News Broadcasting
Faisal Khan to debut in ‘Chausath Panne’
MUMBAI: Not so long ago, Zee TV President Apurva Purohit had told indiantelevision.com that Chausath Panne was a programme where the entry point was the female of the household.
True to its tradition, here comes the third story of the series titled Aandhi starting 16 November. Aandhi is a story which happens to umpteen girls in real life all over India- a traditional girl Chandni (Simone Singh) torn between Varun whom she loves (Ayub Khan) and her father (Shishir Sharma) who rejects her choice.
Ayub Khan and Simone Singh in Aandhi
The earlier two series were Dil Na Jaane Kyon and Manshaa. For the third, Manish Goswami’s Siddhant Cinevision has taken on the mantle of production, Rakesh Sarang has donned the director’s hat, Vinod Ranganath has penned the script.
Aandhi will see Aamir Khan’s brother Faisal Khan making his debut on television. Faisal plays Siddhant- a happy succesful man any girl would be happy to marry but not Chandni.
Kiran Kumar and Faisal Khan in Aandhi
Speaking at a media meet, today afternoon, Faisal had no qualms in confessing that he has taken to television because he has not been able to make a mark in films so far. “If I wait any longer, I think I will miss all my buses to prove myself as an actor. I signed some wrong scripts and some films didn’t do well owing to bad marketing. I have done some plays in the recent past, but have decided to try my hand at television, which has a much wider reach.”
“Unlike films, television can make me a household name. I have no ego and will approach producers for roles. I will put my best put forward,” he remarked.
So far, Faisal has acted in Madhosh, Mela, Kaaboo and Border Hindustan Ka and Basti. All were box-office turkeys. He still has three films in his kitty- Chand Bujh Gaya, Dushmani and Paltan.
Says Faisal, “The character of Siddhanth excited me. It’s very close to what I am- a cool, calm guy. Chandni’s dad insists upon her that she should get married to me and not Varun.”
Kiran Kumar who claimed that he had a very important role to play in this series was also present, “I come into this story only after five episodes. There is a very strong bonding between Chandni and myself. How we meet, how it happens and where do we go from there, I am surely not going to spill the beans on that.” Kumar is currently working with Manish Goswami on Kittie Party as well.
Ayub Khan chipped in, “My role has a few negative shades. That’s the reason why Chandni’s dad does not approve of me.” Goswami sounded quite confident that he has a powerful story in his hands which would emerge a winner. To a query as to why he has opted for an overdone ‘love triangle’ theme, he answered, “So what? That way, all permutations and combinations have been done and overdone. The characterisation and the treatment is different. That will count in our favour.”
Explaining why he chose Singh as the protagonist, he stated, “I need an innocent face. Singh fit the requirements to a T.”
Singh was conspicious by her absence as she was out of town. The charming actor has recently become the first Indian television star to be a presenter at the International Emmys, scheduled to be held at New York’s Hilton Hotel on 24 November this year.
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.
