GECs
Lucknow witnesses second Sahara wedding
LUCKNOW: All roads Saturday led to Sahara Shahar, the glittering private estate of Sahara group owner Subrata Roy, whose younger son Seemanto tied the nuptial with knot with Chandni on Valentine’s Day.
“It is like a festival in fairyland,” summed up one of the guests who had flown in from New Delhi for what was described as the mother of all weddings.
If 5,000 guests, including 1,500 VIPs had attended elder son Sushanto’s marriage on February 10, the number was even larger Saturday night.
Other than deputy prime minister LK Advani, former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, a number of governors, Central ministers, chief ministers and other politicians from across the country, Saturday’s guest list included the members of the Indian cricket team, the hockey team, leading media personalities, industrial barons and nearly every star from not only Mumbai but also from Kolkata and the southern states.
A disappointment was the absence of former US president Bill Clinton who was earlier expected to join the celebrations.
While Aishwarya Rai, who has been camping in Sahara Shahar for the past five days, continued to play hostess, Big ‘B’ Amitabh Bachchan amazed all and sundry with his welcome note on the public address system. He greeted the guests in Hindi and in English.
Seventeen chartered flights ferried VIP guests on the Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Lucknow routes. Choppers then took them from the airport to the Sahara Shahar complex’s private helipad.
An entire terminal of Lucknow airport was taken over for this operation.
As with the first wedding, some 45,000 designer candles from Twinkle Khanna’s stable adorned an artificial lake in the sprawling 200-acre Sahara Shahar.
Some 500 florists bedecked the entire complex in orchids, carnations and roses. According to an insider, 110 varieties of cuisine together with Swiss and Belgian chocolates and the choicest of French wines were included in the spread.
Spanish and Mexican music added to the flavour of the evening.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
