Rohit Sharma, Ajay Devgn, A.R. Rahman To Feature in Sony India's Line-Up

Star Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma is set to expand his career into television with a new show debuting this September on Sony Entertainment Television and the streaming service SonyLIV. This announcement forms part of a broader content strategy unveiled by Sony Pictures Networks India, encompassing a wide variety of programming spanning fiction, reality, sports, and regional content.

Gaurav Banerjee, the managing director and CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India, confirmed the plans saying, "We have announced a show with active India cricket star Rohit Sharma. And Rohit will start anchoring and presenting his own show on SET and SonyLIV in September."

Among the highlights of the new offerings, Season 18 of the franchise quiz show "Kaun Banega Crorepati" will premiere, hosted by the esteemed Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan. This season introduces the unique angle of artificial intelligence, focusing the show on reasoning under stress rather than purely on recall trivia.

In addition, Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn is set to host a new true-crime series entitled "Crime Patrol 2026," which will continue the established format of exploring real-life cases through compelling storytelling.

The line-up also features comic relief with the "Indian Game Show," hosted by Bharti Singh and Harsh Limbachiyaa, challenging celebrities in various entertaining tasks. Furthermore, Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene will lead a Marathi-language version of the quiz show, "Kon Honar Crorepati," which adapts the popular "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" format.

Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman will head the judging panel for the inaugural "Tamil Idol," a Tamil-language singing competition that aims to discover emerging vocal talent in Tamil Nadu. The streaming platform will also introduce "MasterChef Tamil," hosted by actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, promising an engaging culinary experience.

Adding to this diverse slate is the anticipated series "Scam 2010," produced by Birla Studios, Applause Entertainment, and SonyLIV. Directed by National Award-winning Hansal Mehta, this production is currently in shooting stages and has faced legal challenges from Sahara India Pariwar, although Banerjee stated that he believes these matters have been resolved.

SonyLIV will additionally offer both digital and television premieres for "Haiwaan," an upcoming film directed by Priyadarshan and featuring stars Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, following its theatrical run.

To complement the new entertainment offerings, Sony Sports Network will host a Festival of Sports from August 15 to December 1, showcasing India’s cricket tour of Sri Lanka, the Women's T20 Asia Cup, the Asian Games, and India’s all-format tour of New Zealand.

Sony Pictures Networks India operates a substantial array of media channels, including 29 premium channels catering to diverse audiences with entertainment in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and English. Sony’s reach extends across India to over 700 million viewers and expands into more than 150 countries globally.