GECs
Kalasa Ent. allies Mukta Adlabs for e-cinema in South
MUMBAI: Mukta Adlabs Digital Exhibition has joined hands with Chennai-based Kalasa Entertainment Media Private Limited (KEMPL) for digital delivery of movies in the southern states of India.
Mukta Adlabs, the joint venture between Adlabs Films and Subhash Ghai’s Mukta Arts, already has a presence in other parts of the country. With this alliance, the joint venture plans to establish a foothold in the strong southern movie market.
Mukta Adlabs will take care of the digital conversion of the southern movies as part of the operational partnership with KEMPL. The JV will also supply e-cinema audio interface systems and provide maintenance support to KEMPL. Singapore-headquartered GDC Technology will provide the digital servers.
KEMPL, which launched its digital cinema initiative in June, plans to double its digital cinema installations to 10 in Tamil Nadu within a month. The company expects to install 65 theaters and release about 30 films in digital format in its first year of operations.
KEMPL has received $ 0.5 million from Sat Pal Khattar, a founding partner of Singapore-based law firm Khattar Wong and Partners. “We are expecting another $ 2.5 million from foreign investors in the next two months,” says KEMPL CEO Ramesh V Subramaniam. Indian venture capitalists from Mumbai and Bangalore have also showed interest in investing in digital cinema, he adds.
One of the theatres in Tamil Nadu where KEMPL has installed digital cinema system
KEMPL prefers ‘A2’ class theatres (which fall between A and B class theatres) in South India, while Mukta Adlabs has been targeting the ‘B’ and ‘C’ class theatres in other parts of the country for a digital cinema roll out.
“Ticket rates in the A2 theatres range between Rs 15 – Rs 25 while in ‘A’ class theatres it is between Rs 25 – Rs 40. We are not targeting theatres in the ‘C’ category as ticket rates in such centres are very low. Recovering costs take a longer time,” says Subramaniam.
Kalasa, set up in early 1998, has been specialising on all aspects of film sound recording and audio post-production. The company was rechristened as Kalasa Entertainment Media Private Limited (KEMPL) in April 2004 as it got into distribution of movies in the digital format.
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.
