GECs

Zees new show about a brides journey

Published

12 years ago

November 15, 2013

MUMBAI: Ask any young girl, and her wedding is likely to be the most eagerly awaited occasion of her life, where she harbours a zillion dreams about the kind of man she should marry.

However, life doesn’t always unfold the way you’ve envisioned it; which is the crux of Zee TV’s new offering *Doli Armaanon Ki*, set to come to drawing rooms at 10.30pm every Monday to Friday, starting 2 December.

Produced by Pearl Grey Spellbound Productions, the series will replace the current Punar Vivah – Ek Nayi Umeed, a Shashi-Sumeet production that scored 3,439 TVTs in week 45 of TAM TV ratings. Earlier, Pearl Grey had produced shows like Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya in collaboration with Walkwater Media on Star Plus and Rishton Se Badi Pratha on Colors.

The series is going to be a slot leader in few weeks, says a confident Ajay Bhalwankar

Set in Jhansi, *Doli Armaanon Ki *tells the story of Urmi (played by Neha Marda of Balika Vadhu fame), who, like most other girls her age, aspires for marital bliss and walks into her marriage with actor Mohit Malik, her eyes brimming with hope.

Alas, her better half turns out to be a workaholic with rather strong views on how a couple must relate to each other. Completing the series’ cast are veteran actors Geeta Tyagi and Anjali Mukhi.

Says Zeel head-content, Hindi GECs, Ajay Bhalwankar: “The new series is about expectations, a woman has from marriage. We thought of this concept, because the subject matter is very close to women’s and everybody’s hearts.

It talks about a bride’s journey of hope,” stressing that, “Zee usually sticks with its convictions, which we will always.”

So far, none of the episodes have been canned apart from the promos, which are already on air. One month of scripting is complete while set preparation is going on in full swing in Jhansi. Shooting on location will start 19 November onward. As of now, only five days of outdoor have been shot.

All said, Bhalwankar is confident Zee’s new series will crack slot leaders within a few weeks of its launch. “Zee TV has to be number one in the next six months. Look at the amount of launches that have happened in the past six months. And the kind of slot leadership we’ve managed to get with the new shows; Zee TV has already been number one on that count. Like you see, Jodha Akbar is already number one on the slot; Sapne Suhane is number one on the slot. So the kind of success ratio we have managed, no one else has,” he says.

He emphasises that with the kind of new story they have, the new series should become slot leader very soon. “The battle is not tough. The slot is very warm. And with our strong storyline and concept, this show can reach one crore plus viewership. Plus, our TG is the whole family. At the end of the day, if men don’t see, they won’t understand the cause through our concept,” he adds.

On her part, Pearl Grey Spellbound Productions producer Pearl Grey says:

“Somewhere, a part of me which is there, I always think about these things as something I always wanted. I did not want to be a career woman; I only wanted to get married. But life takes you somewhere else. So we started with this thought, that every girl has a dream of getting married. We have shown her dreams turning into reality.”

Grey, who has been part of Zee TV’s in-house programming team, says: “It is an absolute pleasure to associate with the channel once again, this time as a producer.”

Asked why they zeroed in on Jhansi, she says: “We are portraying the story of a girl who belongs to a small town and mostly, all people who belong to small towns have these expectations about wanting to get married. We chose Jhansi also for the language and it’s my birthplace, so I know exactly the needs and wants of people there.”

While marketing activities haven’t been planned yet, the channel has created an official facebook page on 10 November, which, until now, has garnered 573 likes. The series is being promoted on Zee TV’s official page as well.

For all Zee TV’s enthusiasm about its new baby, media planners feel people are going to find it difficult to choose with so many new shows coming up.

“Viewers will go crazy one day with a host of shows just punching in. And I don’t believe that the concept is something that will be watched by the entire family. It has acquired the slot where there are already established shows on other GECs and breaking its loyal viewers to come and watch something, the concept has to be really very strong,” says a planner on condition of anonymity.

With competition from the likes of Veera on Star Plus, Savdhaan India on Life OK, Bani – Ishq Da Kalma on Colors, F.I.R on Sab and Bade Ache Lagte hai on Sony, only time will tell how Doli fares in comparison…

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GECs

Aparna Ramachandran joins Zee as EVP and head of network digital

Published

1 week ago

January 29, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited has appointed Aparna Ramachandran as EVP and head of network digital, signalling a sharper focus on strengthening its digital and streaming ecosystem.

Ramachandran joins Zee from Balaji Telefilms, where she served as head of digital originals, leading content strategy and production for the company’s digital platforms. She announced the move on LinkedIn, marking a new chapter in her career spanning more than 15 years across media, entertainment and technology.

Her professional journey includes senior roles at Viacom18 Media, Viu, FremantleMedia, Miditech, BigSynergy, BBC Worldwide, CNBC-TV18 and Bloomberg UTV. She began her career in 2005 as a software engineer at Infosys before transitioning into media and digital content leadership.

With experience across streaming media, broadcast television, content development, digital strategy, project management and video production, Ramachandran is expected to play a key role in shaping Zee’s network-wide digital growth and content innovation.

GECs

Zee TV launches on Samsung TV Plus with live German subtitles

Published

1 week ago

January 27, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

London: Zee Entertainment has launched its flagship Zee TV as a live FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, marking a first for South Asian television in Europe with round-the-clock live German subtitles.

The move takes Zee TV beyond its core diaspora audience and into the German-speaking mainstream, offering dramas, reality shows and family entertainment without subscriptions or language barriers. For FAST platforms, it sets a new benchmark in accessibility and scale.

Amit Goenka, president, international and digital businesses at Zee Entertainment, said the launch marked a turning point in the company’s global strategy.

“Zee TV Germany is a flagship launch and a defining moment in our journey to make entertainment truly borderless. By going live on Samsung TV Plus with 24/7 German subtitles, we are breaking language barriers and setting a new international benchmark for FAST streaming,” he said, adding that the partnership reflects Zee’s ambition to lead the FAST revolution through innovation and technology.

The rollout builds on the strong regional presence of Zee One and Zee5, both of which have cultivated loyal audiences across the DACH markets. The live FAST model now closes long-standing access gaps, particularly for younger diaspora viewers and first-time German-speaking audiences.

Samsung TV Plus said the partnership deepens its content portfolio in the region. Benedict Frey, country lead DACH and Benelux at Samsung TV Plus, said the addition strengthens its South Asian offering while widening appeal.
“Launching flagship Zee TV on Samsung TV Plus brings even more premium South Asian entertainment to our customers. Making this content available with live German subtitles is a meaningful step in serving diverse audiences and enriching the viewing experience,” he said.

Samsung TV Plus is Samsung’s free ad-supported streaming service, offering hundreds of live channels and on-demand titles across Samsung TVs, Galaxy devices and smart monitors.

Zee already commands a strong digital following across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with social platforms engaging hundreds of thousands of viewers. The live FAST launch is expected to amplify reach and drive appointment viewing at scale.

Zee TV is now available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus in Germany on channel 4210. With this launch, Zee TV Germany becomes the group’s ninth channel in Europe.

The signal is clear: FAST has gone mainstream—and Zee has arrived early, translated and ready to scale.

GECs

Sri Adhikari Brothers officially rebrands itself as Aqylon Nexus

Published

1 week ago

January 27, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network has formally adopted a new corporate identity, rechristening itself Aqylon Nexus Limited after receiving clearance from the ministry of corporate affairs.

The company has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that the MCA has approved the change of name, with effect from January 23, 2026. The update was disclosed in compliance with Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.

Confirming the approval, the company said the ministry had cleared the transition from Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network Limited to Aqylon Nexus Limited following the necessary regulatory process.

Aqylon Nexus said it has begun the formal exercise of replacing the old name across statutory filings and regulatory records. The broadcaster added that it is coordinating with relevant authorities and departments to complete the transition.

Under Section 12 of the Companies Act, 2013, the MCA has directed the company to continue displaying its former name alongside the new one for a period of two years.

Founded in 1994 and based in Mumbai, the company has been a long-standing presence in India’s television and content ecosystem. The rebrand reflects a repositioning effort as the media and entertainment sector undergoes rapid consolidation and structural change.

The legacy name remains on paper—for now. The business, however, is clearly turning the page.