GECs
Big Magic set to bring new season of ‘Akbar Birbal’ in February
MUMBAI: Reliance Broadcast Network Limited’ comedy channel Big Magic will be bringing back a new season of its popular show Akbar Birbal.
Titled Naya Akbar Birbal, the show will premiere as a prime-time weekly from February 2016.
The show is inspired by the childhood folk tales of Akbar and Birbal and will see a lot of drama, suspense and thrill with signature spurts of comedy.
Cast of the show features Kiku Sharda, Vishal Kotian, Delnaaz Irani and Kishwar Merchant. It is also rumoured that the show will have another member this season, who will be seen creating havoc and drive her own agenda in the kingdom.
On the launch of the new season, Big Magic creative director Bimal Unnikrishnan said, “We are extremely happy to bring back one of Big Magic’s most popular shows and the much loved cast of Akbar Birbal. The first season did extremely well and on audience demand we are all geared up for one of our biggest launches of 2016. With the new season and fresh content, we aim to take the comedy quotient several notches higher.”
The channel will incorporate interesting stories in the show and will see a robust multi-media promotional plan across key markets. The channel will initiate a 360 degree marketing campaign for promoting the show. The channel will also engage viewers and trade partners locally and nationally through multiple platforms.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
