GECs
Govinda the toast as Sony launches ‘Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke’
It looks like Amitabh Bachchan and his blockbuster Kaun Banega Crorepati will finally have some competition.
The eagerly-awaited game show of Sony TV, Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke (JCPK) was launched at a glittering function at the Taj Mahal hotel in south Mumbai on Monday night with star presenter, Govinda, sending the audience into raptures. JCPK, which marks Govinda’s television debut, will begin airing from Friday, 26 January at 8:00 pm and will be telecast three days (Friday through to Sunday) a week.
The launch kicked off with an audio-visual presentation which showed some glimpses of the the actual show. Govinda, clad in a beige suit, was an instant hit. He talked of how he never dreamed he’d become a hero and he became one. He thought he would have a future as a villain but that was not to be. Similar might be his future in television, he said.
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| The Chappar Phaad Ke team: ad sales head Kacon Sethi (extreme left), Chi-Chi, production head Rekha Nigam and Sony CEO Kunal Dasgupta: Will they swing Sony to success? |
He was whisked away backstage and stayed put in a tent until the paparazzi cooled off. He came back for another jig on stage and in Bruce Springsteen style pulled up a pretty young advertising professional and got into his pelvic thrusts. She aped his every movement to the audience’s delight. They simply went wild. And this is was the snobbish advertising fratenity which claims to dig Uriah Heep and Deep Purple and talks about Tom Hanks and Cruise. Wonder what the show will do to the general junta.
What promises to make this show different is Govinda’s uniquely uninhibited way of interacting with the audience. It looks like being fun, fun, and more fun.
The show will allow contestants to win not just bumper cash prizes but allows them a unique shopping experience using just Re1.
Connected with the show is a monthly SOTC Viewer Contest which allows viewers to participate in the contest wherever they are. Sony claims that it has received over a million entries in the ten-day promotion period itself.
Derek O’Brien is the quiz-master, Nitin Desai has designed the set, while Ganesh Acharya has choreographed Govinda’s dance number. The music has been scored by Leslie Lewis.
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.
