GECs
Sab to launch first daily ‘Maahi Ve’ on 5 Dec
MUMBAI: Delivering on its promise of being a channel that caters specifically to the heartland after its relaunch under the Sony Entertainment Television umbrella, Sab has unveiled its first daily soap titled Maahi Ve.
The half hour show will be aired from Monday to Thursday at 9 pm from 5 December.
SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta said, “Maahi Ve is our first initiative in order to complete the general entertainment offering on Sab. In the reinvention path of the channel, we are introducing a programme that will help us reach millions of Indians and build an emotional connect with them.”
Sab senior vice president and business head Vikas Bahl said, “Sab has always offered its viewers innovative programmes, which provide a kaleidoscope of entertainment. In keeping with the light entertainment we offer our viewers Maahi Ve, Sab’s first daily soap will also bring a hue of emotions with its close-knit family culture and values.”
The channel is also planning to launch a couple of new shows before the end of this financial year, the first being in January. Speaking on the marketing initiatives, Sab TV marketing head Ajay Modgil said, “We will be aggressively promoting the channel in the Indian heartland since that is where our target audience is. With the beginning of the new financial year, we’ll be getting more aggressive. Our aim is to provide a good enough platform for bigger shows that we will have on the channel in the future.”
As far as movies on the channel is concerned, Sab will not be airing any of the movies that are in sister channels Sony and Max’ kitty. Instead, Sab will air old hit Hindi movies like Chupke Chupke, Mili etc, “which one doesn’t get to see these days on channels,” informs Bahl. This has also been done keeping in mind the target audience of the channel.
On 7 November, Sab was repositioned as a “light entertainment channel” and a new show – Lo Kal-lo Baat – was launched.
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.
