News Broadcasting
Raj TV lines up movie magic for Pongal
MUMBAI: If its Pongal, it must be time for movie bonanza. That’s seems to be the mantra at Raj TV.
Bolstered by the last year’s sucess of the movie special, the Tamil entertainment channel will telecast a Mani Ratnam Production Five Star and Vallarasuu on 15 January
Last year during the festival of harvest, the channel had aired Vannathaipolla, starring Vijaykant, Meena, Prabhudeva. The channel officials, quoting the Tam rating, offer that the channel shares saw a rise for that period.
Starring Prassana, Karthik, Krishna, Kaniha, Sandhya, Mangai, Five Star is about five best friends and their dreams. The movie will be aired on the channel at 2 pm.
The next ‘blockbuster’ for the day Vallarasuu, starring Vijaykant is rumoured to have ran successfully in the theatres for more than 175 days. The movie about an uptight policeman will be aired at 8 pm.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
