News Broadcasting
‘Kahiin’s’ Shaina follows Kkusum’s footsteps; ditto for Kyunki’s new Mandira
MUMBAI: That’s right, another leading lady walks out of a Balaji show. But this time on, the issue isn’t about the leading lady beings squeamish about playing an older character, in fact she had been playing a younger character than her previous one. But it has more to do with the opportunities on different horizon.
Following Nausheen Ali Sardar decision to quit Kkusum, Mouli Ganguly is calling it a day at Kaahin Kissi Roz (Star plus) and Achint Kaur has quit Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (Star Plus).
Talking to indiantelevision.com Ganguly explained, “Of late, I am getting lots of offers from other production houses and filmmakers. Hereafter, for the next three months, I could not give this serial more than six-eight days in a month.”
But apparently that is not the only reasons, the girl seems to be irked over the fact that after three years the girl had it. “As a girl, time is running out on me. How long can I go on playing the same character? I am stagnating now. I am bored of playing Shaina, Shaina, Shaina… I want to evolve as an actress. There is more to me than being just Shaina. I have got some offers which I would not like to go on record now, but I am too busy for the next threre months at least. It’s gonna be very hectic,” she said.
Mouli says she met Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor in this regard. Depite the coaxing, it was decided to part amicably.
On date, Mouli is working on Sahara’s serial- Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, where she essays Waheeda Rehman’s role from the old classic film by the same name. Recently, she completed doing her first film- Rituparno Ghosh’s Raincoat.
Sweta Salve, who was ousted from Lipstick (Zee TV) some time back has steps into Ganguly’s shoes in Kaahin Kissii Roz.
On the other hand, Achint Kaur has opted out because she claims that Balaji Telefilms refused to pay her the amount they had promised they would after she had worked with them for six months. “I had signed a contract with Balaji Telefilms for six months at a rate which was not to my liking. They had promised me that they would raise it to my desired level when the contract was meant to be renewed. But when the time came to honour their commitment, they backed out. They were not ready to raise it by a single penny,” she complained.
“Rajesh Parivartan called me and said that the amount could not be raised. This was around 5 February. I requested him to wind up my role before 22 February as I was leaving for the Zee Cine Awards in Dubai. I shot for my last scene, a little before going to Dubai,” she concluded.
Ekta won’t have to worry much on this walk-out because Achint’s character (aka Mandira) has been sent behind bars for plotting a muder. So she is serving life imprisonment for now.
Lets hope thats enough walk out’s for Balaji shows.
News Broadcasting
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.
