GECs
Playwin’s Keno gets off to quiet start
MUMBAI: Playwin Infravest’s newest online game on the block, Keno, kicked off without much fanfare and promotions yesterday.
From the Karnataka online state lottery stable, Keno has been hailed as a more refined form of Tambola. “The more risk you take, the more you stand to win,” says Playwin CEO Sanjay Das. 20 of the available 80 numbers are picked out as winners in the daily draw, enabling participants to win that much more.
Apart from the lack of overt promotion (Keno’s siblings Lucky 3, Thunderball and Mahawin’s Lotto have already had extensive outdoor promotions), Keno will have to contend with a broadcast partner in Zee Music, a channel that has been awaiting a revamp for a long while.
The daily Keno draw will be held between 9 and 9.30 pm on Zee Music and Das believes the channel is a prudent choice as parent channel Zee TV is currently telecasting seven draws a week, including Karnataka’s Lucky 3. “Unlike serials, where viewers need continuity, Zee Music is a channel into which viewers keep flitting in and out and is ideal for Keno’s daily draw telecast,” says Das.
The clearance for the promotions has just come through, says Das, and a huge press and television campaign is about to be unleashed. Since the target group for Keno remains the middle class, railway stations are to form a major platform to promote the lottery.
Playwin is however pushing for a different image for Keno. “It is not a hardcore lottery game. It is more interactive, where the participant can play at 35 different levels,” says Das, “It is more of a fun kind of game.”
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.
