MAM
Gaana introduces Ashish Vidyarthi – the “kahanibaaz” on Gaana Specials
MUMBAI: Gaana, India’s favourite music streaming app, adds a non-music audio show by eminent Indian film actor Ashish Vidyarthi to its Original Programming series “Gaana Specials”.
Prashan Agarwal, COO, Gaana said “Gaana Specials is our effort to enthrall audience across audio genre’s including but not limited to music related shows, movie reviews, comedy and story telling. Ashish is well known for his work in Bollywood, Tamil & Telugu movies and has a distinct tone which suits audio presentation. Through this show, called “Kahanibaaz”, for the first time people will listen to him narrating stories. Each episode in this series is a veritable performance piece, mixed and sound designed like an audio movie.”
The show is inspired by stories from all around the world – from Alexei Tolstoy to Oscar Wilde to O Henry – which have been brilliantly adapted and reinvented into the Indian context by writer Saurabh Bhramar.
This rich musical narration experience series is now live on Gaana for the listeners. The first season has 10 episodes and every 15 days a new episode will be featured. Apart from the original content audio shows, this meta-story interweaves good music with life experiences, and progresses from episode to episode.
The episodes are mixed and designed like an audio movie. Each episode has around 4 to 5 chunks of talk, each chunk ranging from 5-8 minutes.
Along with the stories that Kahanibaaz narrates, Ashish Vidyarthi threads together his own personal stories. Through this meta-story, the listeners get to know about Ashish’s personality, which seems a bit eccentric and strange. The stories for the First Season are in the dark space, featuring horror and morbid tragedies. The mystique of Kahaanibaaz will be revealed in Season 2 only.
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Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI: Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
