GECs
Star hires programming head for Channel [V], Star Movies & Star World
Keertan Adyanthaya – ex-Mindshare Fulcrum – has joined Star India. He will be in charge of programming at Channel [V], Star Movies and Star World.
At Channel [V], Adyanthaya replaces Devika Sharma, who was vice-president, and he fills empty slots at the other two channels.
Industry sources say Sharma has no immediate plans and will be taking it easy for a while before making her next move. Adyanthaya was earlier an account director at Mindshare Fulcrum – handling among other things, the premium fabric wash brands of Hindustan Lever.
Star India COO Sameer Nair confirmed that Adyanthaya would be joining the network and said he would officially start work on 3 June.
The moves seem to be part of the organisational restructuring that Nair had said he would be instituting over the coming months whan he was elevated to COO at Star India on 10 April.
An immediate change that Nair had put in place then was to place Tarun Katial, V-P, programming Star Plus, Star Movies and Star World, solely in charge of Star Plus.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
