Film Production
FY-2014: Mukta Arts pays producers, distributors share Rs 234 crore; reports loss at Rs 7.34 crore.
BENGALURU: Mukta Arts Limited (Mukta Arts) paid Rs 234.09 crore (76 per cent of consolidated net total income from operations or Op Inc of Rs 234.09 crore) as producers and distributors share in FY-2014. The company has reported a consolidated loss of Rs 7.34 crore in FY-2014, which was 5.36 times the loss of Rs 1.37 crore the company had reported in FY-2013. Other Income in FY-2014, which included the proceeds of a keyman insurance policy, cushioned the loss by Rs 4.63 crore, else loss would have been nearly Rs10 crore in the year.
In FY-2013, Mukta Arts paid Rs 269.91 crore or 95 per cent of Op Inc on a consolidated basis towards producers and distributors share. In FY-2013, other income reduced the loss by Rs 2.25 crore.
Note : (1)100,00,000=100 lakh = 1 crore = 10 million.
(2) Annual figures are on a consolidated basis.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Mukta Arts for FY-2014 and Q4-2014
Mukta Arts reported Total Income from operations (net) excluding other income in Q4-2014 as Rs 57.07 crore which was 25.6 per cent lower than the Rs 76.67 crore in Q3-2014 and 3.1 per cent less than the Rs 61.91 crore in the year ago quarter Q4-2013.
Consolidated Total Expense for FY-2014 at Rs 313.83 crore (102 per cent of Op Inc) was 14.7 per cent more than the Rs 273.65 crore (98.9 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Mukta Arts total expense in Q4-2014 at Rs 60.21 crore (105.5 per cent of Op Inc) was 21.4 per cent less than the Rs 76.61 crore (99.9 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 2.7 per cent less than the Rs 61.91 crore (105 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.
Producers and distributors share expense in Q4-2014 at Rs 48.93 crore (85.7 per cent of Op Inc) was 29 per cent less than the Rs 68.98 crore (90 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 8.9 per cent less than the Rs 53.73 crore (91.2 per cent of Op Inc) in the fourth quarter of last year.
Other expense for FY-2014 at Rs 30.6 crore (9.9 per cent of Op Inc) was 32.3 per cent more than the Rs 23.12 crore (8.35 per cent of Op Inc). In FY-2013, Mukta Arts reported other expense in Q4-2014 at Rs 6.33 crore (11.1 per cent of Op Inc) was 62.7 per cent more than the Rs 3.89 crore (5.1 per cent of Op Inc) and 30.1 per cent more than the Rs 4.87 crore (8.3 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.
Finance cost is FY-2104 at Rs 6.64 crore (2.2 per cent of Op Inc) was 16.7 per cent more than the Rs 5.69 crore (2.1 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Mukta Arts spent Rs1.97 crore (3.45 per cent of Op Inc) towards finance cost, which was 31.5 per cent more than the Rs 1.5 crore (1.95 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and 53.7 per cent more than the Rs 1.28 crore (2.2 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.
Mukta Arts reported depreciation of tangible assets as Rs 7.09 crore (2.3 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2014, which was 1.3 per cent more than the Rs 6.99 crore (2.5 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013. Depreciation for Q3-2014 at Rs1.33 crore (2.3 per cent of Op Inc) was 27.1 per cent more than the Rs 1.05 crore (1.4 per cent of Op Inc) in Q3-2014 and was 32.7 per cent more than the Rs1 crore (1.7 per cent of Op Inc) in Q4-2013.
Operating Results for the quarters were: Q4-2014 – loss of Rs 33.5 crore; Q3-2014 – Profit of Rs 0.92 crore; Q4-2013 loss of Rs 2.49 crore.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
