GECs
Chacha Chaudhary arrives on Sahara TV next week
Indigenous comic strip character Chacha Chaudhary will come to life on Sahara TV from 13 May.
Produced by Ketan Mehta’s Maya Entertainment, the simple, earthy Chacha with the twitchy nose and keen brain will pit his skills against evil villains with native ingenuity and common sense in the serial. Versatile actor Raghuveer Yadav plays the simple detective in this unusual show. Pravin Kumar plays his friend and supporter Saboo, a 20 feet tall alien who can fly his way through difficulties and helps Chacha out of physical fights. The odd yet endearing couple, Saboo and their red convertible who live a simple life are expected to provide a new dimension to Sahara’s evening programming. The serial will air Mondays to Wednesdays at seven pm.
Invented as a children’s fiction adventure cum thriller created in a comic format by the famous cartoonist Pran in 1960, Chacha Chaudhary and its characters have attained a legendary platform in the country. The series attempts to bring to the small screen, this famous character and make it available to the much larger TV viewing audiences, says the production house. Graphic technology and innovative special effects have been employed by Maya Entertainment to bring Chacha’s antics to life. The serial is scripted by Ravi Pandey and directed by Mohit Jha.
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.
