GECs
SET gets back to basics with new series IndiawaaliMaa
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) GEC Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has always differed from the rest of the pack in that it has done well with stories which appealed to the younger demographic and in more urban settings. (Remember the smash hit JassiJaisiKohiNahin, Bade AccheLagate Hai, Patiala Babes).
Now, SET is all set to bring another series IndiawaaliMaa which tells an endearing relatable tale of a mother who helps her son through difficult times. The daily premieres on 31 August and will air from Monday to Friday at 8:30 pm.
The show is produced by Jay Productions and has Suchita Trivedi (Kaushalya), Nitesh Pandey (Hasmukh), AkshayMhatre (Rohan), and Sheen Dass (Chinamma) in the main lead.
Jay Productions founder Kinnari Mehta says the idea of making IndiawaaliMaa was spawned eight months back when writer Imtiaz Patel narrated a story about a mother’s journey traveling to London for her son who gets into trouble.
“A few months back in a meeting with Sony TV, I narrated the idea,” she shares. “They instantly loved it.”
Originally, the plan was to film in London, but with restrictions on travel and budgets brought about by the pandemic, the story was tweaked with Mumbai as a location.
According to Mehta, the studio faced many challenges while drafting the script and shooting while adhering to all the SOPs with limited crew. Additionally, multiple units where shoots are happening simultaneously, are being resorted to ensure that there is no overcrowding in one location and social distancing is maintained.
Also, due to restrictions on travel, the team is doing most of the coordination over Zoom calls.
Kinnari says, “We wanted someone who looks like my mother and for that, we conducted auditions, practically from the entire industry and the biggest challenge we faced was most of the women who are in their forties have toned bodies. I couldn’t relate to them. When Suchitra came for the audition, she wore a normal saree, hooped earrings, and donned messy braids. I instantly chose her for the role as she perfectly fits in it.”
As far as Nitish Pandey is concerned, Mehta wanted someone who is like a strict father but also a loving husband.
“This is a show which will allow all of us to know the heart of a mother – the heart of an unconditionally loving Indian mother – closely. IndiawaaliMaa is not just a show it is an emotion. A story that can’t be said and can only be felt,” says Kinnari.
SPNI digital business & SET content head Ashish Golwalkar says that the show will appeal to almost everyone as at its heart are real human emotions. “A mother is someone who stands by her son through thick and thin,” he says. “And in IndiawaaliMaa,Kaushalya or Kaku, the mother, takes it upon herself to resurrect her son Rohan who has lost direction and is struggling to cope,” says Golwalkar.
Overall, he is pleased with the way that things are progressing with SET. Says he: The channel has always focused on relevant topics and at younger audiences. Our content is mostly around people and laughter. The Kapil Sharma Show is doing relatively well."
He is happy that the production of Kaun Banega Crorepati has commenced last week with extremely high safety precautions for its host Amitabh Bachchan and crew members. It may be recalled that Bachchan was discharged from hospital earlier this month after recovering from Covid2019. Says Golwarlkar: “We lost KBC around August and its shooting schedule was postponed. Hopefully, it will be launched next month.”
The good news is that auditions for both Kaun Banega Crorepati and Indian Idol have been completed and the participants decided. Indian Idol is set to launch in end-October, replacing India’s Best Dancer which is in its final stages.
During the lockdown, Golwalkar has observed that audiences are preferring shows which are full of nostalgia. “There is no denying that digital consumption is growing very fast. I head content for SonyLIV and see that the younger generation watch more on the digital platforms,” he shares.He further adds, “Our digital platform still gets a lot of traction from Tarak Mehta KaUltaChashma, Balveer, The Kapil Sharma Show and India’s Best Dancer. A lot of television consumption is slowly shifting to digital but it is just the change of screen. I believe television is as relevant as it was before.”
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.
