GECs
Star poaches Sanjay Pugalia from Zee News
Star India today announced the appointment of Zee News executive editor Sanjay Pugalia as news director Star News. His appointment will be effective 1 July and he will report directly to Star News president Ravina Raj Kohli.
This the first major appointment that Kohli has made since taking charge of the Star News venture and would appear to indicate a clear focus on Hindi in the new scheme of things so as to directly take on Aaj Tak and Zee News. The speculation on what the content mix would be like languagewise has been on ever since Star announced it would be taking over the running of the channel when the present deal with Prannoy Roy’s NDTV ends in March 2003.
Asked whether Pugalia’s appointment was the clearest indicator yet of Star News shift towards Hindi, Kohli said Pugalia had been taken on not just for his background in Hindi but for his overall aptitude as far as television journalism was concerned. Queried as to whether a decision had been taken as far as the language mix was concerned, Kohli said: “I haven’t crystallised my plans on that yet.”
According to a senior executive of Zee Telefilms : “We were aware Pugalia was leaving as he had put in his papers some time back. Now we will have to rethink our strategy and look for new people and the search is on.”
In accepting the appointment Pugalia was officially quoted as saying: “It’s a great challenge to be part of a team that readies itself to establish a new news channel in a competitive environment. I feel privileged.”
Pugalia was earlier with Aaj Tak when it was a one-hour news slot on national broadcaster Doordarshan before moving to Zee News as executive editor. He has over 20 years experience in print, television and radio journalism. Pugalia has covered and written on a range of topics covering politics, and business.
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.
