GECs
Hindi GECs lend colour to Holi celebrations
MUMBAI: Squirt coloured water on your friends and dear ones or smear their faces with Gulaal… anything goes for it’s that time of the year when you can say, “Bura na maano, holi hai”.
With the festival of colours just round the corner, Hindi GECs are going hammer and tongs to jump into the Holi revelry. Kick-starting the celebrations will be Colors’ ‘Beintehaan Jazbaat Ke Rang’ on 15 March from 7.30 to 9pm. The show will bring together protagonists of Colors’ many shows such as Bani- Ishq Da Kalma, Uttaran, Balika Vadhu, Beintehaan and Rangarasiya. Among a slew of performances, Sunny Leone, who stars in Balaji Motion Pictures’ upcoming Ragini MMS 2, will be seen shaking a leg to the films hit number, Baby Doll.
Zee TV will air a three-hour special titled Zee ‘Holi Mahotsav- Ladakpan ke suhaane’ rang on 16 March at 6pm and 17 March at 4pm. The Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke team will invite other Zee artistes to celebrate Holi in the Benares style while audiences will be given a sneak peek into celebrations in other states of the country including UP, Punjab and Rajasthan. Hasya kavi Surendra Sharma will grace the event that will also witness performances by on-screen couples such as Jodha-Akbar and Zoya-Asad.
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Says Zee TV programming head Namit Sharma: “This year, the Holi Mahotsav on Zee will be a celebration of the sheer diversity of content we offer as a broadcaster. The grand revelry with colors will be in Benares where the Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke family invites artistes of all our other primetime shows to join in. Showcasing the various styles in which Holi is celebrated across different Indian states, we’ll have beautiful acts that represent the country’s vibrant cultural canvas.”
As for Star Plus, the channel is all set for a waterless Holi on 17 March at 12.30pm with ‘Masti Gulal Ki’, a two-hour-long celebration highlighting the importance of conserving water while keeping the fun element intact. Produced by Frames Productions, the show will be hosted by real-life couple Jennifer Winget and Karan Singh Grover with Ritvik and Asha, Ravi and Sargun, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Digangna Suryavanshi (Veera), Sayantani Ghosh, MJ 5 and Krushna Abhishek joining in the celebrations.
Star Plus SVP and programming strategy Nikhil Madhok says: “Star Plus’s initiative of a waterless, environment-friendly Holi is in perfect sync with our core philosophy of Nayi Soch. Holi this year coincides with World Water Day, so the message becomes even more relevant. Masti Gulal ki will show how Holi can be great fun even without the use of water. It will be a really entertaining event.”
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According to Frames Productions founder Hemant Ruprell, it took almost three weeks to put together the show. “It is a message. We are heading toward summer and with the kind of drought in so many parts of India, we thought we would do it differently this time and send out a message to people that celebration of Holi is about colors and not necessarily asking for 20-25 water tankers. We wanted to go waterless, but wanted to make it as colorful and dynamic,” he says. “Unlike others, we have done a proper stage event for Holi and not in a fictionalized manner.”
Star Plus’ sister channel, Life OK, will telecast ‘Holi Hain… Life OK Hain’ on 17 March at 8 pm. Bharti Singh and Karan Kundra will be the hosts while Savdhaan India presenters Sushant Singh and Pratyusha Banerjee will join in the festivities and talk about women’s safety on the occasion of Holi.
Vibhav Roy and Parvati Sehgal (Gustakh Dil) will showcase fun acts, while Gaurav Bajaj and Sukirti Kandpal ( Kaisa Ye Ishq Hai)) will recreate romance on the small screen. The star performer will be Yo Yo Honey Singh and the music will get a comic tadka as Yo Yo Honey Singh and Bharti Singh slug it out in a Punjabi versus Bhojpuri rap.
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On Sony Entertainment Television, there will be Holi integrations on three shows – Ekk Nayi Pehchaan, Boogie Woogie and CID.
During the 16 March episode of Boogie Woogie, along with performances by the top six contestants, hosts Sargun and Rakshit will perform on the song Balam Pichkari from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. They will be later joined by the judges and there will be performances on songs like Holi Khele Raghuveera from Baghban and Do me a favour let’s play Holi from Waqt-The Race Against Time.
Ek Nayi Pehchaan will see the entire Modi family gather under one roof to celebrate the festival on 17 and 18 March. As for CID, there will be a special one-hour episode on 17 March at 9 pm, replacing the two daily soaps, Nandini and Jee Le Zara.
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Sony Entertainment Television SVP head-marketing Gaurav Seth says: “A lot of the channels use these special days for topical value and obviously, cultural festivals hold a big place in the Indian family. Viewers like to see their favourite characters mirroring their own lives. It is good for us to have those special events.”
As for Sony’s sister channel, Sab, this year, it will celebrate a Bollywood-style Holi with all of its actors on 17 March at 9pm. ‘Sab Ki Filmy Holi’ will ensure that viewers shake a leg alongside as they watch it with their family.
The lovable small screen couple, Daya and Jetha, will anchor the show that will see performances by Daya – Jetha, Taarak – Anjali, Bhide – Madhavi, BabitaIyer, Indu-Mukundi, Koel-Ghotak, Jeannie-Juju, Bagha-Bavri, Chukku-Lily and Machli-Kapi. While gags by Aamir Ali, Sayantani, Kamya Punjabi, Kiku Sharda and Rajesh Thakur will tickle the viewers’ funny bone.
On-screen celebration of festivals such as holi help these channels make a stronger connect with their audiences.
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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.
