MUMBAI: On the 17th of October, as the whole of India is bathed in the radiance of Deepavali, Amrita TV lights the wick of an array of splendid programmes, to illuminate the day in the warm glow of premiere entertainment.

The ?Festival of Lights? is kindled by a special episode of Udayamritham at6.30am, put together exclusively for the propitious day, followed by the sunny super-hit Hello, a Mohanlal starer at 9.00pm.

At 1.30pm when the sun burns like a giant lamp in the afternoon skies, Amrita TV telecasts Deepavali Jalsa. In Kerala, Deepavali is celebrated on a more muted key than the rest of India; so to tune in to the real pitch of the festival, Jalsa travels to the heartland of Deepavali in the State, to the Gujarathi community concentrated in Cochin & Kozhikode and gets a feel of the actual pulse of the fiesta that is celebrated in a blaze of lights, firecrackers & sweets .

The sparkling highlight of this year?s Fete is the Grand Finale of AmritaTV?s Vanita Ratnam-3, the sole reality show for young mothers in Malayalam Television at 3.30pm.

At 7 pm, when every home is resplendid in the luster of a 100 oil lamps, comes Deepa Prabhayil, a heart-to-heart conversation with Kaniha, the royal consort of Mammoty in ?Pazhassi Raja? the most expensive Malayalam film made till date. She shares her experience of being a part of the trilingual biographical blockbuster , the making of which stretched over 3 of her birthday celebrations ;narrates her thrill and nervousness of being Kaitheri Makam, Mamooty?s Queen & the difficulties encountered during the shooting sessions scheduled in deep forests .

The fireworks that draw patterns in the inky night will also cast gleams of light on the past life of Sreenivas , famous playbacksinger & music director in Njan Sreenivas at 7.30pm. He talks at length on his struggle to make a mark in the competitive world of Music; how he ?converted? from chemical engineer to playback singer; the awards that came in search of him;his special relationship with A.R.Rehman & Ilayaraja .

As the Sreenivas interview draws to a close & the fumes from the spent crackers suffuse the air, another glorious Deepavali from Amrita TV will be consigned to memory.

MUMBAI: He emerged out of his famous father?s shadow to create a niche for himself. This week on ?A Journey Like Never Before?, meet Farhan Akhtar who with his creative essence wears many hats- director, actor, singer, host and script writer.

Farhan in a candid talk admits how he did lots of things as a kid to attract attention and also how he was kicked out of the college for poor attendance.

On the show he reveals that his parents? separation and his mother?s warning to throw him out of the house if he didn?t take stock of his life were some of the defining moments of his life. Sharing reminiscences from the making of his movies Dil Chahta Hain and Lakshya, that gave him recognition in the industry, Farhan goes on to sing Sindbad the Sailor on the show.

Catch the multi-talented Farhan Akhtar on Fly Kingfisher presents ?A Journey Like Never Before? on 17th October, Saturday at 8.30 pm with a repeat telecast on following Sunday at 12:00 noon and 5.00 pm only on NDTV Profit.

MUMBAI: Ira Dubey and Neha Sareen give their take on the latest movies lined up for the week in the popular show ?Chicks on Flicks? on PIX-the premium English movie channel from Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd.

Set in a futuristic world, Surrogates is about humans who live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others? surrogates. See if Neha and Ira recommend Surrogates for a Friday night special.

Get ready for an emotional yet entertaining family drama, ?My Sister?s Keeper?. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, starring Cameron Diaz, the film is based on the story of a girl Anna Fitzgerald who earns medical emancipation from her parents who until now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate remain alive.

Next is The Time Traveller?s Wife based on the story of a Chicago librarian who suffers from a rare genetic disorder that sends him hurtling through time whenever he is under extreme duress; despite the fact that he vanishes at inordinately frequent and lengthy intervals, he attempts to build a stable future with the beautiful young heiress he loves. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams star in this dramatic fantasy directed by Robert Schwentke and based on the best-selling book by author Audrey Niffenegger.

From Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), comes Taking Woodstock, a new comedy inspired by the true story of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) and his family, who inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the famed Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the happening that it was.

Catch Ira Dubey and Neha Sareen on ?Chicks on Flicks? as the Hollywood movie critics duo directs you and your family on whether to ?Catch it? or ?Trash it? on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 8.30 pm only on PIX.

MUMBAI: With ?Diwali Dhamaka?, STAR Gold brings its viewers a unique and special offering to enjoy the festive fervor of Diwali in the comfort of their homes. Fireworks light up the small screen this Diwali as Bollywood superstars come together to celebrate the festival of joy and prosperity with electrifying performances in ?Diwali Dhamaka? on October 18 at 8 pm.

The channel brings you an evening of fun, laughter and celebration with ?Diwali Dhamaka?. Get ready to witness exhilarating performances on foot tapping numbers and a healthy dose of laughter this Sunday, 18th October at 8 pm only on STAR Gold.

Setting the evening ablaze are fiery performances by Sameera Reddy, Minnisha Lamba and Mahi Gill who will have you swaying to super hit numbers like Ishq Kabhi (Musafir), Genda Phool(Delhi 6), Love Mera Hit (Billu), Ranaji (Gulaal) and several others. Isha Koppikar will be seen in a completely traditional avatar as opposed to her stylish image on screen. Accompanying the beautiful ladies is Bollywood dancing sensation Tushar Kapoor who will get you moving to popular numbers like Dhan Te Dhan from Kaminey and many more.

As the evening gathers momentum, Bharti from the Laughter Challenge fame entertains you with a hilarious take on Diwali complete with her hysterical performance and antics. Experience laughtertainment at its best as comedy queen Bharti comes to your homes with STAR Gold in ?Diwali Dhamaka?. This Diwali Bollywood stars come together to illuminate your homes on STAR Gold.

MUMBAI: Diwali signifies the beginning of a new era and CNBC AWAAZ will add to the festivities by presenting a lineup of special shows.

This Diwali, CNBC AWAAZ India?s No 1 Business Channel presents ?FESTIVAL BAZAAR?- a series of on-air shows which are a complete guide on the wide range of Shopping done during this season. The programming also comprises of various stock market and commodity markets related shows to guide viewers in their investments and trading.

The series gives viewers an insight and guides them on selecting and analyzing various stocks that bear an earning potential and therefore are the experts? picks.

Some of the festive specials to be aired on CNBC AWAAZ are:

Watch eminent market experts like Shankar Sharma, Nilesh Shah and more in a candid interview on Diwali Special bringing out their expectations from markets for the next one year and advices on what should be done to make profits.

Through Diwali Se- Diwali Tak, CNBC AWAAZ brings out two exclusive shows, a one hour special on Stock Markets & a half hour special on Commodity Markets where market experts reveal what can be expected from the markets from this Diwali upto the next Diwali. (October 17, 2009).

CNBC AWAAZ Diwali Aur Jyotish is a half hour special that will bring out the predictions of a known astrologer on how the stocks and the commodities markets will perform and the overall view for the next year.

With Diwali Dhamaka Stocks, CNBC AWAAZ brings two eminent stock market experts Deven Choksi & Daljit Singh as they present their top five picks that can be invested in to make profits till next Diwali.

Don?t forget to catch the daily dose of crisp advices from market experts throughout the day?s upto Diwali displaying their top picks that can be invested in to make profits in a year?s time, in Is Diwali Koi Share Ho Jaye

DIWALI MAHURAT TRADING

This Diwali CNBC AWAAZ will take you on the Mahurat Trading special live from the stocks and the commodities markets bringing out the moods of these markets and the way ahead from this Diwali to the next Diwali. (17th Oct ? 6pm to 7.30pm)

Speaking on this special programming, Mr. Sanjay Pugalia, Editor-in-Chief, CNBC AWAAZ said: ?We at CNBC AWAAZ have always aimed at giving the best to our viewers in terms of content. Through this festival programming, we will share the joy of Diwali with our audience by bringing to them the advices from India?s best stocks and commodities experts. The experts will share their insights into the most lucrative investment options from this Diwali to the next, helping investors make the most of these opportunities.?

Commenting on the Festival line-up, Mr. Neel Chowdhury, Vice President, Marketing CNBC-TV18 and CNBC AWAAZ said: ?Being a consumer oriented business channel, guiding the consumer has always been the core objective of CNBC AWAAZ. Through this special series we aim to give our viewers the best of this festive season by providing them with a combination of shopping advice and stock tips along with the peek at the direction the market will head into during the next year.?