GECs
Sahara One asserts impressive response for ‘Dial One Aur Jeeto’
MUMBAI: Sahara One has claimed that its popular live phone-in show Dial One Aur Jeeto, received 15-lakh-plus phone calls and 40,000-plus SMS-es on a single day.
Starting 20 June, the show has become a one-hour show, airing from 8 pm to 9 pm, Mondays to Thursdays. And on the very first day of its new format, it more than doubled the number of calls it received earlier, pegging a phenomenal 15 lakh calls from all over the country, states an official release.
The channel has also started giving the show a big screen touch. The show has featured Bollywood stars including Diana Hayden, Neha Dhupia, Aftab Shivadasani and Priyanka Chopra, the release adds.
Sahara One television COO Purnendu Bose says, “We decided on the longer format packed with bigger prizes and featuring top stars as special guests because of the show’s increasing popularity. The longer format not only allows more viewers to win; even the prizes have got much bigger.”
Says anchor Mandira Bedi, “It is indeed overwhelming to know how excited the audiences are to get on to the show. There are families waiting for their member to win, and with every correct answer, there are screams of delight in the background. I love it when someone wins and feel awful when they don’t.”
Dial One Aur Jeeto allows viewers from all over the country to call in to the studio to answer questions posed by anchors Mandira Bedi and Aman Verma and win prizes including 29-inch television sets, double-door refrigerators, washing machines and the bumper prize of a Maruti car each day.
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.
