GECs
Shantonu Aditya takes charge as Sahara CEO 16 June
MUMBAI: SET Discovery president Shantonu Aditya, who quit the company last week, takes charge as chief executive officer of Sahara India Entertainment Management Co Ltd (SIEMCL) on 16 June.
Industry sources have confirmed the development to indiantelevision.com. It needs noting here that as per earlier indications, Aditya was expected to join Sahara on 1 July.
SIEMCL manages all of Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses (excluding news) and is the joint venture company that was formed last year along with with Percept IMC. As CEO, Aditya will be replacing Peter Isaac who has been operationally in charge of the JV since its inception. Isaac is returning to Percept and will be taking up a new responsibility.
Under Aditya’s ambit are entertainment channel Sahara One, the Sahara Filmi movie channel that launches later this year and the group’s motion pictures division.
Sahara has ambitious movie plans with 40 projects on the floor. Aditya will drive this as well as the domestic and international distribution of movies.
Directly reporting in to Aditya are Sahara One Television COO Purnendu Bose, Sahara Filmi business head Ashutosh and the motion pictures division head Sandeep Bhargava.
Aditya joined SET India in 2001 to lead Sony’s distribution business. He went on to head the distribution joint venture company between SET India and Discovery Communications India set up in 2002.
A management postgraduate from XLRI Jamshedpur, Aditya had worked with UB group (McDowell & Co) in sales and marketing in Delhi and luggage major Blow Plast in various capacities.
SIEMCL, meanwhile, is funded entirely by the Sahara Group. Percept IMC, the other 50 per cent partner in the joint venture, provides human resources and manages the operations.
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.
