GECs
Dubbed movie-formula works for Vijay TV in Tamil
MUMBAI: Star’s Tamil channel Vijay TV, which had kicked off its Hollywood movie campaign early this year, says the Jurassic Park series it telecast during June, July and August has helped the channel to steal a march over its competitors, quoting TAM ratings.
During the telecast of Jurassic Park on 27 June at 11:30 am, Vijay TV had 62 per cent of the channel share in the 4+ ABC C&S Chennai market against Raj TV (2 per cent), KTV (14 per cent) and Jaya TV (2.5 per cent). For the Tamil Nadu market, Vijay TV grabbed 51 per cent of the channel share, according to TAM.
The remaining two of the Jurassic Park series – The Lost World (telecast on 25 July) and Jurassic Park 3 (telecast on 29 August) – helped Vijay to garner a channel share of 38 per cent and 48 per cent respectively in the Chennai market (4+ ABC C&S). For the Tamil Nadu market it was 36 and 39 per cent respectively.
The Tamil versions of Titanic and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon had also done a similar trick for Vijay earlier.
Explaining the channel’s decision to adopt the dubbed movie-formula to its programming strategy Vijay TV head of programming Suresh Iyer offers, “Films with non-duplicable content, films which doesn’t have any language or regional barrier, do have phenomenal mass appeal. We used this strategy and it has turned out to be a huge success.”
The channel had conducted an extensive off-air marketing campaign ahead of the Jurassic Park series in the hardcore Tamil speaking markets – Coimbatore and Madhurai. The campaign was conducted in schools where children were briefed about the Jurassic Park series. Vijay TV also ran a watch and win contest among the school children.
“The property is targeted at the whole family with a focus on the kids segment,” says Iyer.
In the on-air promotional campaign front, the channel ran SMS-based contests wherein questions were hurled at viewers during the telecast of the movies. The channel has been using the SMS contest feature for all its major properties.
Vijay TV also telecasts dubbed versions of Hollywood martial arts movies on Saturday nights. In the Hollywood blockbuster series the channel will air Independence Day on 26 September.
It is to be noted that the newly launched Telugu channel Alpha Telugu has also devoted a slot for dubbed Hollywood blockbusters. Tamil channel Jaya TV has also decided to jump into the bandwagon.
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.
