Hindi
Eros Q3 net up 167% at Rs 428 mn
MUMBAI: Eros International Media, the pure play movie production company, has posted a consolidated third-quarter net profit (after minority interest) of Rs 427.9 million, up 167.27 per cent over the year-ago period.
Eros’ total income jumped 86.8 per cent to Rs 2.8 billion for the three-month period ended 31 December. Expenses, however, rose to Rs 2.19 billion, from Rs 1.28 billion in the year-ago period.
Profit from operations before other income, interest & exceptional items was at Rs 610.6 million, from Rs 215.1 million in the earlier year.
On a standalone basis, Eros‘ net profit increased to Rs 347.1 million, from Rs 96.9 million a year ago. Total income was Rs 2.17 billion (from Rs 1.36 billion), while expenses were at Rs 1.66 billion (Rs 1.21 billion in year ago period).
Eros was listed on Indian bourses on 6 October after completing its Rs 3.5 billion IPO. The company raised funds primarily for acquiring and co-producing Indian films including Hindi as well as certain Tamil and other regional language films.
During the first quarter, Eros has released 25 films across Hindi and regional languages. The list includes movies such as Golmaal 3, No Problem, Toonpur Ka Superhero in Hindi, Idea Chi Kalpana in Marathi, Mynaa, Virudha Giri, Nandalala and Uthama Puthiran in Tamil.
The company released a total of 64 films in the nine-month period ended December, which include Housefull, Anjaana Anjaani, Paathshaala and overseas release of Dabangg and Endhiran (Tamil & Telugu),.
Eros said that it continued to focus on its de-risking strategy of monetising film content through pre-selling its new and catalogue movies.
In order to maximise monetisation of its catalogue and new films, Eros has undertaken a new media initiative of setting up in house ‘Digital Asset Management’ platform (DAM), which will digitise and catalogue the movie library and archive the same in the platform.
The VFX facility, Eyeqube, has delivered two Hollywood projects, Tron Legacy and Moby Dick, and a South Indian film project, Shakti. Furthermore, Eyeqube is currently working on films including Ra.One and Desi Boyz which are slated to release in next fiscal.
Commenting on the results, Eros International Media MD Sunil Lulla said, “I am proud that we have capitalised on our key competitive advantages of content library and global distribution network and steadily maintained our market leadership position within film entertainment over the years. Further, our portfolio strategy and de-risking through pre-sales has allowed us to rapidly yet effectively scale up our business. Going forward, we expect a sustained growth in revenues and profitability considering our strong portfolio of films, our focus on capitalising on opportunities offered across all our business segments and our expansion into regional cinema such as Marathi, Punjabi, Telegu and Bengali.”
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
