GECs
‘Tsunami: Animal Instincts’ to premier on Animal Planet
MUMBAI: Did the animals know that the tsunami was coming? How do animals react when a natural disaster strikes? For answers to these questions, an Animal Planet team investigated animal behaviour before, during and after the tsunami disaster.
The channel will present the findings in its premiere programme Tsunami: Animal Instincts. The one-hour programme will premiere on Animal Planet on 27 June at 11 pm.
Featuring videos and stories, interviews with scientists and conservationists, eyewitness accounts, original footage from the tsunami-struck countries and archival footage from the channel, Tsunami: Animal Instincts tells the story of how different animal species sounded the alarm much before the killer waves struck.
The programme features astonishing survival stories, like the divers in Thailand who were guided to safety by dolphins. Tsunami: Animal Instincts also highlights the manner in which people and animals worked together during the tsunami tragedy to help one another.
Discovery Networks India brand director Raja Balasubramanian, “It turns out that technology may not be a match for animal instinct. Animal instincts and senses proved
to be far more effective than any man-made warning system.
“Humans also have an intuitive side, but we often cloud it by our intellect. We tend to rationalise things, while an animal senses something and simply reacts to it.”
“Examining the animal behaviour, the programme uncovers how birds, elephants, reptiles and other animals can detect an impending natural catastrophe. It also provides a deeper understanding and appreciation of animal instinct, teaching us what we can learn from them to safeguard our future,” he added.
Tsunami Animal Instincts is narrated by Animal Planet’s Lyndal Davies.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
