GECs
UTV acquires STV Studios
MUMBAI: UTV’s post-production and special effects division, USL-WOA has acquired a specialized post-production studio, STV.
Close on the heels of acquiring Western Outdoor Advertising (WOA) earlier this year, USL has signed the management and franchising agreement with STV, says UTV Allied Content COO Sandeep Bhargava. STV, says USL, has made investments close to Rs 250 million for two high end Domino machines, plus special effects and computer graphics as well as state-of-the-art reverse telecine facilities that will allow films shot on video to be mastered on 35mm and for the big screen.
USL-WOA, so far centralized at Worli in South Mumbai will now have suburban operations too, says a company release.
“We cater to the Ad Films, Television, Broadcasting and Film Industry. Expansion was a must and with STV, we have further consolidated our market share at the same time become closer to our 150 customers located just in Bombay” adds Bhargava.
UTV now plans to further strengthen USL- Delhi and open a full-fledged branch in Chennai where UTV’s TV division is active in the Tamil space. Among the deals USL-WOA has recently closed are a Rs 40 million, three year deal for live coverage of horse races to be broadcast on Ten Sports and a Rs 30 million deal on creation of captive content for terminals for an on-line lottery company.
The company has also taken on multiple movie SFX projects, the big one being almost 22-minutes of SFX for their in-house co-produced forthcoming block buster – Lakshya, for which it has appointed two professionals from the UK and Germany to head the SFX and High End Telecine.
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.
