Cable TV
Malayalam film, TV actor M S Trippunithara passes away
MUMBAI: Veteran Malayalam actor M S Trippunithara died of a cardiac arrest, early today in Palakkad. The actor breathed his last, while returning to hometown Kochi after a shooting assignment.
Trippunithara, 64, started his career as a stage actor. He shifted to films in the 1980s. He soon excelled as a supporting actor and a comedian and went on to receive several awards.
The advent of satellite television in Kerala brought Trippunithara to the mini screen, where he brought to life a number of memorable characters. He has acted in various popular serials telecast on Malayalam channels Asianet and Surya TV. Trippunithara has been doing a key role in the Asianet prime time soap Mantrakodi at the time of his death.
“M S Trippunithara has been a part of the Asianet family and his death is a huge loss to the channel,” Asianet programming head Sreekantan Nair told indiantelevision.com. “Watching him acting never gave a feeling that he was actually acting. We have lost a great human being and a fine actor,” Nair added.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
