GECs
Chandra offloads 2.5 million shares for Rs 270 million
A little over a month after media baron Subhash Chandra’s Zee Telefilms Ltd, announced its promoters had placed 5 million shares with a U.S.-based institutional investor, another 2.5 million shares were offloaded yesterday with an FII.
Though Zee officials did not divulge the price, the placement will raise about Rs 270 million, according to merchant banking sources. The Financial Express, quoting market sources, said the deal was done on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) at a price of Rs 106.50 per share, amounting to around Rs 266.2 million. The transaction represents about 0.6 per cent of ZTL’s paid-up capital and further lowers the promoters’ stake to around 58.3 per cent.
According to a company release, the proceeds from the placement will be paid back to ZTL upon settlement of the transaction. The group promoters had earlier borrowed Rs 2200 million from ZTL for the Essel group. They had announced that the entire amount would be returned by June 30. However, the Essel group has since then managed to pay back Rs 1100 million in two tranches. An initial payment of RS 600 million was paid and last month’s transaction raised another RS 500 million. CIBC Oppenheimer was the investor in last month’s deal and paid slightly less than Rs 100 a share for its stock holding.
AC Saha, president, corporate finance and strategy, Essel Group of companies, said: “Placement of these shares reinforces the promoters’ commitment to fulfil their obligations, despite the share price of Zee Telefilms LTD not being very attractive at this stage.
The figure of RS 2200 million is what the Zee Network had reportedly advanced to Essel group investment companies, which was subsequently transferred to cornered bull Ketan Parekh’s investment companies.
The announcement comes amidst a spurt in activity around the scrip over the last few days. The speculative activity is apparently linked to reports that Chandra may be willing to lower his personal stake to half the present equity which would effectively deprive him of management control of the company.
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.
