GECs
Sab’s Aladdin to be relevant to the new generation
MUMBAI: Sony Sab is all set to transport viewers to an age-old story with a modern twist. After giving three new launches this month, it is close to launching the fourth one Aladdin: Naam Toh Suna Hoga, produced by Peninsula Pictures, which will be aired on 21 August, Monday to Friday at 9 pm. Its recent launches were India Ke Mast Kalandar, Namune and Super Sisters.
Aladdin took almost a year to execute the whole story in a show, that too with the aspect of making it a family entertainment show. Peninsula Pictures co-founder Nisser Parvej said that everyone must have heard about ‘Aladdin’ but very few must have seen it. “The idea was to bring to the new audience because this generation has changed and keeping that in mind, we have made Aladdin with full masala of emotions, thrill and a complete family entertainer,” he said.
The show took a lot of research to fit it into today’s generation’s requirement. Peninsula Pictures director Alind Srivastava said, “We saw all the versions of Aladdin because we wanted to make it relevant to this generation, we just didn’t want it as a kids’ show.”
He added that the only challenges that they faced while producing the show was to get the cast correct and also to set design, costumes and the look in a contemporary style was quite difficult, which took a lot of planning and research.
Since the past one year, its attempt was to bring out compelling characters and stories as well which would help in growth. Programs like Jijaji Chhat Per Hein, Tenali Rama, Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo and Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah are the shows that are working well with the audiences.
Sony Sab Hindi movies and music business head Neeraj Vyas said, “It’s just all about ideas that you select, it is not just about launching a show. It is actually the basic philosophy that derives from your thinking and strategy. The move towards more compelling content, more engaging content and more engaging characters is the way forward for the new segment,” he added. According to him, the cluster wasn’t much known for the genres other than comedy and now the channel is experimenting.
In the process of the making of the show, the only thing to keep in mind about the story was to portray it in a manner that was relevant to the viewers and also keeping in mind that today is 2018 and not 2008. Vyas said that the show’s episode run isn’t decided yet. It will depend on the performance of the show.
Vyas said that Sony Sab has observed a 20 per cent growth in viewership and advertisers. “We have also seen a good growth in terms of advertisers. A lot of people have now started realising the fact that we have moved the arc dramatically in terms of our shows and its production values. The way we have created the characters, the way we have marketed our shows, so that the arc has moved dramatically and I am happy that for the last one year, we have been able to at very conscious level become a lot more relevant in TV space than what we used to be.”
When asked about Peninsula Pictures retaining its IP rights in the near future, Parvej said, “With the onset of digital, we have certain subjects to only produce for our self and for the platform where we can retain our IPs. But sadly on TV it hasn’t started yet. We are preaching the good shows and we are trying to negotiate on those lines and we hope for the best.” The next fantasy show that will be produced by the company will be for Zee Networks as Vikram and Betal which is expected to be launched during the end of September.
Sab’s flagship show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, the channel seems to have had a sudden downfall in terms of viewership due to the absence of the two main characters, to which Vyas disagreed and said that the characters will always be missed. “But there are certain shows that are a lot more iconic, we still have a long hold on this show. The show’s viewership hasn’t been affected yet.”
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.
