GECs
Star Bharat experiments with early morning slot
MUMBAI: Star Bharat is all set to experiment with weekend morning slot by launching a three-hour programming band from 5 August. The channel won’t air original programming but will broadcast its library content. The channel will telecast three mythological shows. The new time band will start at 7 am with Siya Ke Ram, followed by Mahabharat at 8 am and Devon Ke Dev Mahadev at 9 am.
Siya Ke Ram and Devon Ke Dev …Mahadev were produced by Nikhil Sinha under the banner of Triangle Film Company. The former presents the epic Ramayana from Sita’s perspective. It was originally aired in November 2015 and went off-air in November 2016. Mahadev originally premiered on 18 December 2011 and was one of the longest-running shows on Life OK (now Star Bharat). It was dubbed into several languages and ran until 14 December 2014 for a total of 820 episodes. The series revolves around the legend of Lord Shiva.
Swastik Productions’ Mahabharat originally aired from September 2013 till August 2014. The mythological television drama series was based on the Sanskrit epic with the same name.
Star Bharat replaced Life Ok from 28 August 2017 with the launch of five new shows besides Life OK’s Savdhaan India. During its launch, the channel had three hours of fictional programming on the weekday and an hour of weekend programming.
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.
