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.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
