News Broadcasting
East meets west in ‘Where’s the party yaar’
MUMBAI: Ever wondered what a mother of a meeting it would make when an American desi jams with someone who’s ‘fresh off the boat’ (FOB). Well that’s exactly what Where’s the party yaar , entails. Add to that an American desi (AD) producer, director and star cast and what you get is an Indo-American crossover flick. The film essentially targeting the American audience, producer Sunil Thakkar was on the look out for an American distributor for over a year. Unfortunate on that front, his good destiny led him to Sunil Mutreja, managing director of Channel Nine entertainment bagging himself a distributor in India.
The fun filled party flick, set in America is scheduled for a nation-wide release on 28 May. Kakkar says ” It’s a weird, funny and fresh mix and tells a tale of an individual who is awkward and does not funny. The movie is not to be taken seriously.” Following a storyline focusing on Hari Patel, a villager who visits an astrologer before his first trip to America. The astrologer, an outlandishly dramatic character, makes several puzzling predictions about Hari’s future. “In America you will meet the woman of your dreams. It will be a full moon night. There will be lightninga fever, and then she will fall madly in love with you. Her name will start with a “P”.” Throughout the film, Hari seeks to make sense of these bizarre revelations.
Upon his arrival in America, Hari stays with the Bakshi family where he meets his Americanized counterpart, Mohan Bakshi (Mo). Mo is spoiled, rich, popular, yet a likeable character. Mo helps promote Indian parties on the campus. Ray, the party thrower, is on a mission to keep the FOB’s (Fresh Off the Boat) out of the party to maintain a cool image for his events. However, as the astrologer’s revelations begin to materialize, Hari realizes that he must go the party to get the girl of his dreams. This sends Hari and his FOB friends on a relentless search to find out “where is the Party yaar?”
From their part -time jobs at an Indian restaurant to college life with the dueling cliques, Mo and Hari’s crazy antics lead the audience on a pursuit for their true loves and the big party. Cultural conflicts, romantic adventures, and family struggles arise in the comedic twists and turns of this movie. From the unforgettable boy- band dance routine in the rain to the climatic party at the end, this movie sure promises to be one not to be taken seriously.
The main lead Kal penn originally Kalpen Patil also has an interesting history. A crossover artist Kal penn has television credits that include Spin City, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina-The teenage witch, ER and The Steve. Penn is currently talking his first lead as Kumar in Harold and Kumar go to white castle. Also up his sleeve is Mask 2, and come September and Penn takes on a new NBC series Homeland Security .
Technically, Benny Mathews (director) and Sunil Thakkar (producer) debut as director and producer with the launch of this motion picture. Although what one is not aware of is that this duo had made a flick earlier too titled Thanks for a lovely dinner. Essentially an experimental movie, the duo decided to get serious and get into the movie making business with a bang. Infused by the party scene in America, Thakkar has invested $ 250000 dollars into this flick.
Hopefully this not to be taken serious movie will make some serious waves in both the east and west.
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.
