GECs
Zee Astitva Awards honour women achievers
MUMBAI: Ladies and… more ladies were there to finally get credit for outstanding work they’ve been doing all along.
The occasion was Zee Astitva awards, instituted by Zee TV in association with Mumbai-based Archana Trust Suburban, to celebrate womanhood and felicitate Indian women for their contribution to society. In a glittering ceremony in Mumbai at the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA), women who had made their mark in different walks of life were felicitated by the channel with Zee Astitva awards. Their presence saw some of the hosts and presenters deliberately avoiding the ‘Gentlemen’ part handing out the customary salutation!
Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen won the “Zee Woman of the Year” award while Simone Tata took home the “Kellogg’s Woman of the Year” award. Ekta Kapoor, Swati Piramal, Mallika Srinivasan, Kalpana Morparia, Sania Mirza, Meera Borwankar, Ashwini Bhide, Usha Barwale, Bharati Shivaji, Kishori Amonkar and Tasneem Raja were given awards in diverse fields like healthcare, TV, business, banking and finance, sports, civil services, performing arts, science and technology. Special awards were given to Renu Kundal (Dy SP Jammu), Anuradha Lohia (scientist) and Madhu Singhal (school for the blind) for their work.
Speaking on the occasion, Zee TV business head Abhijit Saxena said, Zee Astitva Awards is a unique property instituted, to recognise exemplary women in society.
“For any general entertainment channel women are its core audiences. An award ceremony like Zee Astitva Awards makes our bond with our main audience stronger. This is a small effort to celebrate and encourage the versatile role of women in Indian society.”
Kellogg’s India MD K Venkatachalam said, “We are pleased to be associated with this event, aimed at felicitating women from all spheres of life and paying tribute to the undying spirit of today’s woman.”
The Astitva Award jury comprised Rajshree Birla, Simone Tata, Neeta Ambani, Simi Garewal, Divya Seth, Ashwini Yardi (Programming Head, Zee TV) and Anita Raj.
Dignitaries like Subhash Chandra, Pradeep Guha, Subhash Ghai, Ajay Piramal, Rajashri Birla, Kumarmangalam Birla, Neeta Ambani, Sushmita Sen, Simone Tata, Arti and Kailash Surendranath, Anil Kapoor, Sunil Gavaskar, Ismail Darbar, Shobha De, Sania Mirza and Saurav Shukla were present at the function. A special telecast of these awards will take place exclusively on Zee TV on 23 April at 8:00 PM
Zee Network CMD Subhash Chandra with Sania Mirza
The ceremony hosted by Cyrus Sahukar and CO-hosted by Gurdeep Kohli, Chavi Mittal, Deepa Parab and Kulraj Randhawa kept the audiences entertained.
The fusion music of Sivamani and Raghav, one-liners of Shekhar Suman, dance performances by the gorgeous Dia Mirza and the winners of India’s Best Aditi Sharma and Sarwar Ahuja and the melodious singing of Richa Sharma and Mehnaz added the excitement and glamour to the evening.
Also present at the award ceremony were many small screen stars including Niki Aneja Walia, Tanvi Azmai, Divya Seth, Akashdeep Sehgal, Mansi and Rohit Roy, Tisca Chopra, Sangeeta Ghosh, Shweta Salve, Annu Kapoor, Simone Singh, Kushal Punjabi, Rajeshwari and Varun Badola.
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.
