GECs
ETC’s Ashutosh is now Sahara ‘Filmi’ channel’s biz head
MUMBAI: Sahara is finally gearing up to go ‘Filmi’. The company is putting in place a senior team to launch ‘Filmi’ – its movie channel.
Ashutosh, who had quit ETC channel, has joined as the business head of Sahara’s movie channel called Filmi. Also joining the channel as creative director and on air promo head is Mukul Mishra.
While Ashutosh was business head of ETC, Mishra was Sony head of on-air promo.
Confirming the development, Sahara India Entertainment Management COO Peter Isaac said the hunt was on for a COO. The movie channel is slated for a launch within three months, he added. Sahara India Entertainment management is a 50:50 management joint venture between Sahara and Percept, formed to ideate, plan and supervise the execution of different projects.
Sahara had earlier announced that it will launch its movie channel in January 2005. The company has made movie acquisitions to feed the channel which will also have a good amount of non-movie content.
Meanwhile, SaharaOne has taken on Hungama TV’s on-air promo head Abhijit Mitra as head of promos for their general entertainment channel.
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.
