GECs
Celebrity show heralds Zee afternoon band revamp
MUMBAI: Zee TV’s promise to revamp its afternoon band across the week bears fruit with the launch of the first in the series – a weekly celebrity couple chat show Hum Aur Tum. Also in the pipeline is a daily thriller Tamanna House, that will launch on 27 June.
Come 20 June, the flagship channel from the Zee stables will launch Hum Aur Tum, to be anchored by model, actor and pop singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi. The show, to be aired at 1 pm on Sundays, will have Krishnamoorthi anchoring a non fiction format show on television for the first time. Hum Aur Tum is being produced by the Aditya Birla group company Applause Entertainment.
The ‘young, light and humorous’ chat show, to be sponsored by bharatmatrimony.com, the wedding portal, will feature one celebrity couple every week. According to Applause, what makes the show unique is that most of the chosen couples have never been featured or seen together on the small screen before. While in most cases, the male celebrity is a known face, this show will bring his relatively lesser known and seen spouse to the fore.
The ‘exclusive celebrity’ guests hail from various walks of life, and discuss emotional, interesting and amusing aspects, facets and anecdotes about their relationship, which are not entirely public knowledge. There will also be a trivia-related quiz between the husband and wife to liven up the proceedings.
According to Zee TV president Sunil Khanna, Hum Aur Tum is the first in the series of afternoon shows that will launch on Zee TV in the next couple of months.
Hum Aur Tum is casual, humorous and light-hearted in its tone and mood, and will celebrate the ‘couple of substance’ status of the select guests, says Applause. Tanuj Garg is the creative consultant of the show, which is to be directed by Harshal Kalsekar.
Krishnamoorthi, who returns to celluloid after a sabbatical, will also be seen shortly in a pivotal role in a forthcoming Ram Gopal Varma production featuring Anil Kapoor, say sources.
Hum Aur Tum will be followed by a thriller show, Tamanna House, that will launch on 27 June, says Khanna. Tamanna House, co-produced by Zee with Meteor Films, will feature Ruby Bhatia and Jas Arora, and will be slotted in the Thriller at Ten spot currently on air.
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.
