ITV

Tag: Sandiip Sikcand

  • Television’s Biggest Night: Inside the Dazzling Indian Telly Awards 2025

    Television’s Biggest Night: Inside the Dazzling Indian Telly Awards 2025

    MUMBAI: The stage was set for a glittering event, one of India’s most prestigious entertainment award functions in television. Organized by the parent company, Indian Television Dot Com and Tellychakkar, the event honoured the finest talent in Indian television, celebrating exceptional performances, groundbreaking creativity, and artistic excellence.

    Hosted by Sandiip Sikcand, Jay Soni and Sugandha Mishra, this year’s ceremony was as dazzling as it was memorable.

    Event Details: 
    • Date: 23rd july 2025 
    • Time: 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM 
    • Venue: JW Marriott Juhu 
    • Tickets: By invite only

    THE GRACEFUL SPONSORS WITHOUT WHICH THE EVENING WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE ARE :

    Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers has been a trusted name since 1909.

    Rooted in Maharashtra’s rich heritage and driven by a progressive vision, we are proud to be the Title Sponsor of the Indian Telly Awards this year.

    This association celebrates the brilliance of Indian television, just as we celebrate craftsmanship and timeless elegance in jewellery.

    We look forward to a long and meaningful partnership with this iconic platform,” said Ashish Pethe, Partner, Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers. “Partnering with the Indian Telly Awards is a proud moment for RENÉE. It’s a celebration of confidence, creativity, and the power of self-expression. Together, we honor the faces and stories that continue to inspire millions.”

    Aashka Goradia, Co – Founder & CMO, RENÉE Cosmetics “At OTerRi, we get that life moves fast, and laundry usually gets left behind. That’s where we step in.

    Partnering with the Indian Telly Awards means more than visibility for us.

    It means reminding people that even in the middle of all the lights, cameras, and chaos, clean clothes shouldn’t be a worry.

    We’re here to make everyday life feel a little lighter, one load at a time!

    Behind every spotless outfit, there is a silent hero – We are OterRi” – Abhishek Sharma CTO & Manoj Wanvari COO OterRi 

    “The Indian Telly awards are not just about celebrating talent but about acknowledging the stories that inspire and resonate with millions. This year, they aim to make the event bigger and more unforgettable than ever with getting the best from the Industry under one roof and making sure they are acknowledged for entertaining millions,” said Anil Wanvari, Founder of the awards and parent companies.

    Anil Wanvari

    Event Highlights:

    • Red carpet arrivals featuring India’s top TV and music stars.

    • Award categories, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Show and Viewers and Editors Choice Awards.

    • Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor together got felicitated and a sweet moment was shared between them

    Rupali Ganguly

    • Rupali Ganguly, Bharti Singh, Krushna Abhishek, Ankita Lokhande, Deepika Singh and many more biggies under one roof

    Vivian Dsena

    • Vivian Dsena and Karanveer Mehra bonding on the red-carpet after the show.

    • The Laughter Chefs star contestants sharing a winning moment with their awards at the red carpet.

    Shivangi Joshi

    • Shivangi Joshi recevieng her award and speaking on Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.

    Karan Kundrra

    • Karan Kundrra doing his boyfriend duty by collecting the award for ladylove Tejasswi Prakash and for himself.

    • Akanksha Puri stunning the paps with her jaw-dropping look

    Arti Singh and Krushna Abhishek

    • Arti Singh and Krushna Abhishek sharing the most beautiful sibling bond while the latter won and was handed over his winning moment by his sister

    Bharti Singh

    • Bharti Singh’s winning speech had everyone smiling.

    Deepika Singh

    • Deepika Singh ever grateful to win her second Indian Telly Award.

    Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

    • The entire cast of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai having a lovely moment on stage.

    Anupamaa

    • Team DKP along with the cast of Anupamaa and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai enjoying a family moment on stage.

    Shobha Kapoor,Jeetendra

    • Veteran actor Jeetendra presenting the award to wife Shobha Kapoor, creating a timeless moment.

    Actress Hiba Nawab And Krushal Ahuja

    • Krushal Ahuja and Hiba Nawab dazzle together on the red carpet at the Indian Telly Awards 2025.  

    • Exclusive, star-studded after-party for VIP guests

    Asit modi

     • Asit Modi beams with pride after winning for Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah at the Indian Telly Awards 2025.

    Dilip Joshi, • Dilip Joshi wins hearts and honours once again for his iconic role as Jethalal at the Indian Telly Awards 2025. Jamnadas Majethia • JD Majethia bags top honours, celebrating his contribution to Indian television comedy at the 2025 Telly Awards.    
    Other Celebrities hobnobbing with each other from the likes of Romit Raj, Eijaz Khan, Gauri Tonk, Hunar Hali, Sudhandhu Pandey, Shiv Thakre, Sarita Joshi, Dilip Joshi, and Shubhangi Atre to Tanuj Virwani, Nivedita Basu, Avinash Mishra, Khanzadi, Priyamvada Kant and many more.

     

  • Fazila Allana, Sandiip Sikcand on new shooting rules for Telugu show ‘Gorintaku’

    Fazila Allana, Sandiip Sikcand on new shooting rules for Telugu show ‘Gorintaku’

    MUMBAI: Earlier this month the Telangana government granted the permission to resume film and TV shooting as well as post-production work all over the state. While there are challenges there is also relief for being able to start work with safety measures. SOL India – Banijay Group founder and MD Fazila Allana and producer, creative director and actor Sandiip Sikcand have resumed shooting for their Telugu show Gorintaku. According to them, shooting during the pandemic is challenging but not impossible. 

    Gorintaku is a Telugu daily show that is telecast on Star Maa and streamed on Disney+ Hotstar too.

    Allana told indiantelevision.com that the show was already in process with 200 episodes done before the lockdown. The shooting resumed on 18 June with all necessary precautions like masks, gloves, temperature checks, sanitation and safety protocols being diligently followed. Insurance plan has also been introduced for entire cast and crew.

    In fact, she highlights that hair and make up artists are using PPE kits to ensure maximum safety. Make up products and brushes are different for different actors. Allana also mentions that as per the guidelines introduced by Star Maa, there are no group scenes and too many outdoor scenes are avoided to keep out crowding. Episodes of weddings or large gatherings are not happening.

    Apart from that, there are fewer people in a team. Scripting has been rewritten to facilitate a lot more social distancing. There are no intimate scenes as well so close up chemistry shots are being compromised.

    Sikcand also mentiones that children and elderly citizens are not allowed on the set. If required, elderly people are not asked to come more than four times a month.

    As per Telegana government’s rule  40 people can be there on the set. However, Sikcand shares that shooting is happening with bare minimum people while the rest stay outside the set.

    To make the daily soap more realistic and appealing in the eyes of audience, Covid2019 situation has been included in the script itself. In order to create a bank of fresh episodes, the entire script has been rewritten.

    During the scene, the actors are wearing masks, gloves and are also using sanitizers.

    He notes that it is taking more time than usual to film a scene. “For the safety and security of cast and crew, I don’t mind slowing down the production. As far as audiences are concerned, they want to see something which is real and natural,” he further says.

    Both Allana and Sikcand are hoping that shooting happens smoothly and soon things go back to normal and for now, things need to be done with precautions.

  • SET announces launch of daily soap ‘Kulvadhu’ set in Rajasthan

    SET announces launch of daily soap ‘Kulvadhu’ set in Rajasthan

    NEW DELHI: Sony Entertainment Television has announced its latest soap Kulvadhu, to be telecast from 25 December.

    The soap will air Monday to Thursday at 8:30 pm. The starcast has Daljit Kaur playing Niyati and Imran Khan playing Shaurya. There are other known faces too like Suhashini Muley, Kittu Gidwani and Milind Gunaji, asserts an official release.

    The channel is looking to give the serial at least a 300-episode run, obviously hoping to extend that if it comes into the ratings reckonings. But as SET chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand says, “It will go on and there will be changes in the story but the basic theme of the honour of a family not being sullied by a traditional woman will remain the central plot.”

    Sikcand added, “The soap is very different and one of the key aspects is the flavour of Jodhpur, the colour of its soil and the land and the people. The main characters would be speaking in the dialect of Jodhpur, even when the two families shift base to Mumbai.”

    Kulvadhu is the story of Niyati, a simple girl from a family in Jodhpur. It is about how her destiny gets her caught in a certain set of circumstances and how she handles them.

    Niyati and Shaurya are childhood friends and are committed to each other. Gradually, however, the Shaurya’s family shifts to Mumbai and Shaurya much against the wishes of his father, goes to the US for further studies. Meanwhile, the grandmothers of Niyati and Shaurya resolve to get them married, though the rest of the family is not aware of it.

    However when Shaurya returns to Mumbai to attend the wedding of a friend and Niyati too arrives there, and that is when she gets to know about Shaurya’s secret however she decides to never reveal the truth to anyone and gets married to Shaurya.

  • ‘Sony’s agenda is to focus on prime & then take on the rest’ : Sandiip Sikcand – Sony chief creative director take on the rest’

    ‘Sony’s agenda is to focus on prime & then take on the rest’ : Sandiip Sikcand – Sony chief creative director take on the rest’

    Sony Entertainment Television India’s chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand is the newly appointed man in the newly created position, tasked with the job of scripting a turnaround in the ratings fortunes of the network’s flagship channel Set. And it is a task cut out for the experienced hand from Balaji Telefilms, who has been the creative head for projects such as K Street Pali Hill, Kkusum, Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii.

    After a four-year stint with Balaji working under the overarching leadership of Ekta Kapoor, Sikcand is tuning himself to a corporate structure, wherein he will be steering the creative aspects of Sony and also concentrating more on fiction. Geared to making a mark and getting the channel going, Sikcand talks about his plans and the road ahead in a conversation with Indiantelevision.com’sManisha Bhattacharjee.
    Experts:

    You are handling Sony, but the network also has Sab, so how do you differentiate and segregate the shows between the two channels?
    The operations between the two channels are different and very clear. Though part of the same network, the guidelines inscribed for Sab TV is poles apart from Sony. The latter is into hardcore soaps, melodrama, while the former is more youthful, catering to a more niche audience. It will be on Sab where the network can experiment with different kinds of concepts or shows. Sony will continue to offer a hardcore soap diet. It is broadly chalked out and chances of overlap are minimal.

    With Sony now in third position, what is the course of action that the channel is planning?
    Well, we have lined up new shows and are strengthening the 8 pm to 11 pm band. The shows will be rolled out over the next six months. We have tied up with Tony and Diya Singh for Jeetiya Hai Jis Ki Liye, which will star Renuka Shahane. We have Also tied up with the Anuj Saxena’s Maverick productions for a drama titled Akhand Sau Bhagyawati. There is Khamoshi, Durgesh Nandini, Viruddhwith Smriti Irani. A Variety show with Anupam Kher, which is a talk show.

    You are looking at launching only soaps, does that signify that reality will take a back seat?
    No, Sony has always maintained that reality will be an important component. Reality shows are likely to be relegated to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, while the rest of the week will see soapy dramas taking centre stage.

    We are presently running Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa. And will be launching Bigg Boss on November 3. In May, we have scheduled the launch of the third season of Indian Idol. We are also devising our own little reality show, which will be aired twice a week, which we are targeting to launch in February or March.
    ‘I do not see Sony coming back to number 2 or number 1 position overnight‘

    So what is this reality show that is homegrown?
    I can’t speak much at the moment as we are yet to finalise on certain aspects of the show.

    Not being on a strong wicket as of now, and launching so many shows, isn’t it too much too soon?
    No. These will be spread across and launched in a phased manner. The emphasis is on the strengths Sony has already shown. It has been structured accordingly so we are confident we can succeed. The idea is not to shock the audience.

    Likewise, I do not see Sony coming back to number two or number one position overnight. It is process, which we have already started working towards. I am not saying either that all the shows are going to be stupendous successes. Some of the shows might not even work, we might have to pull them off and replace them with some other products. We are all geared for that. But it is a definitive step towards changing the number position of the channel.

    It is a tough battle for Sony, as it has to fight the leader Star Plus and Zee, which has bounced back after a long while?
    I think we have to fight it out with everybody. I have to even fight Sab, Zee Café, Star One, Zee Cinema, Star Plus and Sahara One. Every channel is competition. Sony is not going to be pulled back by its competitors. Sony is first going to stand up on its own feet and in that process if there is competition so be it.

    So what is the strategy you are looking at employing to help the channel stand up?
    There is no strategy. I think in the television and entertainment business, the essential ingredient is just entertainment. As an audience, if I find a show entertaining, whether it may be appearing on ABC or XYZ channel, I will watch it. The endeavour and the aim of Sony is to give wholesome entertainment; that’s the strategy.

    Besides looking at strengthening you prime band. Are you looking at the other bands?
    We will be focusing on the afternoon band and launching a slew of shows there too. As of now, we run movies for Saturday and Sunday, we may look at having movies only on Sunday. But that will be once we get our other line-ups fixed. The agenda really is to focus on prime and then take on the rest.

    What’s this obsession networks in general seem to have with reality shows?
    It is a trend. You can’t discount it. It has always happened in India. For example, in Bollywood, if you have one film of Nagin (snake) succeeding, there will be 10 other films based on the same. As I said earlier, Sony has always maintained that we will be doing reality shows, which we are and will continue doing.

    But, the point being that the ratio with be 80:20 (in favour of soaps). We will have specific reality show making sure that we do not bring in the fatigue factor and also that we do not overkill it.

    The channel will be shortly launching Bigg Boss. There are many who are skeptical about the chances of success in India of a show that is so in your face voyeuristic as Bigg Boss is? What makes you confident the Indian public will like such a concept?
    Well, we all have a peeping-tom somewhere, which we do not accept. But, the reality show Bigg Boss has all the elements that any other soap holds. We are confident that the success Big Brother has enjoyed (elsewhere) will be visible here too.

    I do not believe in bifurcating my programmes into reality or fiction. Eventually, it is all about entertainment. It is important to understand that if soaps give you a certain amount of interest, so does the reality show.

    The fact remains that reality shows are clicking and drawing in viewers and that soaps have always brought in audiences.

    So are you saying it is not reality vs soaps?
    All I am trying to say is that the kind of entertainment a Bigg Boss will provide is not to say that watch Bigg Boss and not Kaajjal. The shows provide you different elements of entertainment. The viewer has to be entertained. I do not think that the audience will say “I will not watch reality show because I never watch a reality show.” For the audience, what matters is entertainment.

    CAS is likely to change the dynamics of the television market? Your thoughts?
    Well, being on the creative seat, what can only be a deterrent for me is if I tell them that you have to pay more to be entertained?

    How do you view the whole general entertainment market?
    The whole television market has a lot to offer and the entertainment business is growing. The audiences will have an amazing offering to chose from in the future. Although we are growing rapidly, but by the time we grow to reach the standards that are followed outside, it will involve a lot of hard work. I believe across the line producers have to realize what television is all about and give a lot of importance to creativity. I think it is happening. Thus there is lots to look forward to.
    You were present at Mipcom. What were the formats that you enjoyed?
    Well, there was this Endemol game show where one can win a fixed amount of money for his entire life span. Another show that I enjoyed was a reality show where a girl has to spot an eligible guy out of three where you have a gay, one already taken and a single guy. It is a show that can never be made in India. But the concept was interesting.

    So have how many formats are you buying?
    We are still in the process of weighing the pros and cons. We have not yet locked any deal.

    Has the tie-up with Smriti Irani affected your channel’s relationship with Balaji?
    Yes, it has already affected it. But, I must say that I am proud to be a product of Balaji. I left the production house for some personal reasons. Reasons I would not like to go into.

    Now that I am with Sony, anything that I have to do, I will do for the betterment of the channel. Smirit had an amazing concept. So I see no reason why I should not do that show.

    In fact, Sony had been approaching Balaji for the last two months even before I joined. Ekta had her own reasons for not doing a show for Sony as she said that she is tied up somewhere else. But she is to do a show for Sab, for which she has time, which is great. That she has no time to do a show for Sony, is absolutely fine and acceptable. As and when she has a concept for Sony, all she has to do is dial my number.

    Today, Sony is third, Zee had been lurking in this position for long. Zee’s soaps have given them a fresh lease of life?
    The journey of Zee is very motivational. After seven years, it is really something to talk about. If Zee can do it, Sony can well do it. Competition keeps you going. I was the creative head on Kasamh Se and my interactions with Ashwini (Zee programming head Ashwini Yardi) have been great. It is very inspirational.
    In the current situation, with your experience is it a tough battle to manage a channel’s programming?
    It is a whole new corporate world. I feel at home. In this world of entertainment it is a combination of competitiveness and fun. I belief I too need my fair chance to prove myself.

    What is the road map for Sony for 2007?
    Well, all efforts will be towards bouncing back.
  • Sony set to launch ‘Bigg Boss’ on 3 November

    Sony set to launch ‘Bigg Boss’ on 3 November

    MUMBAI: Sony is ready to roll on its its big ticket property for the latter of half of 2006 – Bigg Boss, the Indianised version of the international format Big Brother.

    Can a show that has a highly voyeuristic core with a lot of negative machinations at play work in the Indian context? Most certainly, asserts Sony chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand. The reality show will have all the elements and more that make saas-bahu weepies such a rage in India, avers Sikcand, giving his reasoning on why he expects the concept to replicate the success it has enjoyed in territories like the UK.

    Bigg Boss launches Friday, 3 November, with the unveiling of the 13 celebrity participants. It will have a 12-week run, with telecast running from Monday through to Friday.

    On Fridays, Bigg Boss will run the elimination episode, where as the Monday to Thursday episodes will be packed with the regular drama and reality content. Significantly, Sony has opted for the 10 pm slot (Monday to Thursday) at a time when an interesting fight is going on between Star Plus and Zee TV in that time band. Bigg Boss will be confronting Star Plus’ Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, which airs from Monday to Thursday and Zee TV’s newly launched show Ghar Ki Lakshmi Betiyann.

    The Friday episodes are slotted for 9 pm. On Friday, Bigg Boss will be attacking Star Plus’ Baa, Baho and Baby and Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs’.

    Bigg Boss, the real life soap will have 13 celebrities confined inside a specially designed house where every single point in the house is within view of a video camera. The housemates will be watched by 28 cameras.

    They will not be permitted any contact with the outside world: no TV, radio, telephone, internet, not even writing materials. The public is invited to vote to evict one of the contestants. The last remaining is the winner who bags Rs 500000/-. The ‘Bigg Boss’, an omnipresent voice will be watching all the moves of the housemates. And the popular ‘Circuit’ of Munnabhai MBBS – Arshad Warsi – will be anchoring the show.

    The repeat telecast will be aired in the afternoons. Bigg Boss is regarded as Sony’s next big offering after Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi and Indian Idol. Set India COO NP Singh believes that Bigg Boss, the format show that has successfully attracted millions of viewers over multiple seasons in some of the countries will change television viewing in India too.

    The channel is also planning a multiple season run for Bigg Boss. This time, they have roped in celebrities primarily because curiosity and obsession about the stars have exploded in the country, explains Sikcand.

    The channel has already started marketing this property through a 360 degree campaign. This would be the first time that the channel will be creating mobisodes for the format show. The users can access 30-second to 90-second clips, but Singh refused to divulge as to which telecom operator, the channel had inked a deal with.

    Internet will be yet another medium through which the channel will exhibit its property. A mircosite will be created, through which the streaming of the show will be offered and the mobile episodes will also be accessed, informs Singh.

    It remains to be seen if Bigg Boss brings in the big audiences that will help propel Sony back into the ratings reckoning.

  • SET senior VP and programming head Anupama Mandloi quits

    SET senior VP and programming head Anupama Mandloi quits

    MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment India (SET) India senior VP and programming head Anupama Mandloi has resigned.

    After a nine-and-a-half-year stint at the flagship channel SET, Mandloi officially says goodbye to the organisation tomorrow.

    For the near term, recently appointed chief creative director Sandiip Sikcand (former Balaji creative head ) will be overseeing Mandloi’s responsibilities. However, according to sources, the organisation has not taken any final call on whether to have a replacement for her position.

    In her time at Sony, Mandloi has held various positions — from on-air programming director, on-air programming head, creative director, to senior VP and programming head. She was also instrumental in setting up Sony’s flanking channel SAB TV, which was bought out last year.

    Prior to Sony, Mandloi worked with Plus Channel. She has also worked on projects with filmmaker Vikram Bhatt.