GECs
Sahara to fund management JV with Percept
MUMBAI: Sahara India Entertainment Management, a joint venture company created to look after Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses, will be funded entirely by the Sahara Group.
Percept, the other 50 per cent partner in the joint venture, will provide human resources and manage the operations. The joint venture company will have a 30-member team with Percept IMC joint managing director Shailendra Singh in charge.
The new company will charge a fee from Sahara. “It is a variable fee structure, linked to how much revenues we manage to garner from the media and entertainment businesses,” says Sahara India Entertainment Management chief operating officer Peter Isaac.
Sahara’s contract with Percept is for five years, but the exit option can be exercised after three years. “It is a unique management contract system in India. There are a few examples of this nature in the overseas market,” says Isaac.
The management company will ideate, form a business plan and be in charge of synergising Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses. The ‘super-structure’ team will strictly supervise the execution of the projects. The old Sahara team will report to the management company.
Already, the four businesses – television, motion pictures, radio and special projects – have been brought under the umbrella brand of SaharaOne. “The underlying philosophy of this joint venture is to entertain India. We will use SaharaOne across all the media and entertainment platforms of the Group,” says Isaac.
Sahara India Entertainment Management will be responsible for putting systems, structures and people into place. While Ernst & Young will be involved in setting up IT processes, KPMG will look at the business part. “We expect KPMG to submit the report by the end of the month,” says Isaac.
The budget and targets for the next one year will be fixed after the company’s board meeting, scheduled this month-end.
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.
