeev Kumar.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
