GECs
Times’ WWM steps into TV prod with Jio as Filmfare wows Punjab & Femina digitises
MUMBAI: WorldWide Media (WWM) CEO Deepak Lamba had last year announced his company’s intentions to foray into TV production with a slew of productions. His wish has become a reality with the launch of the company’s first-ever chat show Famously Filmfare premiering on Jio TV today (12 May) followed by telecasts on Colors Infinity from 14 May.
Jio has created a seamless digital life experience for the Indian audience and we believe this premiere will present an exciting on-the-go experience for the movie fans. This innovation will also allow film enthusiasts to engage with their favourite stars on a variety of digital platforms, a Jio spokesperson said.
Also, with Lonely Planet and TopGear, WWM is launching its first one-of-a-kind travel and adventure series ‘Nexa Journeys on Asian Highway 1’ in association with Nexa which will be telecast on the Discovery network come 21 May 2017.
Says Lamba: “At WorldWide Media, our strategy is to be the leader in lifestyle and entertainment content. As a result, our focus is on increasing our presence in the video content and intellectual property (IP) space through long-format content, and with, Famously Filmfare, we are bringing our first such show on digital and television platforms. Soon after this, we will also be launching other versions in Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi.”
Filmfare.com generates around 25 million page views a month, and Lamba has opted to partner Jio TV for all language versions of its chat shows. He reveals that preference is being given to the media firms’ previous partners such as Star network for all its southern India chat shows.
To a question, Lamba said that through digital business they aim at trebling its profits (from 5% at present) in the next financial year. “Sixty to 70 per cent of our reach takes place through mobile devices as observed by comScore and Similarweb,” Lamba added.
The Bengali and Marathi Filmfare awards found a home on Colors Bangla and Colors Marathi while the Punjabi version was telecast on Mh1 on 28 April. He is hoping to spike Filmfare’s page impressions to 50 million impressions by the end of next year.
Amongst the other WWM properties he is also looking at extending the iconic brand Femina into video content space, which generates close to 37 million page views a month. Under this umbrella, around 60 events are held — annually. And, Lamba is hoping to add to that number in the coming year.
Says he: “We are seeking alternative revenue streams and looking for new media platforms to exploit the IPs that we have in a different way. There are different revenue streams which are traditional ad sales, event business, digital media, content syndication, TV and web shows and circulation revenue.”
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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.
