News Broadcasting
Ramoji Rao ventures into joint Marathi-Gujarati production
After Marathi television serials, South Indian media mogul Ramoji Rao is venturing into less trodden territory.
Beginning 10 April, the producer will flag off the shooting of a film that will be made simultaneously in Marathi and Gujarati. The film, to be made at a budget of Rs 8 million, will have distinct dialogues, cast and music, adapted suitably for both languages. This is the first time a film with the same script and music is being created in two languages simultaneously, say industry observers.
The film, a comedy written by Ashok Upadhyay, is titled Bin Paishacha Tamasha in Marathi and Wala Aave to Saachu bolin Gujarati. To be shot in a tight schedule of 45 days at the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, the film is slated for a Diwali release, says Chetan Dubey, who will edit both films.
To be directed by Vinay Laad, who has five Marathi films to his credit so far, the films will be shot in cinemascope, a rarity for regional films. Some of the cast, which includes Marathi actors Avinash Kharshikar, Vijay Chavan and Pallavi Subhash, will be repeated in both versions.
The music, scored by Nishikant Sadafule, sets another trend in that the songs are all western style numbers, two of which are common for both versions. The entire central cast of both films totalling nearly 20 is already assembled at RFC, ready to begin shooting for the film which will be done shot-wise, say sources.
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.
