News Broadcasting
‘Saara Akash’ continues to soar; gets year’s extension
MUMBAI: Will it or won’t it work? That was the niggling doubt when Saara Aakash, the show with an air force backdrop, debuted on Star Plus 7 August 2003 in the Thursday 9 pm slot.
Well, not only did Miditech’s Saara Aakash fare well (although after more than just a little tweaking of the original script) on the charts but it has been given another year’s extension.
“As of now, we are India’s No 1 weekly in the Hindi speaking markets. In the 9 pm band, comprising Kehta Hai Dil, Sanjeevani, Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, we are clearly the leader. We are also ahead of Sony’s Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahi and Kkusum,” Miditech’s producer Nikhil Alva offered.
While the show might have an air force back drop, the real reason why the show is doing well, according to the makers, is the central character Monica. “In fact, we have this punch line ‘Hamari Monica Jassi Jaissi bilkul nahi’ (Our Monica is not like Jassi at all),” joked Alva.
“Thursday is a competitive slot. Most of the weeklies end the week on Thursday, so it is wasn’t the most conducive spot for the show. We have successfully fended the competition in that slot. Be it against Jassi.. . or the movie premiers. Our target audience belongs to 14+ brackets, both male and female. Somebody who is not interested in the family dramas, which is same as that of Jassi…,” Alva offered.
Despite the female protagonist, the show has a lot of aspirational value. So when the show, during its early stages, digressed on to a family track, the ratings dipped. “It was a bad judgment on our as well as the channel’s part. But the mistake was immediately rectified and we have been in the top 10 shows on Star Plus ever since,” insisted Alva.
What, according to the makers is the high point of the show is its theme, approach and most importantly, the characters.
“Monica’s character is such that the audience can empathise with. She is a bold woman in a man’s world. While she has her feminine side (she is every inch the ideal daughter), she is also driven by her mission so much so that she won’t hesitate to kill someone if the need arises. Meanwhile, Sanjana’s character is unlike any vamp that you see on the telly today. She is shown to be a school teacher, someone with a soft side. But despite that she is a ruthless spy. She has hers reasons to act the way she does. It is all about her love for her country, mission and the things that have happen to her in the past,” explains Alva.
While it is likely that Sanjana’s character will be exposed in the show and the makers might decide to introduce another negative character. One character that is going to make his entry back onto the series is that of Karan, played by Anuj Saxena. Playing on topical issues, Karan will be shown as a PoW, who makes a daring escape from the enemy dungeons.
“Despite the channel not as keen on the publicity and the promotional blitz, but the topical plot around espionage and the Indo-Pak milieu have received great feedback,” Alva exhulted.
Interestingly, the high point of the show has been the episode where the central character Monica was behind enemy lines. “We showed a 15-minute chase sequence, which traditionally no one would believe works. But it has given us 13.8-14 TRP rating,” gloated Alva.
But is there any likelihood that Monica might go the family way ever? “Highly unlikely,” says Alva. Maybe that’s for the best then.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
