Category: TV Channels

Maniesh Paul unveils Nana Saheb Peshwa II’s notorious turn in the ‘History Hunter’ episode

Mumbai: An enthralling finale of ‘History Hunter’ awaits viewers as Maniesh Paul takes on his final quest of the current season, focusing on Nana Saheb Peshwa II, the forgotten hero of 1857. Having started as an ally of the British government, Nana Saheb soon developed remorse when he was refused pension and jagir (Inheritance of land) after the passing of his father Peshwa Bajirao II. The scenarios led him to act against the British in what would be known as the Kanpur massacre.

Viewers will witness how Nana Saheb strategically lured the British into striking a deal, leading them to Satti Chaura ghat where he unleashed an attack upon them, killing more than 400 citizens. Theories suggest that Nana Saheb claimed that his initial plan was to help the British army but he was threatened with his life being taken by the rebels.

The episode will also showcase the escape planned by Nana Saheb Peshwa II while highlighting the importance of the Naulakha Haar of the Mughal dynasty and how it helped him enter Nepal. The British army never managed to capture Nana Saheb though they did discover treasures hidden by him that amounted to more than Rs 1400 crore in today’s day and age.

Nana Saheb Peshwa II’s final days remain a mystery to date. Some experts claim that he died of malaria fever while others continued to report spotting him in regions including Mecca, the Middle East, and Russia, among other territories. The British eventually closed his file in 1896 due to a lack of evidence of him being alive.

Witness the life story of Nana Saheb Peshwa II in the final episode of ‘History Hunter, on 8 January 2024 at 9 PM on Discovery+ and Discovery Channel.

January 4, 2024
Top NRI athletes welcome PM Modi’s vision for Pravasi Sports

Mumbai: Indian golf legend Arjun Atwal has welcomed honourable prime minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Pravasi Sports. Atwal, who is the only Indian to win on the coveted PGA Tour, shared his thoughts with the Holistic International Pravasi Sports Association (HIPSA), the first organization to be exclusively set up with an aim to promote and ‘Integrate’ PravasiBhartiya youth with their motherland through the medium of Sports.

Speaking from his home in the USA, Atwal further said, “I have always appreciated PM Modi and this vision of Pravasi Sports has a special significance for me and my family. I’m still playing golf and have another five years to go and I would be delighted to play in India. Both my sons are basketball players and we as a family would be elated if they can come and play in India and connect back to their roots. Going forward, a Pravasi vs Nivasi competition would be even more exciting to have.”

HIPSA is planning several tournaments involving overseas Indian youth and recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Haryana government for the development and promotion of Kabaddi, in particular focussing on overseas Indian women Kabaddi players. The ultimate aim being to push for the inclusion of Kabaddi in the Summer Olympics.

Pravasi Sports Leagues in Women’s Kabaddi & Cricket are also in the plans for 2024 and the captain of the 2012 U-19 ICC World Cup winning Indian cricket team Unmukt Chand, is among its first backers. The cricketer who now plies his trade in the USA, said, “The Prime Minister’s vision for sports competitions for PravasiBharatiyas is very inspiring and gives us all a chance to stay connected to our roots. The concept of a Pravasi Sports League is very promising, especially as it promotes fitness, enthusiasm and the spirit of reconnecting to your motherland.”

The prime minister back in 2019 in a meeting with the sports fraternity, had envisioned and had desired to find a way to conduct Sports competitions for talented Pravasi Bharatiya youth in India.

Earlier in 2017, addressing the 14th edition of the PravasiBharatiya Divas in Bengaluru, Modi had said, “I welcome all young Pravasis. You must stay connected with India and return over and over again. This is your home.”

Recently, All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey, had revealed that they were looking to approach 24 Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) to explore the possibility of them being selected for national duty. However, dual citizenship still remains a contentious issue and the need for an initial bridge between talented overseas Indian athletes engaging through sport with their country of origin seemed to be the need of the hour.

HIPSA, through its objectives, will look to act as that bridge and try and give talented overseas youth a first feel of playing regularly in India.

January 4, 2024
RT India brings its first multi-stage integrated advertising campaign

Mumbai: RT India has launched its first major multi-stage integrated India-wide advertising campaign, challenging geopolitical assumptions and the mainstream media’s narratives on India.

The provocative out-of-home, online and print campaign involves an array of billboard advertising, bespoke bus and taxi wraps, print ads in newspapers, airport takeovers and an array of other formats, nationwide.

The first stage of the two-stage campaign initially poses thought-provoking open questions including: ‘Why does the West still see India as a third-world country?’ , ‘Should Europe’s problems be India’s problems?’, and ‘Why won’t Britain return the Koh-I-Noor diamond?’. These questions are targeted at the root of broad geopolitical national discussions.

“RT India has always sought to tackle head-on the entrenched and pervasive assumptions of Western establishments’ on India and the Global South at large.”, said RT deputy editor-in-chief Anna Belkina. “Our first nationwide campaign in India shows that we are here to stay, and we are not afraid to question the mainstream narrative hegemony.”

The second stage of the campaign moves to directly kick back at false assumptions about India and the Global South at large. The provocative statement featured, ‘They think you believe. We believe you think’, enshrines a direct challenge to multiple western narratives about the country. This second stage also features AI-generated imagery of the White House and 10 Downing Street, to offer a clear visual contrast for traditional Western attitudes to those of RT.

The ads appear across Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, and a host of other locations.

RT (formally Russia Today) covers news stories overlooked by the mainstream Western media, provides diverse perspectives on current affairs, and acquaints international audiences with a Russian viewpoint on major global events, in nine languages. Since its launch in 2005, the network has become a trusted news source for millions of people in 100-plus countries around the world.

RT is available in India on DISH TV CH.792, AIRTEL CH.404, TATA PLAY CH.641, SUN DIRECT CH.577, DD FREE DISH CH.94, and online at RT.com/India and on X (formerly Twitter) @RT_India

The campaign is active and will be promoted across platforms.

Embed link: https://www.rt.com/rt-promo-2022-en/#RTIndia2

January 3, 2024
Kalli Purie is the new executive editor-in-chief of India Today Group

Mumbai: Existing vice president Kalli Purie of India Today Group was assigned additional charge as executive editor-in-chief of the group. She has been serving as vice president of the group since 2017. She is the daughter of Aroon Purie. In the internal communication in the company he wrote, ‘ I am designating her additional responsibility as executive editor in chief to being vice president chairperson of India Today Group.’

In brief mail, Aroon Purie stated ‘ As you all know KP has been successfully heading the business and editing domains for a while. In line with her role, I would like to announce an additional designation for her as editor in chief of the India Today Group. This will not require any operational change for now.’

She has been part of the group since 1996 heading from magazine, she also successfully served as Chief Operating Officer of the India Today Group Digital.

January 3, 2024
IPL Auction 2024 delivers record-equalling TV viewership on Star Sports

Mumbai: Star Sports’ broadcast of IPL Auction 2024, held on 19 December, has equalled the highest viewership for any ‘mini’ auction in BARC history. The auction, which lasted over 6 hours, was held in Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena and was watched for a record-equalling watch time of 0.92 billion minutes. This represents a 57 per cent growth in total watch time compared to last year for the event. The live auction was watched by 22.8 million viewers, which is also 29% higher than last year. Star Sports’ broadcast of the auction in 5 languages was preceded by extensive lead-up coverage to the auction, which included expert analysis and fan activations across linear and digital platforms.

Speaking on the viewership of the TATA IPL mini-auction 2024, a Star Sports spokesperson said, “A record-breaking year for Cricket viewership on Star Sports has ended on a high with the IPL Auction. The response to the auction also serves as a stellar start to the runway for IPL 2024 and reinforces the strong association of the marquee event with Star Sports. A distinctive element in this year’s auction coverage was the integration of fan sentiment in our coverage, in sync with BCCI and IPL teams’ efforts to integrate fans into the proceedings at the venue. The success of the auction has provided an early taster of Star Sports’ coverage and substantiated our confidence in the continued growth of the marquee Cricket event on TV.”

An additional 2.2 million viewers tuned in for the overall coverage of IPL Auction 2023 beyond the live event, which included a curtain-raiser on the eve of the auction and “Cricket Live – Auction Special”, live shows before, during and after the event. The most-watched moments of IPL Auction 2024 were the headline-grabbing bidding wars for Australian stars Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, who was bought by Sun Risers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively for more than 20 Crores each. CSK’s winning bid of 14 Crore for New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell also featured in the three most-watched moments from the auction.

The live broadcast of IPL 2023 was watched by 505 million unique viewers on TV across the Star network, which was the highest ever for any edition of the tournament.

January 2, 2024
Noida welcomes Pro Kabaddi League after a four year hiatus with open arms

Mumbai: Kabaddi was the eventual winner as UP Yoddhas, the franchisee owned by GMR Group representing Uttar Pradesh, returned to its home base in Noida for the Pro Kabaddi League season 10 after a long wait of four years and two seasons this year. Kabaddi fans turned up in huge numbers celebrating the spirit of Kabaddi to watch their favourite teams play at the Noida Indoor Stadium, that hosted the Noida leg of the 10th Pro Kabaddi League season 10 for the first time. With over 90% occupancy rate in the first four days of the Noida leg that kicked-off on 29 December 2023 to conclude on 3 January 2024, Kabaddi fans from Delhi NCR couldn’t get a better and a happier way to call in the New Year.

Speaking on the successful start to the home leg of UP Yoddhas, GMR League Games marketing head Sujoy Ganguly said, “We are overwhelmed to see how the fans have come out in fully strength to celebrate Kabaddi in Noida. This is a testimony to how the sport is loved and celebrated in this part of the country. As a team we are grateful to our fans who have left no stone unturned to support their team and I look forward to their continued support not just for the next few days but also the season ahead.”

UP Yoddhas started their home leg on a positive note against Bengaluru Bulls with a 34-33 win. Captain Pardeep Narwal led the team from the front as he earned the highest points (10) in the match. However, in their next two games against Dabang Delhi K.C. and Patna Pirates, the Yoddhas missed out on victory despite Captain Pardeep Narwal’s stellar performances and are currently ranked tenth in the standings with 21 points in their kitty.

January 2, 2024

Ladakh administration and Royal Enfield announce teams for the inaugural Ice Hockey League

Mumbai: The Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ice Hockey Association of Ladakh and Royal Enfield, the global leader in the mid-size (250cc-750cc) motorcycle segment, revealed the names and logos of 15 teams that will take part in the first-ever Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League in Ladakh from 3 to 13 January 2024. The revelation was done via a spectacular road show with Royal Enfield riders being flagged in by Sonam Chosjor, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Leh. The riders rode from the NDS Sports complex to the Leh main market that is at the heart of the city. During the event, official jerseys were handed over to the respective captains of the 15 participating teams, of which 10 are men’s and five are women’s. The start of a competitive league specifically for the civilian population of Ladakh will go a long way in scouting and nurturing local talent from rural areas of Ladakh.

Training and selection camps were set up across five of the seven zones of Ladakh, – Changthang, Leh (which also includes camps for Nubra and Zanskar), Sham, Drass and Shakar Chiktan. Players and teams that will participate in the League have been selected from these zonal camps by a committee comprising members from the Department of Youth Services & Sports (DYSS), Ice Hockey Association for Ladakh (IHAL), Ladakh Women Ice Hockey Foundation (LWIHF), zonal heads and local Ladakhi coaches.

The Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League has been initiated to create a competitive environment to grow the sport from grassroot levels, which is also in line with the roadmap laid out in The Game Changer – Blueprint for the Development of Ice Hockey in Ladakh. The Blueprint was launched earlier this month in the presence of Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Hon’ble Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, and dignitaries from Ladakh. Commissioned by the Administration of UT Ladakh, the Blueprint was created by Royal Enfield with the collaboration of all stakeholders and has been reviewed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It looks at a holistic development of the sport and is a step towards realising the ambition of fielding an Indian Ice Hockey contingent at the 2042 Winter Olympics.

Royal Enfield is currently working with all stakeholders to grow winter sports particularly Ice Hockey across the Himalayas. In Ladakh, Royal Enfield has already supported the development of the sport by providing equipment and training with a ‘train the trainer’ programme where 20 coaches were trained by coaches brought in from Germany. More than 500 children have been provided training in ice skating, which is the starting point for anyone aspiring to play ice hockey. Additionally, ice hockey kits have been procured and will be distributed to players who don’t have access to sporting equipment. Royal Enfield is also working with the Ice Hockey Association of India and the Ice Hockey Association of Lahaul to set up training camps and host the Royal Enfield Spiti Cup in Himachal Pradesh this winter.

The teams and their key players who will take part in the first-ever Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League are as follows:

United Nubra 1. Manager Padma Stanzin 2. President Sherab Paldan 3. Captain Tsewang Stanzin 4. Vice-Captain Tashi Chotak	Sham Eagles 1. Captain Sonam Angmo 2. Deachen Dolkar Assistant captain 3. Rigzin Dolma Assistant Captain 4. Manager Spalgon	Sham Wolves 1. Captain Stanzin Chospel 2. Nima Doejey Assistant Captain 3. Tsetan Gurmet Assistant Captain 4. Manager Spalgon
Shakar Chiktan Royals 1. Captain Ashiq Hussain 2. Zakir Hussain Assistant Captain 3. Assistance Captain Syed Mehdi 4. Manager Liyaqat Ali	Shakar Chiktan Queens 1. Captain Khairun Nissa 2. Tsewang Lhaldo Assistant Captain 3. Tashi Angchuk Manager	Humas Queens 1. CaptainKhalida Banoo 2. Stanzin Nyidon Assistant Captain 3. Mohd Amin Manager
Changla Lamo 1. Captain Tsewang Chuskit 2. Diskit C Angmo Assistant Captain 3. Thinles Angmo Assistant Captain 4. Dorjay Namgyal Manager	Maryul Spamo Leh 1. Captain Padma Chorol 2. Namgyal Wangmo Assistant Captain 3. Tundup Namgyal Manager	Changthang Shans 1. Chamba Tsetan Captain 2. Lundup Dorjay Assistant Captain 3. Namgail nurboo Assistant Capatin 4. Manager Dorjay Namgail
Changla Blaster 1. Captain Padma Namgail 2. Tashi sangdup Assistant Captain 3. Konchok Namgail Assistant captain 4. Manager Jigmet stanzin	Humas warriors 1. Captain Wasim Bilal 2. Nasiruddin Assistant captain	Zangskar Chaddar Tamers 1. Captain Nawang Dorjay 2. Stanzin Gyalak Assistant Captain 3. Manager Pasang Lawang 4. Lobzang Wangyal Team Coach
Purig warriors 1. Captain Sajad hussain 2. Nawaz Ali Assistant Captain 3. Manager Nissar Hussain	Maryul Spawo 1. Captain Padma Thinles 2. Coach Tsering Sangay 3. Manager- Jigmet Namgyal	Kangs Sings Leh 1. Captain Stanzin Angchuk, Kurja 2. Coach Tsewang Gyaltsan 3. Manager- Stanzin Namgail

January 2, 2024

Colors Bangla Cinema’s ‘Filmy Fulki’ festival: A resounding success!

Mumbai: Launched on 1 December 2023, Filmy Fulki, a month-long extravaganza on Colors Bangla Cinema, has met with overwhelming response from the audience. The festival promised a spectacular journey featuring the biggest stars from Bengal and has lived up to expectations, making it a superhit among viewers.

Turning Colors Bangla Cinema into the premier hub for Bengali movie enthusiasts, the daily 1:00 PM Dumdar Dupur time slot provides audiences with an exhilarating experience of Filmy Fulki. This festival not only celebrates Bengali cinema but also reinforces the channel’s unwavering dedication to delivering high-quality entertainment.

Upon receiving overwhelming love and response from the dedicated viewers, Colors Bangla Cinema is excited to announce that Filmy Fulki will now continue to enchant audiences until 14 January 2024. This extension is a testament to the festival’s success and its role in providing TV viewers with an unmatched cinematic experience.

As the festival moves forward, immerse yourself in the continuous streak of winter thrills with iconic movies such as:

1. ‘Le Halua Le’ starring Mithun Chakraborty, Payel Sarkar and Soham Chakraborty

2. ‘Mahaguru’ starring Mithun Chakraborty, Jisshu Sengupta and Debashree Roy

3. ‘Sangee’ starring Jeet and Priyanka Upendra

4. ‘Poran Jaye Joliya Re’ starring Dev and Subhasree Ganguly

5. ‘Bandhan’ starring Jeet and Koel Mullick

The festival has been supported by a robust 360° marketing campaign, captivating audiences through cross-channel promotions, on-ground activations, and engaging social media content.

January 2, 2024
Indian players gear up for Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2024

Mumbai: With the Race to Paris 2024 heading into its final stretch, Indian shuttlers will have an excellent opportunity to earn valuable points and stake claims to Olympic berths across categories at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open Super 750 to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi from January 16-21, 2024.

Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and bronze medallist HS Prannoy will aim to boost their position in the world ranking ahead of the Paris Olympics while the likes of former world number one Kidambi Srikanth, 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen and the up and coming Priyanshu Rajawat will be gunning for the second Indian spot at the Games.

According to the Paris Olympics qualification rules, two Indian men’s singles players can participate in the Games only if both of them are ranked among the top 16 at the end of the qualification process that ends on 30 April 2024.

The Yonex-Sunrise India Open, organised by the Badminton Association of India (BAI), was upgraded to Super 750 category from Super 500 last year which means that the players can earn significantly higher ranking points in their quest for Olympics qualification.

It has also meant that almost all the Top-10 players in current world ranking will be in action at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall and badminton lovers can enjoy watching them in action on all six days for free as the BAI has decided to keep the entry free.

Looking forward to yet another fantastic week of quality badminton, BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra said, “The BAI has consistently maintained a very high standard of preparation for the India Open and that has ensured that it is now a Super 750 level event. This means that all our Olympics hopefully will have a good chance of using the home conditions to earn valuable points and even win the title. It will also be a great opportunity for fans to witness some breathtaking action as more top ranked players will be participating.”

Among the Indian stars, one among Sen and Rajawat are assured of a pre-quarterfinal spot as the young guns will face off against each other in the men’s singles opening round.

Eighth seed Prannoy will be opening his campaign against Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei and will face the winner of the match between Sen and Rajawat after clearing the first-round hurdle.

Former champion Srikanth, currently in 24th position in the Race to Paris rankings, will meet Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in the opening round and has a potential second-round clash against defending champion Kunlavut Viditsarn of Thailand.

In men’s doubles, former champions and second seeds Satwik and Chirag will kick off their challenge against World No. 25 Fang-Jen Lee and Fang-Chih Lee of Taipei in the opening round and are expected to go deeper in the competition.

The women’s doubles combinations of Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto are also locked into a see-saw battle for an Olympics spot.

All England semi-finalists Treesa and Gayatri have a tough opener against fourth seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida of Japan while Ashwini and Crasto, who made three back-to-back finals to end 2023 on a high, will face World No. 10 Thai combination of Rawinda Prajongjai and Jongkolphan Kititharakul in the first round.

Among the other high profile first round clashes, defending women’s singles champion An Se Young of South Korea will take on three-time champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand while Spain’s Carolina Marin will face Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in a clash of former world champions.

In men’s singles, former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore will meet third seed and reigning All England champion Li Shi Feng of China while top seed Viktor Axelsen will open his campaign against Wang Tzu Wei of Chinese Taipei.

December 30, 2023
Catch the magic of OTT actor roundtable today on ENT Live

Mumbai: ABP Live’s Entertainment channel ENT Live, has announced an exclusive and star-studded roundtable discussion set to captivate audiences, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the world of digital entertainment. Hosted by ENT Live’s Editor, Amit Bhatia, this engaging discussion brings together eight prominent OTT actors at the esteemed Meta office in Mumbai.

Scheduled for airing on December 30, 2023 at 9 PM, this momentous gathering promises an evening of unparalleled insights and candid conversations. Viewers will be treated to the thoughts and perspectives of some of the industry’s most versatile and celebrated actors, shedding light on the intricacies of their craft and the rapidly evolving landscape of OTT platforms.

The ensemble of talent features esteemed personalities, including:

Naveen Kasturia, renowned for his exceptional portrayal in Amazon Prime’s “Aspirants.”

· Sharib Hashmi, acclaimed for his captivating performance in the widely acclaimed “Family Man.”

· Maanvi Gagroo, a household name from the popular web series “Four More Shots” and the recent “Half Love Half Arranged.”

· Sunny Hinduja, known for his impactful roles in the web series “The Railway Men.”

· Gagan Arora Aka Bagga, the engaging talent behind “College Romance.”

· Lubna Salim, a notable figure from ZEE5’s “Aam Aadmi Family,” brings her charm to the table.

· Dibyendu Bhattacharya, seen in “The Railway Men” and the movie “Mission Raniganj,” offers his seasoned presence.

· Anshul Chauhan, recognized for her role as Ranbir Kapoor’s sister in “Animal,” completing the stellar lineup.

This dynamic roundtable discussion, set against the vibrant backdrop of the Meta office in Mumbai, promises an intimate and insightful exploration into the world of these accomplished artists. Audiences will have the exclusive opportunity to witness first-hand the candid exchanges and profound perspectives that shape the future of digital entertainment.

ENT Live invited viewers to tune in at 9 PM on December 30, 2023, for this unforgettable rendezvous with brilliance only on ABP Live’s Entertainment channel ENT Live.

(Production team published ENT LIVE photo if you have for this event release otherwise use which i shared)

December 30, 2023