GECs
Xerox India’s Rohit Gupta appointed sales head at Sony Entertainment
Six months after former Sony Entertainment International president Michael Grindon initiated a “rightsizing exercise” in Sony Entertainment Television that swept away a number of high profile executives, the first replacement appointment has been made.
Coming in place of marketing and sales head Kacon Sethi (she was managing director of sister channel SET MAX as well at the time) is Rohit Gupta – previously executive director, industry solutions operations, Xerox Modicorp.
Gupta’s brief, outside of pushing ad sales for SET, will be to get the most out of the ICC cricket rights that Sony has acquired.
Gupta, who has been appointed executive vice-president – sales & revenue management, has been with Xerox for 18 years, right from its inception in India. Gupta comes into SET with no prior media exposure but that, according to SET CEO Kunal Dasgupta, can actually work as an advantage as he can provide a fresh perspective.
Gupta’s marks the first appointment from outside to replace any of the high-profile departures like former COO Rajesh Pant, programming head Rekha Nigam, senior V-P corporate development Anand Desai and V-P – MAX, Prashant Sanwal.
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.
