GECs
MTV, PNC join item girl hunt
MUMBAI: Aspiring item number girls never had it so good.
After Zee Music and Channel [V], which have already announced their plans to hunt for an ‘item girl’ for Bollywood flicks, MTV India has decided to take the same route. In association with Pritish Nandy Communications, the music channel has made public its intent of tracking down a sizzler to star in PNC’s forthcoming Shabd.
MTV India could be getting down to the business of hunting item girls for the first time, but PNC has a history of them – Isha Kopikar in Kaante, Anusha in Mumbai Matinee, Mahek Chahal in Chameli and Jelena in Popcorn Khao! Mast Ho Jao.
The association with MTV, with its unique, irreverant style of functioning should throw up some interesting results. The auditions of the Item Girl Hunt will be held on 4 and 5 September in Mumbai.
Rival Zee Music, that’s gearing for a grand revamp, has already staked claim to being the first in the field to have launched a similar hunt. The results of Zee’s Item Bomb will result in a young girl getting the chance to star in a number opposite Sanjay Dutt in the forthcoming Musafir.
[V] has not been far behind. Disco Star – a joint venture of Star’s music arm and Subhash Ghai promoted production house Mukta Arts was also announced a few days before Zee announced its plans. A reality show, [V] Disco Star will search for a glamour girl and goes on air on Channel [V] sometime in October.
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.
