GECs
Kannada filmdom mess: Media persons attacked
BANGALORE: An attack on media persons covering a protest at a city multiplex unfolded one of the ugliest episodes in the Kannada filmdom ‘soap opera’. Media persons allege that the theatre’s security guards attacked them, mistaking them for members of the protest group.
Defying the seven-week moratorium, the theatre has been allegedly screening non-Kannada films and the media was covering a protest by the Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists. According to media reports, two new movies Dhoom and Bride and Prejudice were released at the multiplex in Marathahalli on Friday. The Karnataka Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) stopped the screenings of these movies on Friday. When the show began on Saturday, the Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists gathered and tried to barge into the Multiplex demanding that the screening be stopped.
Chief minister Dharam Singh has reportedly ordered a probe into the attack on media persons.
A TV crew member, who was jostled badly by the theater security guards, narrated the events to Indiantelevision.com: “We were informed that the Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists would be protesting at the theater at 11.30 am and so we reached there well before time to cover the event. Later a mob of around 30 to 40 people arrived and started stoning the theaters, breaking the glasses. We started recording the happenings, but the security guards thinking that we’d brought the attackers started beating up the media persons. The press equipments were also completely damaged.”
The KFPA and the KFCC have reportedly condemned the attack and rumors are rife that Sharad, the owner of the multiplex, may be expelled from the KFCC for not taking permission from the organisation before defying the seven-week moratorium.
According to reports, the theater owners defying the moratorium have decided to continue screening non-Kannada films and have asked for police protection.
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.
