GECs
ETV buys single telecast rights to 207 movies from Sony
MUMBAI: ETV Network has signed a deal to buy 207 movies from Sony Entertainment Television for single telecast rights, strengthening the trend towards syndication of content.
ETV will receive a bulk of 20 movies each month, a source in the company said. The transaction is routed through Goldmines Media Ltd, a Mumbai-based listed company which is in the business of movie acquisitions.
ETV will telecast these movies on its four regional channels for the Hindi heartland – ETV Bihar, ETV Uttar Pradesh, ETV Madhya Pradesh and ETV Rajasthan. The acquisition price is estimated at Rs 13 million, according to market sources.
The movies from Sony include Rocky (Sanjay Dutt’s debut film), Johnny Mera Naam (Dev Anand and Hema Malini), Sadma (Kamal Hasan and Sri Devi), Utsav (Rekha and Shekhar Suman), Majboor (Amitabh Bachchan), Khoon Pasina (Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna and Rekha), Zamana Deewana (Shahrukh Khan), Zindagi Ek Jua, Dostana and Moksha.
ETV has earlier done bulk deals with Star India and Zee Telefilms for single telecast rights of Hindi movies. Broadcasters see syndication of movie content as another revenue stream which has opportunity to grow. “We do not buy rights for a longer period. All our movie purchases for these four channels are based on single telecast rights,” the source said.
ETV’s four regional channels for the Hindi heartland air’s one movie a day. A major part of content on these channels is non- fiction. News-related content is the prime driver and no soaps are telecast on these channels. “We have soaps on our other regional language channels. But it makes no sense to air soaps on the four channels for the Hindi heartland as there are strong general entertainment channels like Star Plus, Sony and Zee TV catering to these audiences,” the source said.
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.
