Cable TV
Weekend blockbuster ‘Prithviraj Chauhan’ launch set for 12 May; Star in marketing overdrive
MUMBAI: Star Plus will launch one of its biggest productions ever, the weekend blockbuster Dharti Ka Veer Yodha – Prithviraj Chauhan on Friday, 12 May at 9 pm. The serial will run Friday through Sunday with a duration of half-an-hour per episode.
Star is leaving no stone unturned to promote the historical saga. “The focus of our marketing activities will be to make viewers more familiar with Prithviraj Chauhan. People normally remember only the high points of Chauhah’s life. The marketing efforts will be to make people aware of the real character,” says Star India SVP Marketing & Communication Puneet Johar.
Apart from the obvious on-air, print, outdoors and radio promotions, Prithviraj Chauhan will have an extensive on-ground activity also – running from Rajasthan to Delhi.
“We will have a torch run ‘Prithvi Jyoti’ conducted from Rajasthan to New Delhi. The activity will culminate on 9 May in the capital with the vice president of the country addressing a gathering. The serial will be officially launched at the event,” adds Johar.
The 9 May event will showcase the Prithviraj Chauhan costumes designed by a group of young fashion designers. The music of the serial will hit the market simultaneous with its launch.
As part of the marketing activities, Star will be merchandising Prithviraj Chauhan properties — such as the weaponry — on a commercial basis later. Star is also planning to release a cartoon book based on the life and adventures of Prithviraj Chauhan.
What makes the Sagar Films-produced Prithviraj Chauhan one of the much-awaited television programmes on Indian television is the sheer size of the project. According to Sagar Films director Shakti Sagar, the costume drama was launched with a start up budget of Rs 60 million.
“The Ajmer set we erected in our Baroda film studio cost us about Rs 45 million. We have shot 50 episodes of the committed 156 episodes, which will run for a year. That means, the cost of the show will go up manifold,” says Sagar.
As part of its plans to revamp the weekend, the channel is also introducing a movie band Pus Superhits in its Sunday afternoon space, at 12 am. Star Plus will open the campaign with movies such as Viruddh, Black and Main Hoon Naa.
The entry of Prithviraj Chauhan in the weekend prime time band also triggers off a slight reshuffle in the Star Plus prime time schedule. The 9:30 pm & 10 pm Friday through Saturday slots will be occupied by the popular weekend soap Baa Bahoo aur Baby and Shanno Ki Shaadi respectively. Jodee Kamaal Ki will be shifted to the 8 pm slot on Saturday and the same slot on Sunday will be filled by Sai Baba. From 8 May onwards, prime time soaps Miilee and Kavyanjali will be telecast from Mondays to Thursdays only.
Cable TV
Hathway Cable appoints Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as CEO
Leadership change comes as cable TV faces shrinking subscriber base and modest earnings pressure
MUMBAI: Hathway Cable and Datacom has tapped industry veteran Gurjeev Singh Kapoor as chief executive officer, marking a leadership pivot at a time when India’s cable television business is under mounting strain.
Kapoor will take over from Tavinderjit Singh Panesar, who is set to retire in August after a long innings with the company. Panesar, chief executive since 2023, has held multiple leadership roles at Hathway, including his latest stint beginning in 2022.
Kapoor brings more than three decades of experience in media and entertainment. He most recently led distribution at The Walt Disney Company’s Star India business, now part of JioStar. His career spans television distribution and affiliate partnerships, with stints at Sony Pictures Networks India, Discovery Communications and Zee Entertainment.
Panesar, with over three decades in the industry, has worked across strategic planning, distribution and business development in media, broadcasting and manufacturing. His past associations include ESPN Star Sports, Star India, Apollo Tyres and JK Industries.
The transition lands as the cable sector grapples with structural disruption. Traditional operators are losing ground to streaming platforms, while telecom and broadband players tighten the squeeze with bundled offerings.
An EY report estimates India’s pay-TV base could shrink by a further 30 to 40 million households by 2030, taking the total down to 71 to 81 million. The slide follows a loss of nearly 40 million homes between 2018 and 2024, a contraction that has already wiped out more than 37,000 jobs in the local cable operator ecosystem.
Hathway’s numbers reflect the strain. The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 93 crore for FY25, down from Rs 99 crore a year earlier. Revenue inched up to Rs 2,040 crore from Rs 1,981 crore. As of December 2025, it had about 4.7 million cable TV subscribers and roughly 1.02 million broadband users.
Kapoor steps in with a familiar brief but a shrinking playbook. In a market where viewers are cutting cords faster than companies can reinvent them, the new chief executive inherits a business fighting to stay plugged in.
