News Broadcasting
Sahara calls off deal to acquire stake in Adlabs
MUMBAI: Sahara Media and Entertainment has called off the deal to acquire a substantial minority stake in Adlabs Films’ wholly owned subsidiary Entertainment One.
“We have not gone ahead with the deal. We called it off last week,” says a senior official in Sahara.
Adlabs chairman and managing director Manmohan Shetty also confirmed that the deal was off. “We had offered a 25 per cent stake in Entertainment One for a specific amount. We were supposed to sign but there has been no response from Sahara,” he says. He declined to disclose the valuation of the deal.
Entertainment One has produced movies like Gangaajal. Sahara had evinced interest in the company as it wanted to tie up with various movie production houses.
The initial offer from Adlabs was for a 25 per cent stake in Entertainment One, says a senior official in Sahara. This was later revised to 33 per cent. “But we felt it did not make business sense for us and decided to call it off last week,” he adds.
The deal had run into rough weather after Entertainment One had part-funded 1857: The Rising, a mega movie project. Subrato Roy’s media conglomerate had disassociated itself from the project after noted actress and “Sahara council director” Aishwarya Rai was dropped from the film. Adlabs then agreed for a fresh valuation, as the proposed deal would exclude The Rising.
Entertainment One has two movies on the floors and has lined up three more. The average budget of each movie is Rs 7-8 crore (70-80 million),” says Shetty. The company plans to be involved in five movies a year.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
