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Old Zee hand Sunil Khanna puts in his papers
MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: The churning just doesn’t seem to stop at the Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms. The latest to head for the revolving door is Zee TV president Sunil Khanna.
Khanna, who has been associated with the Zee Group for over a decade, reportedly handed in his resignation letter to chairman Chandra last week. Prior to his stint as head of Zee TV, Khanna was on the distribution side as the Zee Turner chief executive.
Khanna’s quitting the top post at Zee TV, the flagship channel of the group, comes six months after he took over the responsibilities from Apurva Purohit (now COO of the Times Group’s TV venture) with a view to overhauling the fortunes of the channel.
What’s more surprising is that after ‘strongly denying’ news of Khanna’s imminent departure from the present post since morning, towards evening Zee Telefilms issued an official statement confirming it.
The statement, which attempted to downplay the churning process, stated, “Zee TV has made arrangements with eminent Bollywood personalities like Mr Sudhir Mishra and Mr Viveck Vaswani to assist Zee TV on creative aspects of programming. This arrangement has been finalised post resignation of Mr Sunil Khanna as president of Zee TV.”
Though the release stated that Khanna has decided to “move for better prospects,” Zee insiders hinted that the possibility of Khanna “being accommodated elsewhere in the Essel group” (the umbrella organisation under which Chandra carries out his various business activities) cannot be ruled out.
The release was also silent on when would Khanna finally leave and whether the company would appoint somebody to the post or abolish it altogether. The post of president of Zee TV was created after Chandra became CMD and the company did not appoint anybody as the CEO post Sandeep Goyal’s exit.
It is interesting to note that Khanna (considered a close associate of Chandra’s younger brother and head of Siti Cable, Jawahar Goel) resigned from his present post close on the heels of another senior Siti executive leaving the group for Reliance’s broadband venture.
Attempts made by indiantelevision.com to get in touch with Khanna, who company officials say is “vacationing with his family in Goa”, proved futile.
For the record, writer & director Mishra has been “detained as a creative resource”. Actor, producer and director Vaswani, meanwhile, “brings in his creative excellence to support the programming of Zee TV”. Vaswani has movies like Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar and Isqh Vishq as co-producer to his credit.
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.
