GECs
Animal Planet once again looks at ‘Animal Icons’
MUMBAI: Animal Planet which is devoted to the animal world has announced that its show Animal Icons has returned.
The show looks at animals of fact and fiction that have sparked pop culture frenzies and merchandising mammoths for generations. From comic book heroes like Batman to larger-than-life Hollywood giants like King Kong, creative writers and artists have taken endless inspiration from real – but no less remarkable – earth-roaming animals.
Each episode looks at different phenomena – ranging from cartoons to fast cars to holiday tales to cinematic adventures – generated by human fascination with these amazing animals. The show will air every Sunday at 11 pm.
Viewers follow interviews with historians, animal experts and celebrities of the human variation to discover the evolution of real-life animals to extraordinary idols that have captivated the imaginations and adventurous spirits of people for generations.
This season includes appearances by famous personalities like directors Steven Spielberg and John Landis, writer Stan Lee and actors Kurt Russel, David Hasselhoff and Jeff Goldblum. Combined with film clips and rare footage, each episode helps to answer the question: why have these characters become pop culture icons around the globe?
The episode Animated Animals airs on 26 November 2006. It takes a fast-paced, funny and informative tour through the history of cartoon cinema and television, to explain how animals in animation are usually metaphors for the best, worst and funniest aspects of human behaviour.
Comic Book Creatures airs on 3 December, 2006. From comic book heroes like Batman to larger-than-life Hollywood giants like King Kong, this episode looks at different phenomena – ranging from cartoons to fast cars to holiday tales to cinematic adventures, generated by human fascination with these amazing animals.
Animals On Wheels airs on 10 December. This episode will feature the fastest – and fastest-selling – automobiles to hit the roads, as well as the men and women who love them. It offers a look at how cars and animals have become irrevocably intertwined.
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.
