Colors Bangla
Colors Bangla is an Indian Bengali-language general-entertainment pay television channel operated under the Colors brand.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Colors Bangla is an Indian pay television channel serving Bengali-speaking audiences with general-entertainment programming. The channel originated as ETV Bangla, launched on 15 April 2000 by the Hyderabad-based ETV Network. Its creation formed part of a broader expansion of regional television in West Bengal, where broadcasters sought to compete for viewers with established Bengali-language services, including ATN Bangla and Zee's regional initiatives. ETV Bangla quickly became a leading channel among audiences in West Bengal and built its identity around Bengali fiction, films, reality formats, and other entertainment programming. The channel expanded beyond India during the 2000s. In May 2005, it became available to viewers in the United States through DirecTV, extending its reach to the Bengali diaspora. In 2010, ETV Bangla also broadened its involvement in Bengali screen entertainment by collaborating with filmmaker and performer Anjan Dutt and director Kaushik Ganguly on a slate of twelve telefilms under the ETV Bangla Movies label. Ownership changed substantially during the following decade. A proposed acquisition of ETV's regional television assets by Multi-Screen Media was discussed in 2011, but the assets were instead directed toward Network18 following a January 2012 board decision. ETV Bangla consequently came under TV18's partial ownership and was ultimately fully acquired after the transaction was completed in January 2014. The channel retained the ETV name for a period, while its news counterpart, ETV News Bangla, launched on 10 March 2014. Sujay Raghavan was appointed to lead ETV Bangla and ETV Odia in April 2014. On 12 April 2015, ETV Bangla was rebranded as Colors Bangla, bringing the service into the wider Colors portfolio and aligning its presentation with the network's national and regional entertainment brands. A high-definition version followed in May 2016. The channel has carried original Bengali programming as well as dubbed or acquired Indian serials, mythological dramas, supernatural fiction, reality television, and film-related specials. Its programming history includes Bengali adaptations and locally produced entertainment alongside titles from the broader Colors and Viacom18 ecosystem. The channel also aired the Filmfare Awards East in 2017. The former ETV identity continued elsewhere in the Bengali portfolio until ETV News Bangla was renamed News18 Bangla in March 2018. In April 2021, Viacom18 appointed Sagnik Ghosh as business head of Colors Bangla, replacing Rahul Chakravarti, who had been associated with the channel's growth and its rise to become the third most-watched Bengali general-entertainment channel from India. On 30 August 2021, the service refreshed its motion graphics and channel interface around Janmashtami and introduced the Bengali tagline “Notun Shopner Rong,” meaning a new color of dreams. In November 2024, Vivek Modi was appointed to lead the channel. Colors Bangla operates primarily as a Bengali-language general-entertainment service for India, especially West Bengal, while its earlier distribution in the United States demonstrates a diaspora-oriented reach. Its related movie service, Colors Bangla Cinema, was launched in February 2019 as a Bengali-language pay television channel. Together, the channels extend the Colors brand into Bengali fiction, reality, film, and regional cultural programming.
History
Colors Bangla began as ETV Bangla, a regional Bengali-language general-entertainment channel launched on 15 April 2000 by the ETV Network. Its creation reflected intensifying competition in West Bengal's television market. Zee Telefilms and ETV had both considered Bengali regional services, while ATN Bangla was gaining attention among Bengali-speaking viewers. ETV's earlier concept reportedly carried the proposed name Gitanjali and was intended to combine entertainment and news, but the eventual service launched as ETV Bangla. It rapidly established a leading position among West Bengal audiences. The channel's content was centered on Bengali general entertainment, including serials, films, reality programs, and other regional productions. Its international distribution expanded in May 2005 when ETV Bangla became available in the United States through DirecTV. This helped the service reach Bengali-speaking viewers outside India. In May 2010, the channel collaborated with Anjan Dutt and Kaushik Ganguly on twelve telefilms under the ETV Bangla Movies banner, strengthening its connection with Bengali film talent and television-movie production. ETV Bangla's corporate ownership changed in the early 2010s. Multi-Screen Media was initially reported as a potential buyer of ETV's regional television channels in 2011, but the assets were subsequently directed toward Network18 after a board decision in January 2012. ETV Bangla came under 50 percent TV18 ownership as part of that process and was fully acquired after the transaction concluded in January 2014. It continued to use the ETV identity for a time. ETV News Bangla launched on 10 March 2014, and Sujay Raghavan was appointed head of ETV Bangla and ETV Odia in April of that year. The principal transformation occurred on 12 April 2015, when ETV Bangla was rebranded as Colors Bangla. The change brought the service into the Colors family and connected it to the broader regional entertainment strategy associated with Viacom18. A high-definition version launched in May 2016. Colors Bangla subsequently carried a mix of original Bengali programming and acquired titles, including fiction, mythology, historical drama, supernatural stories, reality shows, and film-related content. It also broadcast the Filmfare Awards East in 2017. The remaining ETV-branded Bengali news service was renamed News18 Bangla in March 2018, leaving Colors Bangla as the principal continuation of the former ETV entertainment identity in the Bengali market. In February 2019, the related Bengali movie channel Colors Bangla Cinema was launched. In April 2021, Viacom18 appointed Sagnik Ghosh as business head, replacing Rahul Chakravarti. The change followed a period in which Chakravarti had been credited with helping Colors Bangla grow into the third most-watched Bengali general-entertainment channel from India. On 30 August 2021, during Janmashtami, Colors Bangla introduced refreshed motion graphics and a new channel interface. The update was accompanied by the tagline “Notun Shopner Rong.” In November 2024, Vivek Modi was appointed to lead the channel. Colors Bangla remains positioned as a Bengali general-entertainment service, with its principal audience in India and additional historical distribution to Bengali audiences in the United States.
- 2024
Vivek Modi appointed to lead the channel
[1]Vivek Modi takes over leadership of Colors Bangla.
- 2021
Business leadership changes
[1]Sagnik Ghosh replaces Rahul Chakravarti as business head.
- 2021
Visual identity refresh
[1]The channel refreshes its graphics and interface and introduces the tagline “Notun Shopner Rong.”
- 2019
Colors Bangla Cinema launches
[1]A Bengali-language pay television movie channel is introduced as a related service.
- 2016
High-definition channel introduced
[1]Colors Bangla launches an HD counterpart.
- 2015
Rebrand to Colors Bangla
[1]ETV Bangla adopts the Colors Bangla identity on 12 April.
- 2014
TV18 acquisition completed
[1]ETV Bangla becomes fully owned by TV18 after the regional-channel transaction is finalized.
- 2010
ETV Bangla Movies telefilm collaboration
[1]The channel collaborates with Anjan Dutt and Kaushik Ganguly on twelve telefilms.
- 2005
United States distribution begins
[1]ETV Bangla becomes available to US audiences through DirecTV.
- 2000
ETV Bangla launches
[1]The channel begins broadcasting on 15 April as ETV Bangla, an ETV Network Bengali-language general-entertainment service.
Products and positioning
A Bengali-language general-entertainment television brand combining original regional programming with acquired Indian fiction, reality, mythological, and film content.
General-entertainment television channel · 2000
Colors Bangla
The core Bengali-language pay television service. Its schedule combines original and acquired serials, mythological and historical dramas, supernatural fiction, reality television, entertainment specials, and Bengali film-related programming for viewers in India.
Telefilm programming · 2010
ETV Bangla Movies
A telefilm initiative associated with the former ETV Bangla identity. In 2010, the channel worked with Anjan Dutt and Kaushik Ganguly on a twelve-film slate, linking regional television distribution with Bengali screen talent.
Movie television channel · 2019
Colors Bangla Cinema
A related Bengali-language pay television movie channel launched in February 2019. It extends the Colors presence in Bengali entertainment through film-focused programming.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Notun Shopner Rong
India
Colors Bangla refreshed its motion graphics and channel interface on 30 August during Janmashtami and introduced the tagline “Notun Shopner Rong.” The initiative presented the channel through a renewed visual identity centered on the Colors brand.
Outcome. The channel continued operating under the refreshed Colors Bangla presentation.
Brand decisions
2021
Refresh the channel identityStrategyBackground
The channel sought to update its on-screen presentation while retaining its position within the Colors family.
Action taken
Colors Bangla changed its motion graphics and interface and introduced the “Notun Shopner Rong” tagline on 30 August.
Aftermath
The refreshed presentation became the channel's updated visual expression.
2016
Launch of Colors Bangla HDProduct launchBackground
The standard-definition entertainment service had been operating under the Colors identity since 2015.
Action taken
A high-definition counterpart was introduced in May 2016.
Aftermath
The Colors Bangla offering expanded to include an HD viewing option.
2015
Rebrand ETV Bangla as Colors BanglaStrategyBackground
After ETV Bangla entered the TV18 regional television portfolio, the channel was brought into the wider Colors brand architecture.
Action taken
The service changed its name and presentation to Colors Bangla on 12 April 2015.
Aftermath
The Bengali entertainment channel continued as part of the Colors portfolio, while the ETV identity was later removed from the Bengali news counterpart through its rebrand as News18 Bangla.
Sources2 sources
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