GECs
Percept Television looks to develop shows for channels other than Sahara One
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MUMBAI: Percept Picture Company’s television division – Percept Television – has completed a year of operations and the company, which until now was producing shows only for Sahara One, is looking at other channels too. |
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According to reliable industry sources, apart from Sahara One, Percept Television is in talks with Walt Disney Television International (India), Zee Television and Zoom for developing shows for them. |
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However, when queried by Indiantelevision.com, Percept Television business head Akhauri Sinha would only confirm that the company was in talks with a few channels but refused to divulge any names or details citing that it was too premature to talk about it. “We’re working on a comedy, thriller and a couple of non-fiction comedies. Some of these should come up in the next six months on Sahara One as well as other channels. Initially, we started out only with Sahara One but now it is our intention to broad base ourselves. We are still discussing the modalities. Hopefully in a couple of months, things should fall in place,” informs Sinha.  However, if talks with Disney fructify, it would mean that Percept Television would be venturing into kids’ programming very soon. Since its inception in 2004, Percept Television has rolled out different genres of programming like Dial One Aur Jeeto, A.D.A, Power Trip (which was pulled off air after a few months and was hosted by Shobhaa De), Rajshri’s Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki (of which they are executive producers) and more recently Hare KKaanch Ki Choodiyaan. All these shows air on Sahara One. Sinha says, “We’ve gone across genres and formats – fiction, nonfiction and a game show. Hopefully we will continue to experiment with formats and hence build a wider repertoire.” Percept Television’s Dial One Aur Jeeto recently got an extension of Rs 80 million from Sahara One keeping in mind the success and popularity of the show. “After we got the extension, we revamped the format and made it a one hour show. The number of calls that we receive has gone up by almost 60 – 70 per cent. Apart from that, we receive almost 50,000 SMSs per day,” says Sinha. When queried as to why Power Trip was pulled off the channel and whether there were any plans of bringing it back, Sinha says, “It was not doing as well as our other shows are doing. For us, it was a question of a perception and look changer, so in terms of that we got a lot of good feedback from the audience. The good thing was that Shobhaa knew a lot of these people personally, so she was able to bring that equation in the show. We have suggested bringing the show back to the channel, but they also need to figure out other things before they decide to bring it back.” He also informed that in the future, the company was looking at trying their hand at different genres like comedy shows, regional programming, shows for news channels and possibly animation too. “We would like to make our television business a lot bigger and broad base our selves. We are looking at animation and since I was with UTV earlier, I have a background in animation. It’s not something that you plunge into without thinking. It’s not as simple as it is made out to be,” he says. |
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
