GECs
Star Plus reopens 5.30pm primetime band with Jana Na Dil Se Door
MUMBAI: Known for experimenting with programming strategies and bold moves, Star India’s Hindi general entertainment channel (GECs) Star Plus once again has decided to experiment with its time slot and open for early prime time programming. Starring Aparna Ghoshal, Vineet Kumar and ShilpaTulaskar in key roles, Jana Na Dil Se Door will start airing from 9 May every Monday to Sunday.
The show makers believe that love when backed with motivation, courage and confidence gives the ability to discover oneself. Jana Na Dil Se Door is Vividha’s journey in Atharva’s love, where ‘Love Empowers’. At the 5.30 pm slot the show will be pitched against the repeat telecasts of other Hindi GECs.
And it’s not the first time that the channel has opened up a new slot by extending its early prime time from 5.30 pm onwards. Last year on 15 June, the channel opened the slot for its new show Mere Angne Mein (MAM) at the 5.30pm time band.
Initially, Star Plus aired MAM for one hour, but later it changed the time slot and made it a half hour show and started airing it at 6pm. According to sources, the show at the 6.00-6.30 pm time band had failed to garner positive ratings and it had not worked well for them for combined higher prices.
Speaking with Indiantelevision.com, a media planner opines that early prime time (600- 6.30pm) rates at Star range from Rs 55-60 thousand for 10 seconds, whereas for the audience the 5.30pm slot delivers, it could easily demand a 10-second rate of Rs 34,000.
The media planning fraternity believes that the placement of a show majorly depends on the content. “Star Plus has done a lot of as a first mover’s thing and if the show is good you will find the audience. There is a sizable audience at 500 or 5.30pm, though it’s not as big as the prime time audience, but I think the slot offers a lot more potential. If the show is good then I am sure it will find the audience as well,” explains the media planner.
Another media planner adds, “Advertisers pay for the audiences and if the channel has good amount of audiences at 5.30pm, then Star Plus will get a good rate for that slot too. The entire universe watching television at that particular time slot is low, so it would be unfair to say that it might reach the level of a prime time show. But when the question comes to how much advertiser will pay, it all depends on how the show rates.”
Produced by Beyond Dreams Production, Jana Na Dil Se Door is the story of Vividha and Atharva, two distinctly different individuals, raised in completely different environments and how when they meet their world changes forever. The channel says that Jana Na Dil Se Door is a powerful story of empowerment through love.
The show is set in Ajmer Rajasthan, in a beautiful town, that is steeped in culture and social traditions that evoke strong emotional connect. The story is shot across famous places in Rajasthan such as the scenic saltpans of Sambhar, Ajmer’s holy Dargah and Jaipur’s historical Jal Mahal Lake. The show makers have recreated the popular and famous Pushkar Mela to capture the vibrant and colourful landscape of Rajasthan and its rich culture in Jana Na Dil Se Door.
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.
