Most people watch more serials than news: CM

Kolkata: More people are watching television serials than news, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said as she presented the Tele Academy Awards '19 at a function in Nazrul Mancha on Friday afternoon.

"It's a fact that more and more people are watching serials on different television channels than news. I myself am an avid viewer of the entertainment programmes and surf the channels even after midnight when most people go to bed," she said.

Noted filmmaker Goutam Ghose, actors Dipankar Dey and Mamata Shankar and singer Shivaji Chatterjee were present at the award giving ceremony, among others.

Biswajit Ghosh and Sean Banerjee got the best actor award for the television serials Ke Apan Ke Par and Ami Sirajer Begum, for their roles as Param and Shirajdaulla respectively.

Meanwhile, Indrani Halder, Manali Dey and Ditipriya Ghosh got the best actress award for the television serials Srimoyee, Nakshikantha and Karunamoyee Rani Rashmoni, respectively.

Fagun Bou, a Magic Moments Motion Pictures production, got the best serial award, while Krishnakali, a Tent Cinema production, got the award for being the most popular serial.

Amit Sengupta got the award for the best director, for Debi Chowdhurani, while noted actor Jisshu Sengupta got the best non-fiction anchor award for Sa Re Ga Ma.

Neel Bhattacharya and Tiyasha Roy and Bikram Chatterjee and Oindrila Sen received the best on-screen couple award for their roles as Nikhil and Shyama in Krishnakali and Ayandeep and Mahul in Fagun Bou.

Tarit Sengupta got the best sound recordist award for Bhumikanya.

Aranya Roychowdhury, Pritha Ghosh, Abhirup Sen and Kritika Chakraborty got the best child actor award for several television serials, namely Jai baba Loknath, Gudiya Jekhane Guddu Sekhane and Rakhi Bandhan.