GECs
Gurjeev Singh to head Star India international business
MUMBAI: After the big split last month of Star and Zee’s distribution JV MediaPro, Star India has announced that MediaPro former COO Gurjeev Singh Kapoor will head the company’s international business initiatives.
Once the MediaPro transition is complete, Singh will shift to his new base in London and report to Star India COO Sanjay Gupta. In his new role, Singh will handle distribution, syndication, ad sales and new content development in the US, South Afriaca, West Asia, the UK, Europe, south Asia and Southeast Asia.
“The international business has huge growth potential which has not yet been fully tapped and we believe Gurjeev will add tremendous value to the organization and will build on the foundations that have been put in place and take the International business to new heights,” said Gupta.
“Gurjeev shares our values and our focus on the business and he has proved to be an extraordinary leader throughout his stint with Star and its ventures,” he added.
Singh will take up his new posting only after a few months. Speaking on his new role Singh said, “I am looking forward to be back into Star’s fold and delighted with the opportunity to expand our global footprint. Star is uniquely placed to drive aggressive growth in the international markets based on its great content advantage.”
Star India’s channels are available in more than 120 countries globally. And Singh has his task cut out for him: Zee Entertainment Enterprises channels are available in more than 160 countries globally and a very aggressive IndiaCast has been working aggressively to further the distribution of the Viacom18, Network18 channels worldwide.
Concurrent with Singh’s new responsibility, Star India’s national distribution has been split into two: TS Panesar has been given the task of handling national distribution on DTH and in the digitised markets, while Summit Grover has been brought in to look after distribution in the emerging markets of DAS phase III and IV. Both are expected to report into Singh.
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.
