ZEE TV restarts its famous show ‘Antakshari’ again in January. It was the top ranking musical show. The game show, which had been running on the channel since its launch in 1994 was axed in 2005 to make way for shows appealing to a younger audience. Antakshari has a fan following in more than 73 countries and has created singing icons like Sunidhi Chauhan amongst others.

Antakshari is also the longest running TV musical show on Indian television and has been shot internationally too. The new ‘Antakshari’ will be hosted by Sunil Pal, who has been a part of STAR One’s ‘Great Laughter Challenge’. The show will be co-hosted by ZEE TV’s protégé Himani Kapoor who was one of the finalists in ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa -Challenge 2005′. The two stars are hoping to create the same magic that Anu Kapoor once did on the hugely popular programme.

There’s been a change of sponsor for Antakshari, the popular musical game show on Zee TV, which has been on air for close to a decade. The show, which will soon be re-launched in a new format with a new look, will now be sponsored by Sansui and will be known as Sansui Antakshari. Zee TV has sold the rights to Sansui for an annual fee of Rs 5 crore, which is at a substantially-high premium.

Apurva Purohit, president Zee TV, was quoted as saying in the release: “Antakshari is one of the strongest properties on Zee TV which has broken all age and category barriers. After a successful decade, we decided to give the show a new look. The new show, which will soon be launched, will have a new look, a refreshing new format and will also have a new sponsor. Sansui had approached us a few months ago wanting to take the main title sponsorship and since our contract with HLL was over we decided to partner with Sansui for the new Antakshari.”