GECs
Zee accelerates growth plan for Africa, partners TNTSAT
MUMBAI: Aiming to further strengthen its presence in Africa, leading Indian content company, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) today announced its entry into the French-speaking country of Mali with the launch of its leading channels, Zee Magic and Zee Cinema on DTT network – TNTSAT Africa in Mali. Additionally, from today, ZEE Africa is partnering with the continent’s largest DTH platform, DStv for the launch of Zee Bollymovies (channel 114), a specially customized, English-dubbed, Bollywood movie channel for the African market.
ZEEL CEO – international broadcast business Amit Goenka said: “ZEE will be making further inroads into the vast continent of Africa with our entry into the French-speaking country of Mali. Sharing our existing channels – Zee Magic and Zee Cinema with new audiences is a huge achievement for us and we thank TNTSAT for allowing us to bring the best of Bollywood to all their viewers in Mali.”
Zee TV Africa CEO Harish Goyal stated: “In another major deal, within just four weeks of its launch, our 24-hour dedicated English-dubbed Bollywood movie channel, Zee Bollymovies will now be available on DStv, the largest DTH platform in Sub-Saharan Africa. ZEE has already witnessed tremendous success over the past two years on DStv with Zee World, its English-dubbed General Entertainment channel and with the addition of Zee Bollymovies on this platform, we hope to further raise the level of entertainment for our dedicated viewers.”
Zee Magic, launched in October 2015, is a General Entertainment channel dubbed in French which brings the best of Bollywood series and food shows to Francophone Africa, while Zee Cinema is a 24-hour Hindi Bollywood Movie channel catering to South Asians on the continent. In Mali, Zee Magic and Zee Cinema will be available on TNTSAT Africa in the ‘Divas offer’, a high standard package that is tailor-made for viewers.
Zee Bollymovies, a 24-hour specially customized movie channel dubbed in English, launched in January 2017 in Africa. DStv will first premiere Zee Bollymovies in South Africa and then take it to the rest of the continent to market Bollywood entertainment to Africa. With these exciting new additions from ZEE, Africa now has a first-row seat to watch the best of content – Bollywood movies, television series and food shows – that India has to offer!
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.
