Factual
TV channels ready Republic Day programming line-up
MUMBAI: With the Republic Day holiday upon us, broadcasters have readied a slew of programmes to keep viewers enthralled. To build the excitement around the day, various special shows and movies have been lined up. Let’s take a look at a few of them:
Sony BBC Earth is celebrating the day by premiering shows such as Joanna Lumley’s India—recipient of the prestigious Bafta Fellowship. The show entails Lumley taking an evocative journey around the country of her birth. The other show, named The Ganges with Sue Perkins, traces the course of the Ganges, from source to sea, to tell the story of modern India at a crucial point in its history. To make things more interesting, the network will telecast World’s Busiest Cities, the most awaited Blue Planet II and Fishing Impossible.
AXN, meanwhile, is premiering a number of shows such as the Handmaid’s Tal, which is an American television series created by Bruce Miller based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, with an IMDb rating of 8.6. Other shows include Vikings season 5. With the death of King Ragnar, his sons are at war against each other. From the executive producer of the show Homeland, The Brave revolves around DIA deputy director Patricia Cambell and her team, who put their lives at risk and embark on challenging missions behind enemy lines. Another heart-racing show is Doubt, which is about a successful defence lawyer at a boutique firm who becomes romantically involved with a client who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime.
The list of programmes for the Sony cluster doesn’t end there. Sony PIX also has a strong line-up in place for the day. The channel will premiere Ouija: Origin of Evil, which is a show about a widow and her two daughters that use an Ouija board to help people move on with life. Other movies include Fifty Shades Darker, The Fate Of The Furious, Despicable Me 3, and American Made. Another movie to watch out for on the channel is Pitch Perfect 3.
Sony Le PLEX HD has a line-up for shows such as When the Bough Breaks, which is about a surrogate mom for a couple who becomes dangerously obsessed with the soon-to-be father, and All We Had. Adding to the entertainment quotient are Nocturnal Animals and Sing.
Stepping beyond the contours of television, Nickelodeon is celebrating Republic Day with the school kids across various cities. Through its Republic Day campaign, #BeRepublic, the channel took the charge of educating and bringing awareness to the kids. The campaign saw fun videos that captured quick facts about Republic Day and enlightened children about the rich heritage of our country and the importance of parades. Fun gifs and informative posts on social media supported the celebration session. The celebrations continued when Nicktoons took charge of the classroom and converted it to a fun-filled yet informative session at schools across various cities. The toons enlightened children through various placards on quirky unknown facts about our constitution-making syllabus for the day fun and memorable.
With such great programming in the works, this Republic Day is all set to be memorable for viewers across age groups.
Factual
Kumar Mangalam Birla makes KBC debut with Amitabh Bachchan
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.
Factual
Rocky heats up NCR as Road Trippin returns with winter bites
MUMBAI: Winter’s bite just got tastier. Road Trippin With Rocky is back for its 15th season, with Rocky Singh rolling through the NCR to plate up comfort food, cult favourites and cold-weather cravings from 27 to 30 December.
The four-day journey opens in Noida, where Rocky kicks off with the much-loved Jain Tikki Wala in Sector 27 before wrapping the day at the always-humming Social. Faridabad follows, with stops shaped by local recommendations, while Gurugram brings a balance of indulgence and restraint from a standout vegetarian spread to smoky carnivore fare at The Pit, finished with Thai flavours at Banng.
Saving the grand finale for Delhi, Rocky dives into the capital’s contrasts from humble roadside falahar to refined fine-dining tables that define New Delhi’s evolving food scene. The promise is simple: honest recommendations that belong on every serious food lover’s list.
Over the years, #RoadTrippin has grown into one of HistoryTV18’s most successful digital-first properties. Built for viewers who snack on content on the move, the format’s easy humour, spontaneity and conversational style have kept audiences coming back season after season.
The numbers underline its pull. Across platforms, the franchise has clocked over 2 billion impressions and more than 550 million video views, turning each new season into a highly anticipated return.
Season 15 of #RoadTrippinWithRocky will play out across HistoryTV18’s and Rocky’s social media handles, a winter road trip that proves once again that in NCR, the cold only makes the food hotter.
Factual
Street of Stories Warner Bros doc amplifies GB Road’s unheard voices
MUMBAI: The cries may have gone unheard, but the stories now refuse to stay silent. Warner Bros. Discovery and Times Network have come together to shine a piercing, humanising light on Delhi’s GB Road, one of India’s most stigmatised spaces with Unheard Cries at GB Road, a documentary that trades sensationalism for truth, and myth for lived reality. The film premiered on 17 November 2025 on discovery+, offering rare, unfiltered access to a world long discussed but rarely listened to.
Crafted under Times Now Studios and shaped by producer and co-writer Rohit Chadda, the documentary draws on over 50 in-depth interviews with survivors, sex workers, police officials, social workers and experts. Instead of dramatisation or stylised retellings, the film builds itself on first-hand accounts bringing to the fore women whose lives have often been spoken about, yet scarcely spoken to.
At its heart, Unheard Cries at GB Road is a testament to the women who battle cycles of trauma, exploitation and coercion, while still searching for small, stubborn pockets of hope. Their accounts, delivered on record and often at great personal risk, reveal the emotional, physical and psychological landscapes of a district too frequently flattened by stereotype.
Warner Bros. Discovery, head of factual entertainment, lifestyle & kids for South Asia,Sai Abishek said the project demanded both courage and care. “Unheard Cries at GB Road is a story that demands to be seen and heard. Factual storytelling carries responsibility, and this film embodies that commitment. By giving these women the space to speak for themselves, the documentary brings rare honesty and emotional depth to a subject too often misunderstood.”
The production team gained access to the interiors of brothels, capturing the quiet routines, the harsh constraints and the precarious negotiations that shape daily life. Insights from the Delhi Police, NGO workers and legal experts situate these personal stories within the larger systems of trafficking, safety failures and legal gaps that the women must navigate.
Rohit Chadda said, “We made this film to confront a truth that has long remained ignored. Our commitment from the very beginning was to tell these stories with honesty, dignity, and responsibility – and we hope it resonates deeply enough to spark reflection, conversation, and a sense of hope, which results in long term change. Unheard Cries at GB Road is the first production under the banner of Times Now Studios, and we intend to build on this foundation by creating more meaningful, purpose-driven stories that deserve a platform and a voice.”
“This special documentary, produced under Times Now Studios and directed by Rohit Chadda and Yatharth Chauhan, is built on more than 50 in-depth interviews.”
While the documentary does not attempt to provide simple solutions, it offers something more vital, a vantage point grounded in truth. By presenting the voices of women who endure the unseen and the unimaginable on a daily basis, the film asks viewers to confront the complexity of GB Road with empathy rather than judgement.
Unheard Cries at GB Road is streaming now on discovery+, inviting the nation to listen truly listen to stories that can no longer remain in the shadows.
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