GECs
Colleagues pay tribute to late MB Zaidi
MUMBAI: His colleagues turned up in full strength to pay tribute to his family and him. As did the chairman of Zee Telefilms Subhash Chandra and his long time friend and mentor the former Zee Telefilms CEO and Times of India director Vijay Jindal. It was evident that legal wiz MB Zaidi, who passed away on 16 April along with his wife Rubab, son Adnan, sister Samina Abdi, niece Sara, and his driver following a accident en route to Mahableshwar, had left his mark on the media business.
The driver apparently lost control of Zaidi’s new car and it hurtled down the slopes of the ghats. All the passengers perished.
Zaidi was the initiator of the Essel Group’s Playwin Infravest, India’s first online gaming company. A confidant of Chandra, he helped the group manouvre past reluctant governments and got them to agree to give the company a licence. He could do this primarily because of his legal background and the fact that he had headed the legal department at The Times of India and then became the director legal of Zee Telefilms, after a short stint at the Essar group where he was a legal adviser.
At the prayer meeting held on this afternoon in Mumbai, Chandra said that the loss was deep for him. “We worked together for seven years. We hardly felt that there was an employee-employer relationship between us. Even after he left Zee TV to set up his own group, he was always available to me 24/7 if I had to resolve any issues,” he said. “And I could sleep peacefully at night.”
An emotional Jindal said he had lost a friend. “I learnt a lot from him. Zaidi was all about struggle but he also had a lot of knowledge and I can say that it is both a personal and professional loss for me as we worked together for the past 20 years.” Said Jindal, “He was a man who was soft spoken, simple and used both logic and love in his profession, which is what made him different.”
Following his departure from Zee, Zaidi, along with Sanjay Gaekwad and Narender Hete, set up the Valuable Group which offers back end services to the online gaming industry. He later launched two publications targeted at the gaming industry and at players.
The industry is richer for his efforts, but poorer by his loss. May he and his family’s soul rest in peace.
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.
