News Broadcasting
Kher files suit, Zee’s cup of woes overflows
The dust just refuses to settle for Zee Telefilms after its decision last week to suspend its much maligned game show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK).
Following sacked anchor Anupam Kher’s filing an arbitration petition on Tuesday in the Mumbai High Court, it remains to be seen whether co-host Manisha Koirala will follow suit. Manisha has also received her marching orders.
If that were not enough , the channel’s decision to drop 16 serials, as reported in The Times of India, can only vitiate the climate further.
Kher’s suit urges the court to restrain Zee from discontinuing SDCKwithout him as one of the hosts on the ground that the company had committed breach of contract, according to Press Trust of India.
On 7 December, the actor’s petition raised an apprehension on the basis of press reports that he would be removed from anchoring the show. On 9 December, Zee Telefilms Ltd informed him officially that his services were being discontinued.
Kher then urged the high court on Tuesday to allow him to amend the petition since he had already been removed from the show, and got permission from Justice KK Baam.
Kher might file an amended petition by December 21 because Zee has declared that it has already shot six episodes that would last until then.
The actor contends that Zee cannot terminate his services without a 60-day notice one of the conditions of the agreement entered into between the two on October 13.
It all started ten days ago when Gajendra Singh, Zee TV’s star producer (Antakshari, Sa Re Ga Ma) paid Anupam Kher a visit. SDCK just wasn’t working, said Singh. Zee was bleeding to the tune of Rs48 lakh an episode, and something had to be done.
“I got the feeling that he was trying to tell me to leave the show. So I asked him: do both Manisha and I quit?” Kher told The Hindustan Times’ website. Singh said yes. The two, according to Kher, parted after an emotional hug.
But a few days later newspapers informed Kher that Zee had dropped him from the show because of his poor performance and the fact that he and Koirala weren’t gelling.
Zee’s spokesman Sainath Aiyar says the network has never tried to run Kher down. “The two of them didn’t get along and it reflected in the show,” says Aiyar.
Kher, however, says that between Manisha and him, there was no doubt about who the better half of the show was. “I had to constantly cover up for her during shoots,” says Kher.
Manisha has not commented yet publicly on her rapport with Kher on the sets of SDCK but she stresses the point that since Zee has decided to go in for a complete revamp of the show clearly indicates that the SDCK format was a failure. Blaming the anchors or their lack of chemistry on the sets was simply because Zee refused to own up responsibility for the lack of planning which went into the creation of SDCK.
She makes a valid point there. SDCK suffered enormously when its production values were compared with Star TV’s super-slick Kaun Banega Crorepati. The lack of rehearsals was also brought quite clearly as the shows went on air.
The reported lack of chemistry between the two anchors only added to the inherent problems with which the show suffered from the start.
The media feeding frenzy that has surrounded SDCK’s unending woes has only served to highlight another potential public relations disaster for Zee TV’s executives. There are rumblings in the industry over its decision to drop 16 serials which has heightened the feelings of insecurity all round.
How this finally unravels remains to be seen.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
