GECs
Zee’s new talk show ‘Wheel of Life’ will be aired on 5 of its channels
NEW DELHI: For the first time in its history, Zee TV has commenced telecast of a series which is being shown on five of its channels of which two are beamed overseas.
The 26-episode ‘Wheel of Life’ talk show is based on the book of that name by senior Uttar Pradesh Indian Administrative Service officer R K Singh.
The half-hour programme has been conceived by Sonorous Knowledge Trust and Shirdi Sai Baba Foundation headed by entrepreneur and TV personality Aushim Khetrapal.
It is being beamed at 6.30 am on Sundays on Zee News, 8.30 am on Saturdays on Zee Business, 1.30 am on Saturdays on Zee UP, and on Zee American and Zee Dubai on their general entertainment channels at 8.00 am on Friday and Sunday mornings.
With the theme song and music by Shankar Mahadevan, the series is anchored by Amrita Raichand.
Cosmology, genetics and quantum physics, and knowledge of spirituality are the base of the show, which Singh said at a press meet, has been inspired by the Upanishads and also the religious texts of all religions. However, he stressed that it was not a programme about religion or spirituality and was based more on understanding the value of life.
Answering a question, he said the Big Bang theory which was referred to in the series was not something that had come from the west, but had been talked of by Indian sages even up to the eleventh century.
Khetrapal told indiantelevision.com that the series was presently sponsored by Natural Essence among others and had reached a TRP of 0.4 in the third episode on Zee Business.
He said he had conceived the series around three years earlier when he had met Singh in UP, but the latter had to get permission from the state government for appearing on television.
Singh said he had begun by scribbling some notings based on his reading of the Upanishads in 1996 and it was only in 1999 that he began writing the book, which was published in the United States in 2005.
He had attempted to show in the series that humans were only seized with a contemporary attitude to life and were like automatons, whereas the purpose of human life was much deeper and it was necessary to understand this.
Referring to marketing of the show, Khetrapal said it was clearly not the kind of show that would pick up through promos and therefore the social media and word of mouth publicity was the best way to spread the message. But he said that several thousand calls were received almost on a daily basis. Around 25,000 mails had been received by each of the five channels.
Later, pamphlets and e-mailers would be sent and road shows held to popularise the show, he added.
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.
