GECs
BAG Films IPO overscribed six times
MUMBAI: It’s nothing like the heady days of 1999 when the Raghav Bahl promoted TV18’s initial public offering (IPO) was oversubscribed 64 times, 55 times or 51 times (depending on which publication was reporting on it), but the signs are good.
The IPO of TV production house and media company BAG Films, promoted by Anurradha Prasad and journalist-turned-member of Parliament Rajeev Shukla, has certainly been well received. The ,issue which opened on 6 September, has been oversubscribed by over six times.
The company was offering 14.860,000 equity shares of Rs 2 each for a premium of Rs 8 per share aggregating to Rs Rs 148.6 million. Over 22,000 applications have been received for more than 85 million equity shares of an aggregate value exceeding Rs 212.5 million, a company release states.
Reflecting the current buoyancy in the stock markets, several retail and corporate investors are eagerly awaiting the initial public offerings of other media companies such as Sony Entertainment Television (SET) and Living Media Group’s Aaj Tak channel, amongst others.
While SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta continues to blow hot and cold on the subject of an IPO, the fact remains that many analysts feel that till the likes of Star India and SET get listed on the capital markets, the television industry won’t be accurately represented.
Tanu Healthcare, meanwhile, has announced its plans to tap the capital markets by the end of the year for its Rs 150 million Care TV (a health channel) project.
FINANCIAL ADVERTISING BOOM TIME AGAIN?
On another front, the financial advertising ‘boom’ witnessed in the 1990s seems to be making a comeback.
Financial ad agency head honchos such as Vivek Suchanti of Concept, Dr N Suchanti of Pressman, Sangeeta Singhvi of Sobhagya and Madan Bahl and Rajesh Chaturvedi of Adfactors have all confirmed heightened activity. They all mention that pitching for lucrative business has increased by leaps and bounds as compared to the lull between 1997 and 2002. Incidentally, Adfactors had handled the last big ticket issue of VSNL.
“The big ticket stock market offerings that will fuel investor interest include companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Patni Computers and IDBI Bank amongst others,” says a fund manager from Kotak Mahindra Securities.
However, advertising professionals are guarded. Industry veteran David Franklin of Concept Advertising says, “The regulatory authority SEBI is pretty strict on compliance in corporate advertisements released by companies tapping the capital markets. The risk factors have been mentioned in each and every ad talking about the public issue. SEBI guidelines specify that exhaustive risk factors have to be part and parcel of all print and TV advertising.”
Sources say that business channels like CNBC and other English news channels will benefit from this so-called boom in financial corporate advertising. The buoyant BSE sensex that has crossed the 4,000 mark will also fuel this growth, say other industry observers.
The ad fraternity for one just hopes that there is no stock market scam that will act as a deterrent to this expected boom.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
