GECs
Bobby Bedi has epic plans for ‘Mahabharata’
MUMBAI: Noted film producer and Kaleidoscope Entertainment promoter Bobby Bedi is on an epic project. His plan: to repurpose Mahabharata so that it can roam across various formats including a TV series, a film trilogy, an animation product, and a theme park.
Bedi had first announced plans for the Mahabharat project around the time his big-budget film Mangal Pandey released in August of 2005.
“For creating the entire chain of products, it would require an investment of around Rs 4 billion. The idea is to make it for the global market,” Bedi tells Indiantelevision.com.
First would be the creation of reality TV through a talent hunt for the Mahabharata characters. This, he says, would take about a year.
The talent hunt would next move to a Mahabharata TV series which could stretch to 150 episodes. Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi would direct the series. “It will transform Indian television and travel across the world. We can make it in many languages,” Bedi says.
Bedi intends to invest Rs 160-170 million in just the development stage. “For completing the entire chain, it would require over three years. Developing gaming would require around $2 million,” he says.
The animation work will be assigned to a company which has US and Indian base. He, however, refused to divulge the name of the animation firm.
Will he rope in joint ventures to fund the project? “No, the investment will be done by Kaleidoscope. We may have partners,” he says.
Mahabharata will be made into a comic book series as well. A theme park based on the Mahabharata is also in the pipeline.
Delivering the keynote address at “India – The Big Picture,” Bedi said the project would involve multiple location shoots and be in multi-languages. “This is the direction Indian entertainment should be taking,” he added.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
