GECs
Sab campaigns for votes
MUMBAI: With the general elections due next year and almost everyone talking about it, Sab has decided to cash-in on the idea for its award show too.
In just its second season, Sab ke anokhe awards, has election as its theme this year. The campaign ‘saal ka sab se anokha election’ will enable the viewers to vote for their favourite nominee from each category.
The viewers will be able to vote for five categories – Sab Se Anokha Prani, Sab Se Anokhi Jodi, Sab Se Anokha Musibat Ka Mara, Sab Se Anokha Romance and Sab Se Anokhi Nari. And the winner will be declared only on the basis of the votes. As for the other categories, winners will be decided by a jury.
Talking on how the nominees were selected Sab EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor says, “If one looks at our shows it is quite evident that which character from a particular show will fit a certain category.”
The channel hasn’t left any platform to market the award show. From hoardings plastered on buses to a vote appeal on television, the channel has a pan India line of attack to get in as many votes as possible. It has booked 10,000 spots on TV, 600 hoardings across 40 cities, tie-up with Café Coffee Day outlets apart from advertising on 40 newspapers (Hindi, English & vernacular). It is also active on social media and will allow the viewers to vote through its Facebook page, Sab Play mobile app, SMS etc.
With digitalisation and the change in TAM ratings, the channel is optimistic about its reach and the number of people voting in. Last year the channel received close to five lakh votes for the awards. “With TVT, of course, we know what our reach is and hope to engage as many viewers as possible,” sates an optimistic Kapoor.
The main sponsor of the award show is Rin and it is powered by Cadbury 5 Star. Kotak Mahindra, Asian Paints and Badshah Masala are the associate sponsors.
The show will be aired on 31 August and we can only hope that viewers choose the right and the deserving candidate at least in reel if not in reality!
GECs
Sony ties up with EU for MasterChef India finale
GI-tagged European ingredients headline finale week
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has struck what it calls a landmark association with the European Union for the finale week of MasterChef India, marking the first such collaboration between the bloc and an Indian television format.
The tie-up will culminate in the “European Union mystery box challenge”, which opens the much-anticipated finale week. The task will see the top six contestant pairs cook with a curated basket of ingredients bearing geographical indications (GIs) from across EU member states: a nod to provenance as well as palate.
Chef Ajay and Chef Guntas, introduced as chef ambassadors to the European Union, will present the mystery boxes and set the brief: use the fewest ingredients from each category and produce a MasterChef-level dish that marries European produce with Indian flavour sensibilities. Precision and restraint, rather than extravagance, will be tested.
For Sony, the move signals a push towards high-value integrations that blur the line between sponsorship and storytelling. The network said the association underscores the show’s growing global stature and its ability to attract world-renowned institutions to Indian screens.
Chef Ajay Chopra, food ambassador in the European Union, described the collaboration as a strategic opportunity to spotlight the heritage and authenticity of GI-tagged European products to India’s vast food-loving audience.
Over the years, MasterChef India has positioned itself as a gateway to global cuisines. The EU partnership sharpens that pitch, turning the finale into a stage for cross-continental culinary diplomacy.
The finale week will air from 2 March, 2026 at 8 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony Liv.
