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Asianet blends 12th anniversary with Onam celebrations
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MUMBAI: Malayalam television network Asianet is completing 12 years in the television scenario. To mark the occasion, the channel has decided to celebrate this year’s Onam for 12 days commencing from 6 September to 17 September with variety programmes. |
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11 Asianet anchors will present the programmes for 11 days. The network has also lined up special programmes for its newly launched channel Asianet Plus and the news channel Asianet News. “Asianet: 12 years of shining” is the network’s slogan for this year.
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The channel, which was launched in Singapore this year, will telecast a stage show organised jointly by Asianet and Singapore Malyalee Association with noted Malayalam film artists. This 2:30 hr show offers dance, music and humor based programmes. 
Asianet News has prepared its own package for Onam which includes talk shows,special features on Onam, interactive shows, quiz, news features, previews of films released for Onam and fashion shows, the release adds. The youngest member from the Asianet family, Asianet Plus will kick off its campaign on 10 September with a special programme on the tele-strip show Munshi being aired on the flagship channel Asianet. Munshi, which completes 1825 Episodes on 10 September has been a constant watchdog on the issues around the Malayalee milieu. According to the channel, this short program has been enjoying commendable viewereship all along these years. To mark the completion of 5th year, Munshi will be telecast on Asianet Plus every hour on 10 September from 8 am to 11 pm.
Asianet Plus will also telecast interviews and performances of singers SP Balasubramaniam, Sreenivas, Karthik, Manjari, music directors Jassie Gift, Ouseppachan and Rajamani. |
Interview with popular stars, super hit movies, Onam-related cultural programmes, gameshows, kids programmes, comedy shows, tele-skits and tele-films take up a major chunk of the festival programmes. The channel will target non-malayalis in Kerala, who also celebrate the festival, with its Onam programming, states an official release.
Asianet has also lined up various programmes featuring Malayalam film stars Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Shobhana, Jayaram, Kalabhavan Mani, Tamil film stars Vikram, playback singer Sujatha and lot of Malayalam television stars for this Onam. The channel is yet to announce the names of the movies they have slotted for the Onam days.
In another innovation, the channel will telecast Malayalam television’s one of the most successful and long-running comedy programmes Cinemala non-stop for 12 hours on 17 September. Actor Dileep and comedian Salim Kumar, who entered filmdom through television, will participate in the programme. The channel will also telecast the Aranmula boat race on 19 September from 1 pm onwards. On 15 September, a rare interaction between actor Dileep and film director Lal Jose will air at 5:30 pm.
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.
