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Star TV leads Malayalam, Telugu regions in BARC week 26
MUMBAI: Star TV’s regional channels Asianet and Star Maa are leading the Malayalam and Telugu languages while ZEEL’s regional channels Zee Bangla and Zee Marathi continue to rule their respective languages of Bengali and Marathi in Broadcast Audience Research Council ratings for week 26. Big Ganga has again been pushed back to second position, while Bhojpuri Cinema became number one. There wasn’t much change in the hierarchy for Kannada and Tamil with Colors Kannada and Sun TV retaining their top slots.
Bangla
This week in the Bengali market, all channels saw an increase in their gross viewership as compared to last week. Zee Bangla continued to be placed in the numero uno spot in week 26 as well with an increase in viewership from 265682 impressions (000s) as recorded last week to 291010 impressions (000s) this week. Star Jalsha too remained in the second slot with 279654 impressions (000s) followed by Jalsha Movies, Colors Bangla and Aakash Aath, who retained their third, fourth and fifth positions this week with 70701 impressions (000s), 50960 impressions (000s) and 43004 impressions (000s) respectively.
Bhojpuri
This week Bhojpuri Cinema gained the highest number of viewership with 40195 impressions (000s), while Big Ganga came second with 37069 impressions (000s). Bhojpuri Dhamaka Dishum and Oscar Movies Bhojpuri retained their third and fourth slots with 5912 impressions (000s) and 1775 impressions (000s) respectively. News 18 Bihar Jharkhand came as a new entrant in the fifth position with 1442 impressions (000s) dethroning Mahuaa Plus which was in the fifth position last week.
Marathi
This week the Marathi market didn’t notice much change. Zee Marathi continued to be placed in the number one position with 285175 impressions (000s). Zee Talkies gained second position with 145412 impressions (000s) pushing back Colors Marathi to third position with 125842 impressions (000s), followed by Star Pravah and Zee Yuva in fourth and fifth positions with 103300 impressions (000s) and 51204 impressions (000s) respectively.
Kannada
Kannada region didn’t see any change this week, however, all the channels saw an increase in their gross viewership. Colors Kannada retained its number one slot with 389352 impressions (000s), followed by Zee Kannada – 318173 impressions (000s), Udaya TV – 231290 impressions (000s), Udaya Movies – 189109 impressions (000s) and Star Suvarna – 167073 impressions (000s).
Malayalam
Malayalam market also remained unchanged this week. Asianet, the Malayalam channel of Star TV retained its number one position this week with 299372 impressions (000s). Flowers TV maintained second position 92267 impressions (000s). Surya TV and Mazhavil Manorama retained their third and fourth positions with 88243 impressions (000s) and 83197 impressions (000s) respectively. Asianet Movies remained in the fifth position with 61754 impressions (000s).
Tamil
Zee Tamil climbed up to second position with 429632 impressions (000s) pushing back Star Vijay to third position this week with 423667 impressions (000s). Sun TV and KTV held their first and fourth positions with 916957 impressions (000s) and 287961 impressions (000s). Colors Tamil retained its fifth position with 74877 impressions (000s). But this week, the all channels in this market saw an increase in their gross viewership except Colors Tamil.
Telugu
Zee Telugu and Star Maa swapped their first and second positions with total viewership of 490189 impressions (000s) and 491392 impressions (000s). Gemini TV, ETV Telugu and Gemini Movies retained their respective third, fourth and fifth positions with 400387 impressions (000s), 379331 impressions (000s) and 160935 impressions (000s).
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
