GECs
Star Vijay lines up Mani Ratnam-directed event ‘Netru Indru Naalai’
MUMBAI: Star’s Tamil channel Vijay TV is back with another event property. In association with The Banyan, a home for the mentally ill and destitute women, the channel is organizing Netru Indru Naalai 2005 – a four-hour long mélange of song, dance and absolute entertainment.
The event is a musical extravaganza on the lines of a Broadway musical, directed by ace film director Mani Ratnam with the theme ‘neetru’ (yesterday), ‘indru’ (today) and ‘naalai’ (tomorrow) showcasing Tamil cinema through the ages.
Popular art director Sabu Cyril renders the sets designed to recreate the era that is sure to mesmerize the crowd. State of the art lighting & pyrotechnics by ace lensman & award winning director Rajiv Menon, with over a 100 dancers on one stage and some of the biggest stars in Tamil filmdom, perform bringing to life those magical celluloid moments on stage, states an official release.
The event will also witness musician AR Rahman composing a special tune for The Banyan. Rahman will perform at the event also.
The show scheduled on August 2005 is to be held at the Krishna Gardens, Chennai, from 6:30 pm onwards. The channel will telecast the event end August, in two episodes of two hours each.
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.
