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Actress Tamannaah Bhatia at Ideas of India Summit 3.0: “Bahubali was a game changer for me”
Mumbai: “Bahubali was a game changer for me not only from audience perspective but also from the perspective of being an actor and performer. Bahubali gave me a character for which I could not pick a reference from anywhere,” star Bollywood actress Tamannaah Bhatia, shared her evolution as an actor in the session, “So Many Cinemas” at the ‘Ideas of India’ Summit 3.0.
Acknowledging filmmaker Rajamouli for the opportunity, she remarked, “It showed that sometimes it is someone else’s eye for you to discover your strengths”
Appreciating the movie industry in the South, Tamannaah Bhatia, remarked “The South film industry has consistently maintained that they tell more rooted stories and capture the very basic emotions in a much nuanced way”
Sharing a glimpse about herself, Tamannaah said, “I am a realist but I am also a mushy at heart Romantic You get what you are, so I started becoming my idea of true love. I am a very people’s person. I don’t have any problem with people approaching me”
Sharing her views about OTT versus the big cinema, Tamanaah said, “OTT is a shift of medium. It is a great strength. Today you don’t feel restricted if you want to watch a movie”
“Nepotism is in every industry. But if you have talent and if you understand people management in an organization you can make it anywhere,” Tamannah expressed, speaking about nepotism.
Later she added her perspective about feminism, “Feminism is for both genders. It is great when women who don’t have that power are empowered. As individual human beings we are not copy of each other; we are unique. We need not imitate others who are doing something or going a certain way. Settling down is an independent journey. When we talk about feminism, it should not be a necessity for women to choose a partner; she should be free to choose a life partner that she wants to choose. We should break the notion that women need a life partner for settling down.”
Responding to a question on something that she would want to change about herself, Tamanaah said, “I never had any time to prepare. If I had an opportunity to prepare and not always perform, I would have preferred that. I watch my movies a little later so that I can view it more objectively. My family is very brutal reviewing my movies, and I appreciate their honest opinions.”
The ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India’ Summit 3.0 spotlighting the ‘The People’s Agenda’ brought a confluence of ideas and ideators to a common platform celebrating the country’s people and its plurality. The two-day summit hosted policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, business leaders, economists, and leading luminaries to delve into the fundamental ideas of liberty, justice, equality, and diversity that define India, its society, culture, and politics. The meaningful deliberations on diverse topics had the brightest minds across sectors providing insights about the nation’s trajectory and its journey to become Viksit Bharat.
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Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
