GECs
Hindi GEC shows highlight Covid2019 precautionary measures
MUMBAI: Turn on your TV sets and you will see that most shows have resumed shooting. But what’s different now? Unlike before, leading characters in shows are seen wearing masks, face shields, gloves and using sanitisers. As a responsible community, GEC shows are also passing on information to viewers about Covid2019 precautions.
While speaking to Indiantelevision.com, TV producers shared because the shows are watched by millions of people, channels had requested them to include safety measures being promoted within shows.
Shoonya Square Productions founder Ved Raj, who is the maker of the show Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega, highlights that the production house will continue to have episodes where safety protocols will be showcased. However, it will not be so frequent and informative but will reflect in the story. He also points out that the studio will not be shooting from the pandemic point of view, but will try to incorporate the current situation in their stories.
He said, “From the Covid2019 lens we are showing characters wearing masks and gloves when they are going outside their homes. They are sanitising their hands after entering the house. But the plotline of the story remains the same.”
However, upcoming episode scripts that were written before the pandemic had to be re-written considering the Covid2019 situation. In this show’s case, the protagonist will not give birth at the hospital but will do so at home. The production house can’t shoot in a different studio with more junior artists.
Raj also shares, “Earlier our shows included a lot of party scenes and festivals but now I am avoiding that. It is challenging but still, it is better than nothing.”
#Akshan ki zindagi me aaya yeh kaisa toofan! Kya Akshat se khudko sambhalna hoga asaan? Dekhiye #GuddanTumseNaHoPaayega aaj raat 8 baje, sirf #ZeeTV par. @officialkanika @nishantsingh_ pic.twitter.com/xVkVtXyHqG
— ZeeTV (@ZeeTV) July 15, 2020
A video clip from Star Plus’ popular show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is already going viral on social media where the main characters, Shivangi Joshi and Alka Kaushal, are interacting while wearing masks. In the same Mohsin Khan was seen asking Shivangi Joshi to use the sanitiser before helping her wear gloves and face shield.
Is this what Star Plus are doing nowadays pic.twitter.com/l67FcWR5wm
— olishaan (@olishaan) July 13, 2020
#Kaira is giving us #RelationshipGoals with this new style of romance in lockdown!
Watch #YehRishtaKyaKehlataHai, Mon-Sat at 9.30pm on StarPlus and Disney+ Hotstar: https://t.co/GtWfZuGNqd@shivangijoshi10 @momo_mohsin pic.twitter.com/DtlNMWhAmK— StarPlus (@StarPlus) July 14, 2020
Full House Media Production director Sonali Jaffer, who is the producer of the show Tujhse Hai Raabta, thinks that it is the responsibility of the channel and the production houses to showcase the importance of taking precautions. “We are doing this positive messaging through our shows because it is the reality. Until and unless the government tells us to stop wearing masks, we will continue to show safety protocols in our episodes,” she says.
Sonali adds that even when the pandemic is over, the studio will incorporate positive things that had happened during this timeframe in their shows such as the people who bravely fought with the disease, donated their plasma to help other Covid2019 patients etc.
As far as challenges are concerned while shooting the episode, Sonali points out that no producer or a writer likes to do a cheat shot. But now, no extra scenes are filmed, important conversations are happening from the point of view of one character only. Double shots of different locations are avoided.
Shakti Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki writer Sharad Tripathi says that to a certain extent the makers of the show will introduce pandemic scenes and protocol measures in their show. He also adds that they will be using different footages and cuts of actors wearing masks and gloves wherever possible to create awareness.
“There is a mass following of the show, so I think it is important for us to tell people about what should be done. In the coming days also, what the government will say, we will try to portray it through our scenes and dialogues,” he further added.
Ekta Kapoor’s show Yeh Hai Chahatein shows the characters discussing how house-helps should go on leaves. Then the entire family was seen contributing to the household chores. In one of the latest episodes, the main lead played by Aishwarya Sakhuja was seen talking about online classes, and how it would help students to continue their studies with the help of technology.
SAB TV’s show Tera Kya Hoga Alia started the episode with showing Alia, played by Anusha Arora, and Rabiya, played by Namrata Pathak, on an early morning jog. The two were seen talking about the importance of maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask when outdoors.
In Sony Entertainment Television’s show Mere Dad Ki Dulhan in its new promo showcased the main leads Shweta Tiwari and Varun Badola wearing masks while they were outdoors.
Amber Sharma has finally realized his feelings for Guneet Sikka, but is it too late now? Is there a new twist in #AmNeet's love story? Find out in the new episodes of #MereDadKiDulhan starting from 20th July Mon-Fri at 10 PM. #RestartSafely @ATatrari #ShwetaTiwari #VarunBadola pic.twitter.com/gMVm19Qy0F
— sonytv (@SonyTV) July 15, 2020
Since all producers and writers are facing similar challenges, audiences will get to see reality reflected in all the shows.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
