GECs
‘Vishkanya’ spawns two new tales on &TV & Colors, period drama on Star Plus in making
MUMBAI: New content, different styles of story-telling, mythology-based programmes and old wine in new bottle — have all done reasonably well on the Indian television from time to time. Now, Peninsula Pictures, the makers of Vishkanya, is bringing ‘Shree Krishna’, albeit with a twist in the original tale, and Dev Anand, a detective series.
Peninsula co-founders Nissar Parvez and Alind Srivastava told Indiantelevision.com that their year-long ‘Paramavtar Shree Krishna’, a mythological show, will be aired on &TV from 19 June, and the 26-episodic ‘Dev Anand’ will be aired on Colors in July. “We are working on another show with Star Plus (reportedly a period drama of a king and its three daughters), shooting for which will start soon,” Parvez and Srivastava said.
“We have treated the legendary character of Kans with a fresh perspective. Kans has always been portrayed as a ‘cruel character’ from the maternal side of Lord Krishna, but we are presenting him as an entertaining character,” Parvez and Srivastava said.
“Dev Anand is an interesting show — the past story of his life will be revealed as we go ahead episode after episode. In every episode, he handles a new case. There is also an inbuilt story there which reveals as to how he became a detective — so, there are a lot of twists and turns in the show,” Parvez and Srivastava informed.
The Peninsula Pictures’ duo said: “Shree Krishna’s story revolves around the life of Krishna. It focuses on Radha differently. But, we are primarily focusing on the journey of Krishna — the reason behind his birth, what was going on the earth that warranted a new avatar to come, and how this incarnation is different from other avatars.”
Whether mythology and fantasy concepts work in India, the duo replied in the affirmative. “They work in India, especially since we have improveed a lot in terms of VFX and other technology. The visuals now are real and believable. So, it works and also excites the youth.”
Parvez, who once worked with Four Lions Productions and Gul Khan, later founded Peninsula with Srivastava, to explore things on his own. Vishkanya, Peninsula’s first show to hit the screens, that had different kind of graphics and visual effects, was a story of a female protagonist who was drawn into revenge in the midst of a blossoming love story. The show, which was launched on Zee TV on 28 March in 6.30pm band from Monday-Friday, failed to garner positive ratings. According to BARC data, in week 18, the show garnered 2029 Impressions’ 000s whereas, in week 19, the channel witnessed a slight hike, but, in week 20 and 21, ratings nosedived with 1648 Impressions ‘000s and 1347 Impressions ‘000s, respectively.
“It was an experiment — It didn’t work. Although it ran for five to six months, we think the time slot was too early for this kind of a story. If it would have been telecast in prime time, probably there could have been a different outcome. Some things work, some don’t, but it’s always good to learn and not repeat.”
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.
