GECs
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa to make a comeback as DID takes a sojourn
MUMBAI: Are you an avid Dance India Dance fan? Well, then get ready to wait as the most rated non-fiction property of Zee TV will come back with a new season after a good one year.
The show which has caught on to the audience’s heart with jaw dropping performances for more than seven years, has decided to take a break and come back next year with an all new, refreshing and exciting new season.
Confirms the maker himself, Essel Vision Productions producer Nitin Keni, “With back-to-back launches, there is too much of DID happening.” From introducing the Indian audiences to dance forms like locking and popping, hip hop moves to ‘slo-mo’ style, to making dance popular among all age-groups, DID has done it all. And through the DID sub-franchisees (DID LiL Masters, DID Super Moms and DID Doubles), the channel has ensured that all the age groups have been explored to the optimum.
“Whether it’s Cinestars ki Khoj or otherwise, DID needs to be given rest,” adds Keni. Replacing the dance reality programme is Zee’s talent hunt show – Cinestars ki Khoj. Come 28 June and the channel is all set to revive its popular format every weekend at 9 pm. The mega auditions is slated to start from 20 June at RK Studios.
“Zee TV has always stood for celebrating the talent of India’s common man. In 1995, the channel created the Mecca of singing talent in the country with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and introduced the entertainment fraternity to some of its leading singers. The year 2009 saw a landmark in the history of Indian television when we launched Dance India Dance, giving hope to a million dance enthusiasts across the country. The show not only emerged as one of reality television’s biggest successes but opened up several new career avenues in dance for its participants,” says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma.
So while the currently running DID will be replaced by Cine Stars ki Khoj, post that the channel and the makers (Essel Vision) are planning to get back Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on-board.
Reveals Keni, “We are thinking of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa again, although it has not done really well in the past few seasons, considering people no longer are classically oriented, but we are thinking about it now.”
A media planner believes that though it is a good decision to take a break from Dance India Dance, but considering the show’s popularity, the viewers might take some time to digest. “Undoubtedly, it has been a wonderful journey for the channel with DID. The show not only helped them in getting good numbers but also a large number of advertiser’s, season after season. Getting Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on-board is a good move, but the challenge for the channel is to make it competitive, bigger and better than the previous seasons.”
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.
