GECs
Zee enters pageant arena with Teen Queen contest
Watch out Femina Miss India, there is competition on the horizon. The Zee Network has announced plans to foray into one as yet unexplored arena – the Teen Queen Pageant – aimed at youth, the core demographic group where the craze of beauty pageants rages the most.
Organised for the first time in India, Zee’s Teen Queen pageant will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New Delhi on Sunday, 12 August, 2001.
The event plans to unfold in three stages over the next year, according to a company release. In the second stage, scheduled for October this year, an India World Teen Queen will be chosen from amongst contestants of Indian origin from 24 countries where there is a substantial NRI population. The final stage will see the World Teen Queen pageant being staged on a world canvas with representatives from the various countries participating.
“At Zee today, we are strongly focused on youth related initiatives and the India Teen Queen contest is in keeping with that focus. As a satellite television channel spanning 15 channels, and with a presence in 80 countries, we have a constant requirement for new talent. The India Teen Queen in its various avatars will help us to identify and nurture talent from across the world,” says group broadcasting CEO Sandeep Goyal.
The India Teen Queen is being developed as an exclusive and unique property, says the release. Zee Network has already started receiving requests to host the forthcoming India World Teen Queen Pageant from Canada, United Kingdom and United States of America, the release adds.
Pantene is sponsoring the inaugural event. Twenty-two teens between the ages of 17 and 19 from across India are expected to participate in five separate rounds. The first round is the Body Fit round, followed by a Talent (VeeJay) round, a Trendy Hair round and an Attire round.
The final round will be an audio-visual round where the contestants will be posed questions by the panel of judges consisting of cine star Neena Gupta, designer Rocky S, actress Rinkee Khanna, musician L. Subramanium, and Maruti Udyog’s Japanese Director, J. Sugimori.
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.
