GECs
Sahara to fund management JV with Percept
MUMBAI: Sahara India Entertainment Management, a joint venture company created to look after Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses, will be funded entirely by the Sahara Group.
Percept, the other 50 per cent partner in the joint venture, will provide human resources and manage the operations. The joint venture company will have a 30-member team with Percept IMC joint managing director Shailendra Singh in charge.
The new company will charge a fee from Sahara. “It is a variable fee structure, linked to how much revenues we manage to garner from the media and entertainment businesses,” says Sahara India Entertainment Management chief operating officer Peter Isaac.
Sahara’s contract with Percept is for five years, but the exit option can be exercised after three years. “It is a unique management contract system in India. There are a few examples of this nature in the overseas market,” says Isaac.
The management company will ideate, form a business plan and be in charge of synergising Sahara’s media and entertainment businesses. The ‘super-structure’ team will strictly supervise the execution of the projects. The old Sahara team will report to the management company.
Already, the four businesses – television, motion pictures, radio and special projects – have been brought under the umbrella brand of SaharaOne. “The underlying philosophy of this joint venture is to entertain India. We will use SaharaOne across all the media and entertainment platforms of the Group,” says Isaac.
Sahara India Entertainment Management will be responsible for putting systems, structures and people into place. While Ernst & Young will be involved in setting up IT processes, KPMG will look at the business part. “We expect KPMG to submit the report by the end of the month,” says Isaac.
The budget and targets for the next one year will be fixed after the company’s board meeting, scheduled this month-end.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
