GECs
Sony rejigs JCPK; plans events special and new daily soaps
In bid to revive the sagging fortunes of its Kaun Banega Crorepati riposte, Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke, Sony Entertainment Television is set to introduce some bells and whistles and some decorative elements into the Govinda-hosted game-cum-quiz show. According to the grapevine, Bollywood stars of the likes of Jackie Shroff, Javed Jaffrey, Shekar Suman, Urmila Matondkar are expected to come and do a number on JCPK a la KBC. Newspaper reports however have pointed out that National Film Award winner Raveena Tandon and that exasperating but lovable thespian Kader Khan are being talked to currently to put their might behind the show.
“The forthcoming JCPK episodes will be more on the interactive level and participation from the audience will increase, especially the from the school and college going kids who were till now tied up with exams,” says SET senior vice president programming and production Rekha Nigam. Nigam admits that JCPK has not managed to set TV sets in homes afire on weekends but she is still hopeful of a spike in the ratings which fell to as low as three in the last week of March (according to ratings firm TAM Media.)
Apart from jazzing up JCPK to make it more appealing to viewers, the channel’s management is tomtomming its “week of events” which will showcase a clutch of event-based programmes between 23 April and 30 April.
The first off the starting blocks in the current rollout will be Hrithik Roshan: The man behind the star (23 April 9 pm) and will culminate with two new daily soaps – Kusum (1 May 9 pm) and Kahi Diyaa (1 May, 9:30 pm). It will be followed by Showman of the Millenium (26 April 9pm), Great Bollywood Boogie Woogie (27 April 9.00 pm), the Lata Mangeshkar concert Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo (29 April, 9 pm), and the Hrithik Roshan Special Part II (30 April, 9 pm) which will be immediately followed by Millenium Utsav at 10 pm.
The curious part of this entire affair is that most of what is being aired in this period during the week of events is actually old programming. The Showman of the Millenium was first aired on 31 December ’99, the Great Bollywood Boogie Woogie too was telecast in the same year. The Lata Mangeshkar concert had its first telecast last month.
Will viewers take kindly to the old fare that is being shoved down at them? Is Sony showing older shows to get its competitors off guard? Will it unleash a plethora of new earth shaking new shows all of a sudden next month? That only Sony and time can tell us. And both of them are not talking now.
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.
