GECs
Luciano Pavarotti shares his thoughts on Talk Asia
Airtimes: Indian Standard Times
Saturday, December 24 at 09:30am, 20:00hrs and 2230
Sunday, December 25 at 06:00am, 17:00hrs and 20:30hrs (replays)
Monday, December 26 at 09:00am (replays)
After 44 years as one of the world’s best known voices, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti is shortly to retire. As part of his final international tour, he spoke with TALK ASIA’s Lorraine Hahn in Hong Kong about his career to date and the discipline he still exercises to this day.
“Right before I perform, it’s better you don’t come close to me. I’m tell you, I’m terrible! I’m nervous! I insult myself and say ‘Why have you done this profession if you have to suffer so much?’ And I insult myself and so and so and so…until I put one foot on the stage and I feel the atmosphere and I feel the music and the audience and the composer and the conductor and everything disappears to give place to another person,” Pavarotti says.
He is modest when asked what legacy he hopes to leave behind. “There’s so many tenors my dear! It’s not true that there are no tenors. There are so many! And (their success) depends on (their unique) personality. But (its) not (about) following me; it’s not a question of following. It will be somebody who is going to be himself or herself, if it’s a lady. It’s not “I’m a copy of…the new Callas or the new…” No, that doesn’t exist.”
Even on the cusp of retirement, Pavarotti says there are still places that he’d like to visit.
“(There are) Many! If you have to express a desire, I would like to sing in India, in Egypt, places that I wasn’t able to go before,” he says. But as far as naming a favorite city is concerned, the famous tenor declines to name any names. “I was very lucky like I told you before. And every place is beautiful.”
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.
