News Broadcasting
‘Ramkhilavaan’ is not Laloo, says show producer
MUMBAI: Contrary to popular perception that Raamkhilavaan C.M. n Family is inspired by Laloo Prasad Yadav and his family, Vineet Kumar, who plays Raamkhilavaan, Sushmita Mukherjee, who plays Imarti Devi and the writer- producer Aswani Dheer, all strongly refute suggestions that the shown is inspired by the maverick former chief minister of Bihar.
“Basically we wanted to make a political satire. It’s sheer coincidence that the characters are similar to his family members,” says Aswani. Probed further, he says rather exasperatedly: “Just because the hairstyle of Raamkhilavaan and Lalooji is similar, one shouldn’t jump to conclusions that the character is inspired by Laloo. Tomorrow, if I show a politician with a French beard, you will say the character is inspired by IK Gujral.”
One understands that this kind of a sharp rebuttal is a conscious attempt by the producer to steer clear of possible controversies his satire might generate. After all, the similarities are far too striking to escape people’s attention.
Both Vineet Kumar and Sushmita Mukherjee also denied they had in mind Laloo’s or Rabri’s character while enacting the role. Sushmita says the brief that was given to her was to play a loud mouth ignorant “chammak challo” kind of Bihari housewife and that that was the only instruction she had in mind in preparing for her role.
Whether Ramkhilavaan is inspired by Laloo or not, one welcomes this bold political satire as a refreshing change from the same “formula” sitcoms that other channels have churning out. One just hopes it meets the success of Office Office.
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.
