Mumbai, August 3, 2026: Zee TV and Hindi Zee 5 marked a historic milestone by celebrating 100 years of the Essel Group with a grand evening in Mumbai, bringing together the creative community that has been an integral part of Z’s remarkable journey over the last three decades. Hosted by actor Aparshakti Khurana, the celebration was attended by celebrities including Shreyas Talpade, Shaan, Rakesh Bedi, Anurag Basu, Ravie Dubey, Sargun Mehta, Arjun Bijlani, Ritvik Dhanjani, along with several industry veterans, artists and creative minds, honouring the legacy of Zee TV, that ranks as No.1 Hindi GEC in Prime time in India.
Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi took the audience on a heartfelt and nostalgic journey, reminiscing about his long-standing association with Zee TV and sharing anecdotes from his career. Filmmaker Anurag Basu reflected on his early days as an assistant director to Raman Kumar on Tara, recalling how the experience shaped his journey as a filmmaker. Aparshakti Khurana kept the evening engaging as the host, seamlessly guiding the audience through the celebrations. The gathering also observed a two-minute silence in memory of Shri Nand Kishore Ji Goenka, paying tribute to his invaluable contribution and enduring legacy.
One of the defining moments of the evening was a keynote address by Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Essel Group. The insightful address reflected on the entrepreneurial vision, resilience and pioneering spirit that shaped Essel Group’s remarkable 100-year journey while tracing the evolution of Zee TV and its transformative contribution to India’s media and entertainment industry.
Opening his keynote address, Dr. Subhash Chandra expressed his heartfelt gratitude to everyone present for being part of the historic celebration. He said, “I sincerely thank everyone who has taken the time to be here and be a part of this historic evening. This journey has only been possible because of all of you.” He also highlighted the network’s audience footprint of over 1.45 billion viewers across 190 countries and 51 languages daily.
Speaking about the future of content consumption, he outlined the group’s vision for an immersive entertainment ecosystem where audiences become active participants rather than passive viewers. He said, “In the future, viewers won’t just watch programmes; they will become a part of them, interacting with the characters and the storyline in an immersive entertainment experience.”
The evening concluded with a live performance by acclaimed folk artist Mame Khan, followed by a nostalgic medley of iconic Zee TV title tracks by the Bombay Choir Group, bringing the celebrations to a memorable close.
Marking a century of the Essel Group, the celebration honoured the vision, creativity and pioneering spirit that continue to shape the future of Indian media and entertainment.
