Factual
Discovery Channel to air ‘Revealed: Siachen’
MUMBAI: The Siachen glacier located at the Karakoram range in the Himalayas is the world’s highest and coldest battleground with army posts at over 21,000 feet. To stay atop on this 77 kilometers long glacier at 5,400 meters altitude means the Indian soldiers have to defy all their physical, mental and emotional limits to safeguard the motherland.
Celebrating Army Day on 15 January and honoring the heroism and sacrifice of the Indian soldiers posted at the world’s most treacherous war zone, Discovery Channel will premiere Revealed: Siachen on 26 January 2016 at 9 pm.
The one hour special Revealed: Siachen will take viewers through the extreme frontline in the world and what it takes to keep the Siachen glacier secure and peaceful. It will present the remarkable chronicles of the soldiers and their formidable challenges to manage the battlefield where temperatures reach minus 60 degrees.
Commenting on the programme, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific executive vice president and general manager South Asia Rahul Johri said, “Revealed: Siachen is dedicated to every Indian soldier for their velour and sacrifice for the motherland. The program will offer viewers first-hand testimonies from the soldiers who have been at the battlefront and will present some intriguing facts to understand what makes Siachen toughest terrain in the world.”
According to Col Narendra Kumar, first surveyor of Siachen for the Indian Army, “Siachen Glacier will always be one of the most compelling experiences for me and to my mind for all the Indian soldiers who have served tours of duty there. I am delighted to associate with Discovery Channel to experientially enable viewers to get a feel of the world’s toughest and coldest battleground through the experiences of those currently serving there, something that is not very frequently seen on Indian television.”
Indian Army maintains a permanent military presence in the region and they are in a constant fight against nature, a fight for oxygen on icy mountain peaks at an altitude of 21,000 feet. The programme will give viewers an exclusive access to the intriguing facts about the extensive training in high altitude survival, rescue methods and excavation skills that soldiers undergo.
Revealed: Siachen will narrate the first assault launched in the world’s highest battlefield, Operation Meghdoot in 1984 and the ceasefire in 2003. Starting from Col Narendra Kumar, a highly acclaimed mountaineer who led the first Indian expedition to survey the Siachen glacier in June 1978 to Honorary Capt Bana Singh who captured a crucial post in Siachen to Major Amit Aukta, Capt Deepshikha Pandey from the Army Medical Corps, Major Vikalp Sharma from the Army Aviation Corps and Col Hariharan, Base Commander at the Siachen Base Camp among others will recount their operations on land and in air under the Operation Meghdoot.
Revealed: Siachen will also premiere on Discovery Tamil and Discovery HD World at 9 pm.
MUMBAI: India’s most famous hot seat is about to welcome an unlikely first-timer. For the first time on Hindi general entertainment television, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will appear on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the iconic quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
The special episode marks a rare meeting point of boardroom heft and prime-time television, bringing one of India’s most influential business leaders face to face with the country’s most enduring screen legend. It is a crossover that blends intellect, leadership and popular culture, all under KBC’s familiar spotlight.
Birla’s appearance dovetails neatly with the show’s current theme, Jahaan Akal Hai, Wahan Akad Hai, which celebrates the confidence that comes from clarity of thought and knowledge. His presence lends weight to the idea that sharp thinking and conviction are as vital in life as they are in the quiz chair.
In a thoughtful conversation with Bachchan, Birla shared an upbeat view of India’s economic journey, pointing to the nation’s rapid growth and the scale of opportunity opening up across industries and communities. He spoke of momentum, ambition and a future shaped by enterprise and ideas.
The episode is not all serious talk. In lighter moments, Birla confessed his long-standing admiration for Bachchan, calling him his favourite actor and admitting to a touch of nervousness at answering questions in front of the Shahenshah himself. The candour adds a human touch to a man more often seen in headlines than on television sets.
The special episode airs on Monday, 29 December at 9.00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
