GECs
Zee TV strengthens weekend with Janbaaz Sinbad
MUMBAI: The general entertainment channel of media mogul Subhash Chandra’s media conglomerate, Zee TV, is all set to take Sunday programming one notch higher with its new offering Janbaaz Sinbad at the 7pm time slot.
The new fiction show has been pitched against Star Plus’ top rated prime time soaps Saath Nibhaana Saathiya and Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. This could just be a beginning of a new era in television. So far only Star was experimenting with original content on Sunday, but with the entrance of Zee, the competition is sure to to heat up. There are other GEC’s too which are exploring weekend opportunities according to sources.
“Jointly produced by Sagar Pictures and Ashvini Yardi, Janbaaz Sinbad will be a one hour long weekend show. The show will hit TV screens from 27 December,” informed a source close to the development.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sagar Pictures producer Meenakshi Sagar said, “Janbaaz Sinbad is about the adventure of Sinbad and good versus. evil. So audiences will see a very different side through this show that they haven’t watched yet on Indian television. The fantasy and adventure genre has not been yet explored much on Indian television since a very long time, so to capture that market we came up with Sinbad.
Meenakshi informed, “It will be longer than a 45 mins show because every episode is like a movie, and that cannot be shown in a shorter duration. There is drama, adventure and action which required more than 45 mins.”
Janbaaz Sinbad is set in the realms of fictional fantasy – the story of an adventure hero on a voyage to discover the undiscovered. Sinbad the sailor gets thrown into a tumultuous journey across every sea, through dangerous face-offs with wizards, sorceresses, strange tribes and creatures. His quest is not one of tiding over the mere manifestations of evil, but uprooting evil itself.
“Advertisers are looking for eyeballs, so its up to the audience whether they accept the time band or not. As of now, in terms of viewership for early evening time slot that I can recall, the numbers are not lucrative,” said a senior media planner on the condition of anonymity. He further added, “Ads rates are based on viewership and keep changing. Higher the viewership, higher will be the ad rates.”
&TV has no original content airing on the Sunday 7pm time slot, while Life OK airs Savdhaan India: India Fights Back repeat telecast at 7pm. Sony Entertainment Television has a CID repeat telecast on during the same time band. Sab TV telecasts Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma (Repeat) and Colors starts its original programming at 8 pm time band with its new weekend fiction show Naagin.
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.
