GECs
Colors shows to incorporate Covid2019-related topics for better relatability
MUMBAI: 13 July 2020 is when viewers of all GECs will be able to get back to watching their favourite shows. Viacom18’s Colors is currently looking at numerous ways to engage the audiences.
Viacom18 Hindi mass entertainment chief content officer Manisha Sharma expresses that the last few months have been life-altering for broadcasters, producers, artists, crew members and most importantly for the viewers.
In the new episodes that are being shot, the channel is covering pandemic-related subjects and also integrating it as part of the current storyline. It is also incorporating safety protocols and precautions like sanitisation and other safety measures in the narrative to generate relatability.
“We factored in the lag and production pace before putting fresh episodes on air. Hence, we are working against a timeline and creating banks of episodes for all our fiction shows,” explains Sharma.
While shooting resumes, safety and security remain a major concern. The channel is being extremely cautious and strictly abiding by the safety protocols implemented by producers, broadcasters and government.
Their priorities include sticking to the timelines, creating a pressure-free environment, keeping a tab on the daily influx of people on the sets and ensuring the same set of people are working together to keep risks at bay. Apart from that, the cast and crew members are staying in or around the campus to avoid travel hassles. Regular fumigation of sets, access to medical services, placement of sanitisers, usage of N95 masks, regular temperature checks and other necessary protocols are also being followed.
In the absence of new content, the channel has observed a shift in the viewers’ content consumption habits too. In this phase, family viewing has gained more prominence, people turned to mythological shows for comfort and entertainment, the trend gradually picked up and the audience soon developed a palette for classics. At the same time, there was a great demand for the erstwhile shows and soon reruns started to rule the viewership.
She says, “As the content offerings now change with fresh episodes being aired, viewers will slowly move back to their original habit of appointment viewing. While the initial optics might be slow, we are certain that it will gradually pick up owing to the engaging storyline, highpoints, plot twists and intrigue around the characters.”
For promotion, the channel will use a ‘Kahaani ab tak’ capsule to summarise the journey till before the lockdown. “Taking the audience through their favourite characters’ journey so far has helped us to familiarise the audience with the show once again. Additionally, along with the marketing surround sound, we are banking largely on the highpoints and various other storyline hooks to keep the viewers intrigued.”
For now, Colors is shooting in controlled and closed environments with safety protocols. They will venture outdoors only when things get better.
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.
