GECs
Colors celebrates new age talent in ‘India’s Got Talent 6’
MUMBAI: With a number of adrenalin pumping performances, Colors is back with sixth season of its reality show – India’s Got Talent.
This season, India’s Got Talent will celebrate new age talent like never before and revel in highlighting the quirkiest hunarzaades that reside in the country.
Slated to go on air from 18 April, the show will be aired over the weekend at 9 pm. Talent gurus Karan Johar, Kirron Kher and Malaika Arora Khan will return for the third consecutive season together. Produced by FremantleMedia, the show will be hosted by Nakuul Mehta and Bharti Singh. The channel believes that talent resides in every individual; it is the multiplier for energy, determination and hard work and Colors provides a platform for people to flaunt their hidden flair.
The channel has roped in a volley of sponsors including Maruti Suzuki as the presenting sponsor, OLX as the powered by sponsor, whereas Amul Macho, Layyer Wottagirl and Ultratech Cement have come on board as the associate sponsors.
With the Golden Buzzer up for grabs gifting the hunarzaade’s a direct entry into the semi-finals, talent will go beyond the four walls of the studio and explore the outer landscape to showcase newer elements including an ‘underwater’ act, a rustic ‘mela’ setup amongst others to bring out the vivid and vibrant colors of life and create the perfect backdrop for oodles of drama touching unparalleled peaks of entertainment.
Colors programming head Manisha Sharma said, “Our focus, this season, is to highlight the hunarzaades – whose talent have the ability to enthral viewers but who have been largely unacknowledged in their growing years. The talent we have seen are those, which have had the courage to follow their heart and vie for success. Karan Johar, Kirron Kher and Malaika Arora Khan are the three jewels in the India’s Got Talent crown, which have sieved out the best of the best talent over the years, and we are pleased to see them raise the bar this year as well. Be it the Golden Buzzer or just leaving the judges spellbound, this edition of India’s Got Talent will feature new-age and techno talent that will leave viewers awe-struck.”
Judging gets tougher, as talent speaks volumes about itself through acts that go beyond convention as they raise the degree of difficulty to create mind-boggling moments.
Touted as the tough-to-please judge, Johar said, “Talent needs to inspire while creating a certain level of thrill in the mind of the viewer. And of course, any good talent needs to entertain. As a judge, I choose to utilize the India’s Got Talent platform to give performers a creative opinion about the degree of complexity they add to their performances. This is my third year judging this show and I am looking forward to seeing how the participants this year surpass the benchmarks set by those who have rocked the stage in the past. They say talent speaks for itself and I am waiting eagerly to see what the talent has to say this year.”
Kher, who has been the part of the show since its inception six years back, added, “It feels wonderful for having been associated with India’s Got Talent for its entire tenure because there are so many new and exciting elements, which ensure that there is never a dull moment on the sets. It feels like home to me. India’s Got Talent is known to encourage new kinds of talent every time. For me, it is an opportunity to truly understand the real and aspirational India through this show. It is the first-hand connect with the viewers that I enjoy the most about this show. It is going to be yet another exciting season and I am really happy to be back.”
Khan opined, “India’s Got Talent is such a larger than life show that it is a challenge for us as judges because inevitably we are caught in moments where one participant is better than the other. We get to see exceptional performances every year. This season, too, I am looking forward to having some fun with many more such mind blowing acts. Bring it on, India.”
As new age talent takes the forefront, the look of the show will adopt a similar flavor. The techno and grunge feel of the sets will highlight the raw appeal of the hunarzaade adding to the overall viewing proposition. Adding a personal touch to the show, home videos of the contestants showcasing their journey of talent discovery will also be aired. Colors will also have a ‘Khulasa’ segment, which will reveal some personal quirks of the judges.
FremantleMedia MD Anupama Mandloi said, “India’s Got Talent has evolved over the years to become a show that defines talent in its true form. This year, our approach is to focus on talent and their ability to transcend thought boundaries to present the unexpected. With talent and an element of challenge being the spotlight, we are looking forward to defying traditions and welcoming a new wave of talent that will be India’s answer to the world.”
Marketing push
To enhance engagement and involve viewers at every stage of the show, an integrated marketing and digital campaign has been chalked out incorporating multiple mediums including television, mobile and cinema amongst others.
The digital campaign will have a fun-filled ‘Challenge Pappu Campaign’ wherein the character of Pappu will throw challenges at the viewers and in the process bring out some of the most outstanding talents to the fore on social media.
With extensive mobile penetration in smaller towns, the promos of the show will be pushed via MMS across key markets along with YouTube. The show will also be promoted during the Indian Premier League (IPL) through Starsports.com and Hotstar.
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.
