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Former UTV COO joins Birla’s Applause Entertainment
MUMBAI: Former UTV COO Manish Popat has joined the AV Birla promoted Applause Entertainment as senior vice president from 6 October 2003.
Popat will handle all the television initiatives for the company, including the production, marketing and related functions in the international as well as domestic arena. Popat quit production major UTV on 15 July. At the time, UTV promoter Ronnie Screwvala had said that Popat had ‘been asked to go.’ Thus far, no replacement has been made for Popat at UTV, but the different operation heads (production head, business development manager, and five creative directors),have been working independently.
Applause Entertainment, the vehicle for the AV Birla group’s media and entertainment investments, led by CEO Anshuman Swami, has a slew of projects ranging from film production, television to events up its sleeve. Its latest foray into film production will be through Stamp Collectors, an English co-production with a US film distribution company Miracle Entertainment. Work on this project is slated to begin from September, media reports say.
In the television arena that Popat will look after, Applause is already doing television software like Bollywood Tonight on Zee Cinema and plans to tap the educational programming genre too. Reports say the southern market would be important for the company in television software business too. There are 38 programmes in the pipeline for Applause which will be marketed to various channels, reports say. Applause also presented the Zee IFFA awards earlier this year.
Among the feature films that Applause is doing currently is a Telugu film, Thapana, to be directed by Dhanraj and features Prabhudeva as one of the leads. In the coming one year, Applause plans to produce two or three Hindi films as well.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
