GECs
Zee takes ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ to regional markets; Marathi version set to launch
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms is taking its successful music talent hunt property Sa Re Ga Ma Pa to the regional markets. To start with, Zee Marathi will launch Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on 18 September, while plans are getting formalised to launch the format in Zee Bangla later this year.
“The original Sa Re Ga Ma Pa format will be re-launched in Marathi with some slight variations. The hunt, participated by 32 contestants, will run 39 episodes and the finals will be held on 26 January 2007. Zee Marathi will telecast the two-hour final episode live,” states Zee Marathi, Bangla & Gujarati business head Nitin Vaidya.
The programme will run on Monday and Tuesday at 10 pm as half-hour episodes. The Monday episode will be a performance episode, while on Tuesdays it will deal with the elimination process.
SMS interactivity will be introduced in the format from the 32nd episode. The popular vote will be clubbed with the jurys’ decision to decide the episode winners. The final winner will be decided entirely on the basis of viewer opinion.
Out of 5000 applicants, 32 contestants have been shortlisted from auditions held in Mumbai, Pune, Nasik and Kolhapur.
Popular television personality Pallavi Joshi will anchor the music show for Zee Marathi. The channel has opted for Marathi music director, an ex-Sa Re Ga Ma Pa winner Avdoot Gupte and the popular Marathi playback singer Devki Pandit to be the permanent judges in the contest.
The show will have celebrity guest appearances as special jury in its advanced stages. “For example, the 16th and 17th episodes will have artists from popular Zee Marathi soaps entering the show as special jury members,” offers Vaidya.
Zee has roped in Idea Cellular as the main sponsor of the property. According to Vaidya, the winner will not only get a chance to perform in the 2007 Zee Gaurav Puraskaar but will also get a flat in Talegaon from the associate sponsor, the real estate firm Disha Direct.
Zee has already kicked off the on-air promotions of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on its network channels. “The outdoors and other marketing activities will begin in a week’s time,” Vaidya says.
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.
