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Geo TV opens new doors for Indian producers, actors
MUMBAI: In what could well be an unconscious bid to cement the Indo-Pak differences, a number of Indian TV artistes and producers have signed up for projects with Geo TV, Jung Group’s Urdu-language entertainment and news channel that are broadcasting from Dubai.
Jang Group’s CEO and editor-in-chief Mir Shakil-Ur-Rahman visited New Delhi earlier this week, to discuss distribution deals for the channel in India. On 19 August, he is said to have met information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to talk on policy initiatives. Later on, he also discussed possible business deals with media and film persons.
According to media reports, well-known television actors like Annu Kapoor, Ashok Saraf, Amit Behl, Sudha Chandran, Ravi Gosain and Anil Pandit have signed up for various shows with the channel. They will be working with Pakistani artistes like Faisal Qureshi, Javed Sheikh and Ismail Tara among others.
Sources in the media say, even Usman Peerzada, the renowned theatre and screen actor and director from Pakistan, has been roped in for one such Indo-Pak venture. From Bollywood, yesteryears’ villain, Ranjeet will make an appearance on the channel.
Among the forthcoming Indo-Pak programming are the Sunil Salgia directed sitcom Lakhon Mein Teen. The 52-episode comedy involves around the adventure of three friends — two Pakistanis and one Indian — who go to Dubai in search of a job. The cast includes Ashok Saraf and Pakistan’s Javed Sheikh and Ismail Tara as the three friends. Ravi Gosain and Anil Pandit are also roped in for the sitcom.
Kamran Durrani, who has penned down dialogues for the sitcom says, “The show is slated to be released by the first week of September. Every episode of the sitcom will be a short tale in itself — all revolving around their three friends and their dalliance.”
Durrani is currently writing dialogues for Khushi, a programme on women also for telecast in Geo TV.
Lakhon Mein Teen is one of the three shows being produced by Mumbai-based Ramesh Prasanna and Chitresh Srivastava. Their other two ventures are Faslay, a 26-episode family drama directed by Seema Kapoor, starring Ranjeet, Amit Behl and Sudha Chandran, Usman Peerzada and Faisal Qureshi; and Gayegi Duniya Geet Mere, a music game show, directed by Pratik Kadam, anchored by Annu Kapoor and singer Saima Shirazi from Pakistan.
Geo TV went on air from August 14, 2002. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day from Dubai Media City to give viewers in UAE, Pakistan, Mauritius, the US and Bangladesh news besides reality and talk shows, soaps and quiz shows.
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.
