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Maa TV to invest Rs 80 million on serials
MUMBAI: In a significant strategy shift, Telugu channel Maa TV will incorporate soaps in its programming line up. Starting December 2005, the channel will begin with about eight soaps on an initial investment of Rs 80 million.
“To start with, we are launching eight soaps in the primetime band. We will be investing Rs 80 million in the project for the four-month period of December 2005 to March 2006,” says Maa TV executive director Rajendra Prasad.
Till now, the entertainment channel from Maa TV Network Ltd has been banking on movies, events and interactive mobile-based shows to drive in numbers. Prasad said, the programmes which occupy the primetime band would be shifted to other “convenient” slots.
Maa TV has also been focusing its attention on the movie acquisition front. In the last eight months, the channel has spent about Rs 250 million to acquire 200 new Telugu movies. This lot includes many dubbed versions of Tamil blockbusters as well. Some of the latest flicks Maa TV has acquired include the Tamil version of this year’s super hit movie Chandramukhi, Jai Chiranjeeva, Arjun and Chathrapati, apart from the complete Rama Naidu library.
The company had initiated talks with a group of investors to raise Rs 300 million through preferential allotment of shares. However, sources reveal that no agreement could be reached following which founder-promoter Murali Krishna Raju himself has now invested about Rs 400 million in the project.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
