GECs
Celestial Stars named after your Favorite Zee TV stars!
Mumbai: Over the past 30 years, Zee TV has become an integral part of millions of households across India. The channel continues to bring its viewers stories on subjects close to their hearts and introduces them to characters that become their favorite dinner table companions! Zee TV is known as much for its streak of innovation in terms of out-of-the-box marketing and consumer connect initiatives as it is for its engaging content. The latest initiative that Zee TV has embarked on is having real stars in the sky registered and named after its most iconic on-screen Jodis from shows such as Kundali Bhagya, Kumkum Bhagya, Bhagya Lakshmi, Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan and Meet. This industry-first initiative is an endeavor to acknowledge the sheer love and adulation that these popular jodis enjoy and immortalize them in a unique way.
In fact, Zee TV recently conducted a poll on social media where fans had to choose their Top five favourite Jodis, basis which the on-screen pairs were shortlisted for star-name registration. The popular Jodis – Kumkum Bhagya’s Prachi and Ranbir, Kundali Bhagya’s Preeta and Karan, Bhagya Lakshmi’s Lakshmi and Rishi, Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan’s Radha and Mohan, along with Meet: Badlegi Duniya Ki Reet’s Meet and Meet were conferred with certificates showcasing the real stars that were named after them.
Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle said, “Our audiences are deeply immersed and invested in the journeys of our protagonists. What better way to celebrate this love than to immortalize it through naming celestial stars after some of our most popular jodis. In fact, given how touched our artistes are by this endeavour, the idea is to name stars after the lead pairs of all our shows that complete 300 episodes in the days to come, so they can join the ranks of these ‘star’ couples.”
All of these Jodis share palpable on-screen chemistry and are loved by the audience. While viewers can’t wait to see Prachi and Ranbir resolve their differences and reunite, Radha and Mohan, on the other hand, share a devotional connection where Radha literally worships Mohan. While Lakshmi and Rishi are each other’s heartbeat and Meet – Meet share a sweet fun-loving chemistry, Preeta and Karan make the audience believe in the concept of eternal love.
Preeta (Shraddha Arya) from Kundali Bhagya said, “Preeta-Karan are what they are because of our fans. And for Zee TV to recognize this love and have stars named after our jodi is such a beautiful gesture. I am overwhelmed and will cherish this forever.”
As Kumkum Bhagya’s Prachi (Mugdha Chaphekar) and Ranbir (Krishna Kaul) said, “This is one of the most novel initiatives that we have seen a channel undertake. Ranbir and Prachi’s love story is eternal and naming a star after us and the other popular Jodis is truly never heard of. This concept is so unique that we never thought something like this could happen for real. However, we are truly grateful as our love story has an even bigger meaning now.”
Bhagya Lakshmi’s Lakshmi (Aishwarya Khare) and Rishi (Rohit Suchanti) added, “We believe that this is an amazing step by the channel to recognize the viewer’s favorite onscreen couples by registering real stars after them. It is indeed an honor for us to be shortlisted, and that too by our fans. The characters of Lakshmi and Rishi have been very close to us since day one, and now this iconic Jodi and their love story have a real star named after them, it cannot get better than this.”
Meet: Badlegi Duniya Ki Reet’s Meet (Ashi Singh) added, “It is a surreal feeling that our work is acknowledged in such a grand manner that real stars have been registered after our characters. We are grateful to Zee TV and our viewers for loving our Jodi and showering us with loads of love.”
Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan’s Radha (Neeharika Roy) and Mohan (Shabir Ahluwalia) said, “All of our fans and viewers have showered our Jodi with loads of love since day one and this is the epitome of appreciation and admiration for the work that we do. It is an absolutely overwhelming feeling, which cannot be expressed in words.”
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.
