News Broadcasting
UTV’s Mehta predicts return of the aggressive woman on TV
MUMBAI: Tulsi is on her way out. Or so UTV director Zarina Mehta believes.
The next two years, said Mehta at a workshop on gender representation in media, will belong to comedy and the return of the aggressive heroine on television. “In the early days, we had the rebel female, so well typified by Shanti. From 2000 on, we were inundated with the wife with the adulterous husband, from where we progressed to characters with shades of grey (Saaya was a good example).
The last two years however, have belonged to the do gooder Tulsi and Parvati stereotypes, says Mehta. The last two years have also seen the straitjacketing of female characters, both in terms of clothes and moral values. “The heroine has constantly been under the magnifying glass,” she says.
Soaps like Kyunki and Bhabhi, on the other hand, have ridden the crest of the wave as they have struck an emotional chord with viewers, for want of better choice. The elderly, for want of company, are increasingly left alone with the television and derive satisfaction in viewing serials where the grandparents enjoy benefits they don’t in real life, points out Mehta.
Countering criticism of soaps that play out ideal families, Mehta cites the example of UTV’s Kehta Hai Dil, a weekly on Star Plus that started out with a storyline replete with realistic characters including a career oriented doctor with a policeman for a husband. The plot didn’t work and the TRPs faltered till the production house turned the storyline around and converted into a family drama.
Mehta however believes that television changes radically every two years and that the tide is turning in favour of more comedy and the aggressive heroine again. “Our research during 2000-2002 showed that women believed that they would like to be like Tulsi, while conversely, men wished their wives could like Tulsi, but knew that they weren’t.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
