GECs
Music, lifestyle channel Zee Arabia launching in August
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Ltd (ZTL) is strengthening its presence in the Middle East with the launch in August of Zee Arabia, a music and lifestyle channel targeted at South Asians.
Zee Arabia, which is under the Zee International division, will launch in the first half of August. Zee Telefilms director, special projects, Yogesh Radhakrishnan is heading the initiative.
Former Sahara One non-fiction programming head Kalyan Sundaram, who joined Zee International last month as creative head, will be heading the creative wing of Zee Arabia.
“We believe in interactivity and participation, and I will continue to promote these in my projects for Zee as well,” says Sundaram, who had conceptualised the Sahara One show Dial One aur Jeeto.
Zee’s move emphasises chairman and managing director Subhash Chandra’s plans to have a solid ground presence in the Middle East market. “We have based Yogesh in Dubai as he is an experienced person and the Middle East is an important and big market for us. We would like to have sizable ground presence in the area,” Chandra had said in an interview with indiantelevision.com early this year.
Zee Network presently has Zee TV providing a dedicated localised feed for the Gulf. As reported by this website earlier, Zee is planning to launch a dedicated feed of Zee Music in the region this year.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
