News Broadcasting
AXN launches hunt for hot Indian couple
MUMBAI: Temptation Island may not have worked in an Indian context for Star, but AXN seems confident its localised version of the Are You Hot show will draw in the audiences.
The AXN Hot N Wild Contest is the latest ground event from the channel this monsoon. A hunt down for the country’s ‘hottest’ girl and guy, the contest is modeled along the lines of the latest reality TV sensation Are You Hot currently on-air on Wednesdays, 11:00 pm in the Hot N Wild Time Zone on AXN. The ‘hottest’ male and female winners will go on to become television stars in one of AXN’s upcoming local productions.
The channel has tied up with Caf Coffee Day, CoffeDay Xpress and Planet M for the entry forms as also with indiatimes. A specially created Hot N Wild coffee is being brewed at the coffee outlets as incentive to participation, says an official release. Applicants also have the facility of directly uploading photographs through the AXN Hot N Wild Contest microsite. The AXN Hot N Wild road shows will hit Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata before culminating in city-centric auditions and a grand finale in Mumbai.
Registration for the contest begins on 25 June and the last date for entries is 13 July. The AXN Hot N Wild Contest is all about finding the perfect combination of sophistication, style, sex appeal and the right attitude in a person. The clincher in selecting the winners would be the spark of daredevilry that exemplifies the channel’s spirit of action and adventure, says the release. The participants will be evaluated by an elite panel of judges comprising some of the big names in the world of entertainment and glamour in a grand finale in the city after the two month long hunt.
Says Rohit Bhandari, assistant V-P sales and marketing, SET (I) Ltd, “With the ‘AXN Hot N Wild Contest’ we are essentially promoting a lifestyle. AXN has consistently provided viewers with the opportunity to lead an action / adventure lifestyle by tuning it into their lives, so what we offer on-air extends to our ground events as well. For a channel like AXN, it helps when the viewer feels he or she can participate in the shows, experience and feel them instead of just watching them on TV. Besides no other channel provides vicarious thrills and voyeurism better than we do.”
“The ‘AXN Hot N Wild Contest’ is an excellent way of establishing brand connect and extending the experience beyond television sets which for an international channel such as ours is extremely imperative.”
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
