GECs
Sab cooks up a storm to climb the TVT ladder
MUMBAI: “We always offer differentiated and innovative content than the others in the general entertainment channel space,” says Sab TV EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor on the sidelines of the launch of Sab’s new show Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar today. The show goes on-air on 28 October at 7:30 pm. Currently, the channel has no fresh content in this time slot and it is adding to its prime time line up through its new offering.
Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar is a light-hearted cookery show. “It is India’s first fiction based cookery show, which has romance, comedy and also teaches the audience a recipe in each episode,” informs Kapoor.
This isn’t all. The show is also different than the rest, as it takes brand communication to a different level. The channel has partnered with TTK Prestige and developed a concept around the values of the brand. “We have taken communication beyond advertisement. It is an articulation of product with the content of the show, which comes out beautifully,” says TTK Prestige COO Chandru Kalroo.
The show weaves in romance, comedy and cooking seamlessly. “With this show, we bring our old line Jo biwi se kare pyaar to the contemporary context of Woh cooking se kaise kare inkaar,” adds Kalroo.
According to Kapoor, since the new series is not a non-fiction client sponsored show, “it becomes a logical part of our regular programming, thus strengthening our prime time band.”
“As a brand that has a relationship spanning six decades, we believe that we have to communicate beyond the product itself. We need to constantly strike an emotional chord with the consumer. The partnership with Sab through the programme will further this effort through its wonderfully conceived situations, humour and high quality production. I am sure this will be a new landmark in marketing,” adds Kalroo.
The show, according to Kapoor, is “of the family, by the family and for the family.” “The show retains brand Sab. It is a very unique concept, as there has never been a fiction cookery show with some added tadka,” he adds.
The show stars Arjun Bijlani who plays Aditya Khanna and Shweta Gulati who will be seen as Suhani Khanna. It has been produced by Deepti Bhatnagar Productions and written by Rajat Vyas. Commenting on his association with Deepti, Kapoor says, “She has been associated with Sab for almost five years now and thus understands the brand Sab.”
Deepti has in the past also been the spokesperson for Prestige. “She thus understands not only us, but also our clients,” he says. Not only has Deepti produced the show, but has also taken her cooking experience to another level through her characters on TV. “All the recipes are from my recipe book. I did not want to take it from a chef as we wanted to keep it simple,” says Bhatnagar.
It was the channel’s idea to do a show like this. Talking about the concept, Kapoor says, “Well, the concept came from us and then we approached Deepti to work on it. Prestige, which is our client, wanted us to create a show which could help promote them. We developed the concept keeping our brand template in mind.”
The story of Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar reflects the lifestyle of new age couples, who despite of demanding work-lives try to find interesting ways to spend time with each other. And, the show also offers an opportunity to the viewers to learn new and easy recipes.
Two promos and various digital campaigns have been designed to promote the show. “We have not compromised on the marketing of the show,” informs Kapoor.
Quiz Deepti about the challenges she faced while making the show and she says, “It is a different genre that has both fiction and non-fiction. Also, we had to ensure that the cooking is seamlessly integrated in the story. Everything had to blend very well. It was challenging as it is no saas-bahu saga.”
Currently, of the 26 episodes that will be aired in the series, five have been shot. “We will take a call on increasing the number of episodes a week after the show goes on air.” A lot of detailing has gone into making the set of the show. “It took us one month to create the set in Kamalistan. The show has a working kitchen, unlike the dummy kitchen in a lot of cookery shows. Also, the glasses that have been used are from Turkey. The appliances are good looking. I have got a professional to design the plates for the show. I wanted to put a lot of stress on the production value,” says Bhatnagar.
Sab hopes to climb the ladder of TV ratings with this show and is also working towards strengthening its weekend programming for which new concepts are being developed. In the past, the channel has been at the number three slot in the time spent by viewers on the channel and wants to return to that ranking.
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.
