GECs
Indian Telly Awards Technical Nite hits new high
MUMBAI: They were the real stars at the Sixth Indian Telly Awards Technical Nite. The production teams that sweat it out to set new standards of technical quality, the marketing whizkids and ad sales teams that work quietly behind the scenes to build up the channel and the brands around it, the programmers who brainstorm over endless cups of coffee to hit upon that one single bright idea that will get the audience to sit up and take notice.
Indiantelevision.com, along with its partners Zee Network, Aaj Tak, CNN IBN, IBN 7, Times Now, Zee Cinema, Radio City, Bright Advertising, Rajasthan Patrika and Mid Day, Fun Cinema, CMCG India, Tellychakkar.com and AnimationXpress.com, dedicated the event to recognize and laud the efforts of all those individuals, teams and channels who made television a viewing pleasure in the past year.
The awards event was a sparkling affair held at the St Andrew’s Auditorium in Bandra.
In Indiantelevision founder and CEO Anil Wanvari’s words, “This is really what television is all about and it gives me great pride and satisfaction that we at Indian television have had the opportunity, for the sixth year running, to acknowledge and reward all the great work that this vibrant industry is delivering. Happy Viewing!”
As for the winners, here’s how the story unfolded:
BEST CHANNELS
The kid’s entertainment space is getting more competitive by the day but Hungama TV managed to keep the little one’s hooked and bagged the Best Kid’s channel. Channel [V] won the best music channel award, while HBO was awarded the best English movie channel. CNBC TV18 maintained its numero uno position in the business news channel segment once again.
The Big Idea award went to CNN IBN’s ‘Citizen Journalist’, an initiative that has allowed viewers to be part of breaking news. The best interactive show award was bagged by Cellcast’s Bid2Win while the Cable operator/ MSO (Multi Systems Operator of the year went to Hathway Cable and Datacom Pvt Ltd.
PROGRAMMING AWARDS
Current Affairs Programme
Jessica’s Fight For Justice NDTV 24 X 7
Business Programme
Business Baazigar
25 FPS
Zee TV
Music Programme
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Zee TV
Non-fiction Programme on Entertainment Channel
The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya
Endemol India / Star One
Non Fiction Programme On News Channel
Red Corridor
CNN IBN
TV Documentary
Missing In Action
CNN IBN
Edutainment / Science / Knowledge Based Show
India Innovates
NDTV Profit
News Show
Witness – Vidarbha Farmers : Suicide Tourism?
NDTV 24 X 7
Entertainment News Show
Gustakhi Maaf
NDTV India
Lifestyle & Fashion Show
Maximum Style
Multimedia Communications / Zoom
Talk Show on a News Channel
State Of The Nation
CNN IBN
Talk Show on an Entertainment Channel
Lola T[V]
Channel [V]
Cookery Show
The Foodie
TIMES NOW
Sports News Show
Love Of Cricket
CNN IBN
TECHNICAL AWARDS
Special/Visual Effects for Television
Tilak Shetty
J Bole To Jadoo
Graphiti Multimedia
Art Direction (Set Designing)
Omung Kumar Bhandula
Dharti Ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan
Sagar Films Pvt Ltd
Art Direction (Game show / Talk Show/ Reality Show/ Events)
Omung Kumar Bhandula
Kenstar Max
Stardust Awards
Videography (Best TV Cameraman)
Alok Upadhyay
Detective Omkar Nath
DON Sphere Origins
Videography (Best TV Cameraman) – News & Documentary
Manvendra Gautam
Special Report -Saving the Congo
New Delhi Television Ltd
Costumes for a TV Programme
Nisha Sagar, Tara Desai, Neerushaa
Dharti Ka Veer Yodha Prithviraj Chauhan
Sagar Films Pvt Ltd
TV Show Packaging (Fiction)
Kohinoor
Sahara One
Cinevistaas Ltd
TV Show Packaging (Non Fiction)
Klub Zee Cinema
Zee Cinema
TV Channel Packaging (Including Channel Ids & Generic Promos)
Bhoot Rap
Toon Disney/Jetix The Walt Disney Co.(India) Pvt Ltd
Editor (Fiction)
Manish Mistry
Bombay Talking
UTV
Editor (Non Fiction)
Jatin Gupta India Matters
The Last Run
New Delhi Television Ltd
Background Music for a TV Programme
Prem Joshua
The Maharaja Of Jodhpur – The Legacy Lives on..
Aim Television Pvt Ltd
TV Lyricist
Javed Akhtar
Haath Se Haath Milaa
BBC World Service Trust
Music Director
Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy
Haath Se Haath Milaa
BBC World Service Trust
Title Singer for a TV Show
Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal
Haath Se Haath Milaa
BBC World Service Trust
Director (Soap & Drama)
Ajai Sinha
Astitva – Ek Prem Kahani
Ananda Films & Tele Comm Pvt Ltd
Director (Sitcom)
Deven Bhojani
Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai
Hats Off Productions
Director (Thriller)
B P Singh
C.I.D
Fireworks Productions
Screenplay Writer (Drama Series & Soap)
Fatema Rangila
Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hai
Balaji Telefilms Ltd
Dialogue Writer (Drama Series & Soap)
Preeti Mamgain
Jab Love Hua
Dj’s A Creative Unit
Sitcom/Comedy Writer
Aatish Kapadia
Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai
Hats Off Productions
Story Writer
Arshad Syed
Detective Omkar Nath
DON Sphere Origins
Creative Director (Production House) – Joint
Naved Jaffri R & N Productions
Deven Bhojani Hats Off Production Pvt Ltd
Yes, the event was about competition and winners and the ‘oh nearly missed that’ awards. But keeping the mood light were the amazing dance and music performances peppered through the awards event.
The entertainment quotient was provided by fusion dancers Vrajesh and Kalyani who presented a unique Jazz meets Kathak performance while Pandit Ravindra Chary on sitar and Merlin rounded up the nite with some jazz, rock and blues.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
