MUMBAI: Malayalam television network Asianet is completing 12 years in the television scenario. To mark the occasion, the channel has decided to celebrate this year's Onam for 12 days commencing from 6 September to 17 September with variety programmes.

11 Asianet anchors will present the programmes for 11 days. The network has also lined up special programmes for its newly launched channel Asianet Plus and the news channel Asianet News. "Asianet: 12 years of shining" is the network's slogan for this year.

Interview with popular stars, super hit movies, Onam-related cultural programmes, gameshows, kids programmes, comedy shows, tele-skits and tele-films take up a major chunk of the festival programmes. The channel will target non-malayalis in Kerala, who also celebrate the festival, with its Onam programming, states an official release.

The channel, which was launched in Singapore this year, will telecast a stage show organised jointly by Asianet and Singapore Malyalee Association with noted Malayalam film artists. This 2:30 hr show offers dance, music and humor based programmes.

Asianet has also lined up various programmes featuring Malayalam film stars Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Dileep, Shobhana, Jayaram, Kalabhavan Mani, Tamil film stars Vikram, playback singer Sujatha and lot of Malayalam television stars for this Onam. The channel is yet to announce the names of the movies they have slotted for the Onam days.

Asianet News has prepared its own package for Onam which includes talk shows,special features on Onam, interactive shows, quiz, news features, previews of films released for Onam and fashion shows, the release adds.

The youngest member from the Asianet family, Asianet Plus will kick off its campaign on 10 September with a special programme on the tele-strip show Munshi being aired on the flagship channel Asianet. Munshi, which completes 1825 Episodes on 10 September has been a constant watchdog on the issues around the Malayalee milieu. According to the channel, this short program has been enjoying commendable viewereship all along these years. To mark the completion of 5th year, Munshi will be telecast on Asianet Plus every hour on 10 September from 8 am to 11 pm.

In another innovation, the channel will telecast Malayalam television's one of the most successful and long-running comedy programmes Cinemala non-stop for 12 hours on 17 September. Actor Dileep and comedian Salim Kumar, who entered filmdom through television, will participate in the programme. The channel will also telecast the Aranmula boat race on 19 September from 1 pm onwards. On 15 September, a rare interaction between actor Dileep and film director Lal Jose will air at 5:30 pm.

Asianet Plus will also telecast interviews and performances of singers SP Balasubramaniam, Sreenivas, Karthik, Manjari, music directors Jassie Gift, Ouseppachan and Rajamani.