As regional TV competition intensifies, Sony strengthens Bengali play with new originals

As competition in India's regional television market heats up, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) is stepping up its efforts in Bengali entertainment with the debut of the unscripted comedy-cooking format Raandhuni Na Kaanduni on October 3.

National broadcasters are looking to create unique intellectual properties in a crowded regional market, and Sony’s decision represents a broader move by the network towards regionally rooted, creative formats.

Hosted by Bengali actor Ankush Hazra, Raandhuni Na Kaanduni will air at 9.30 pm on Sony AATH and will also be available on streaming platform Sony LIV. The broadcaster unveiled the property in Kolkata through a ‘Kitchen Takeover’ featuring the cast, media and content creators.


The new format combines food and humour, two themes the broadcaster believes have strong cultural resonance in Bengal, and places celebrities in a cooking environment built around challenges, interactions and unscripted situations.

“Raandhuni Na Kaanduni marks an important step in Sony AATH’s journey as we expand our content proposition with original unscripted entertainment, fiction and much more,” said Ambesh Tiwari, business head, Sony YAY! and Sony AATH.

“Food and humour are both deeply rooted in Bengali culture, and bringing them together with some of Bengal’s most familiar personalities gives us an opportunity to create a differentiated, locally relevant IP,” Tiwari added.

For Sony AATH, the focus with Raandhuni Na Kaanduni is on developing a property rooted specifically in Bengali cultural cues rather than merely adapting a conventional cooking competition format.

The show brings together personalities including Kanchan Mullick, Sreemoyee Chattoraj, Iman Chakraborty, Rupanjana Mitra, Darshana Banik, Prerna Das, Ushasi Ray, Sushmit Mukherjee, RJ Sayan Ghosh, Anwesha Hazra and Soumitrisha Kundu, with chefs Doma Wong and Priyam providing the culinary element.

Built around the concept of the ‘raandhunis’ meeting the ‘kaandunis’, the format uses cooking challenges as a setting for celebrity interactions, humour and unexpected situations rather than focusing solely on culinary competition.

Actor Ankush Hazra said the format places personalities already familiar to Bengali audiences in an unfamiliar environment, allowing their individual humour and chemistry to drive the show.

The property carries the Bengali proposition ‘হাসির আঁচে জমবে রান্না’, loosely translating to laughter adding flavour to cooking.