GECs
FM ignores entertainment sector in budget
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: It was the royal ignore for the second year in a row for the entertainment sector. Finance minister P Chidambaram, while presenting Union Budget 2005-2006 in Parliament today, had practically nothing to offer the industry.
The only mention made in the budget to the media sector as a whole was the announcement of reduction in customs duty for printing press equipment.
The Finance Minister announced that credit for counterveiling duty (CVD) will be available against payment of excise duty. However, IT software is proposed to be exempt from the proposed CVD.
Noting that the services sector accounts for about 52 per cent of the GDP, the FM expressed the necessity to cast the net wide and to include some additional services in the service tax net, while retaining the 10 per cent service tax limit.
This means that cable ops and the cable industry would continue to be taxed, which, of course, is being passed on to consumers.
However, as a relief to small service providers, Chidambaram proposed to exempt from service tax those service providers whose gross turnover does not exceed Rs 400,000 per year.
Multiplexes under service tax net
One area where the budget has dealt a negative blow is to the booming multiplex industry (in which players like Zee Telefilms, Adlabs and Shringar two name just three are major players). Multiplexes have been brought under the service tax net.
Says E-City (Zee Group CMD Subhash Chandra’s multiplex intitiative) CEO Atul Goel, “The multiplex business will be adversely affected as construction activities have comer under the service tax ambit. Besides, we had sought certain concessions, which the budget is silent about.”
A visibly disappointed Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) additional director entertainment Siddhatha Dasgupta commented, “While all the other other sectors have got something or the other, the budget has nothing to offer the entertainment industry.”
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.
