News Broadcasting
Bollywood gets technology savvy with ‘Chal Hutt’
MUMBAI: Technology today has made possible for the first time in hindi cinema an item number in a live-action, animation combined format. Shaadi Ka Laddoo, a feature film directed by Raj Kaushal, starring Mandira Bedi, Sanjay Suri & Aashish Chaudhary offers this unique proposition in the item song called “Chal Hutt.”
The song features actress Negar Khan and animated characters similar to the Who Framed Roger Rabbit technique. MTV and Nickelodeon have already started airing the promos of the movie and the song.
“Although the technique is not new in the west, its being used for the 1st time in an Indian feature film” remarks 2nz Animation director Kireet Khurana, the company responsible for conceiving and creating the the animated characters and blending it with Negar Khan.
The film also has some interesting animated transitions interspersed in between some of the scenes, which lends the film a unique storytelling motif. Shaadi Ka Laddoo is scheduled to release tentatively on the 15th April this year.
2nz Animation is one of the foremost animation and special effects companies in India, which was formed in 1996. 2nz Animation has also just completed the execution of another live-action animation song for feature film Detective Nani, directed by Romilla Mukherjee, due for release this summer.
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.
