GECs
Zee TV revamps new season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; to air from 26 March
MUMBAI: Zee TV announced the revamp of one of its most popular homegrown talent showsSa Re Ga Ma Pawhich completed 20 years recently. The talent show helped enrich the Indian music fraternity with gems from its homegrown talent pool.
The channels has roped in Amul as the title sponsor, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is powered by Flipkart’ and driven by Hyundai. Also Zee TV is hoping for another co-powered by sponsor for the show. Starting from 26 March, the show will be aired at 9:30pm.
The channel has relaunched Sa Re Ga Ma Pa with new logo and a new concept. For the first time ever, a panel of 30 jury members who are experts from the music fraternity, will closely assess aspiring singers’ right from the audition stage and help the mentors in the selection process. The jury represents different components of today’s music scene from DJs and music producers to singers, arrangers and lyricists.
Talking with Indiatelevision.com, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “The format has grown with the aegis and the engagement of the industry and for the mentors. For us Sa Re Ga Ma Pa doesn’t live for three months, it lives for the ages. Singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Divya, KunalGanjawala, ShekharRavjiani, Bela Shende, Sanjivani, Kamal Khan are the brands for us. This year’s there is very conscious participative opportunity in the show based on ability. For example,a music director will look at things very differently. It’s just not the voice that matters it’s the art of putting all things together that is important. Hence we thought that the jury will be the part of the show as the mentors will be sharpening them and then they will be evaluated by the jury. So that’s the balance we want to keep this time.”
The channel has also introduced the 100 sec clock in the show.“It’s very important for a person to understand that time is precious. People needs to value time, talent and need to give their best performance in those 100 secs. Times don’t wait for anybody. There will be no retakes or second chance as they get enough time to rehearse,” adds Hejmadi.
The mentors include the Dabangg duo from BollywoodSajid-Wajid and the affable, endearing and multiple award-winning Pritam Chakraborty who’s known to constantly offer opportunities to young newcomers. Joining them for the very first time on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is the king of Indi-Pop and Bollywood playback, the performer par excellence – Mika Singh. The young and charming Aditya Narayan groomed in a family with great musical lineage, returns to host the upcoming season.
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa will also be available on its digital platform Ditto TV and OZEE.
At 9.30pm, the show will be pitched against Sony Entertainment Television’s upcoming comedy show with comedy king Kapil Sharma which will go live from 23 April at 9 pm on weekends.
“India’s Best Dramebaaz has done really well for the channel. Once people get attached to a particular show then they will find time to watch the show. So channels will come and go and some new shows will come but certain shows will always stays. Zee has been the pioneer in this format, its first one to start in the industry and we have a very powerful run,”said Hejmadi further.
The channel has aggressive promotion plans for one of its most popular shows. “Digital will remain the important part of promotions. We will be unleashing the brand campaign with the core brand of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. After that we will go into the components to showcase what goes in the show and what will be different in the it,” informedHejmadi.
Zee TV is also planning to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international. “Music is a form of expression. In India we recite different kinds of songs and so in any other country. What we intend to do is to showcase some of the fabulous talent and get out in those market and do the local version of Sa ReGa Mas. Every SaReGaMa has to start at very particular level. There is intent to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international with a local version rather then bring international participants here, informed Hejmadi.
Essel Vision Productions Limited business head Akash Chawla, said, “The auditions across 14 cities have given us some spectacular talent spanning varied genres of music and we look forward to a great season. This season marks a strong differentiator for Sa Re Ga Ma as we introduce a new format. We have enlisted the support of 30 music connoisseurs – experts in the music fraternity who will aid the selection process right from the outset. This will be the first time that a singing reality show will have a jury of experts beyond its mentors to arrive at the finest talent. One singer will be evaluated from 30 different perspectives of music. So, the challenge for each aspirant only gets tougher.”
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.
