Film Production
Shares and the city a pledge with a plot twist at SABTN
MUMBAI: When promoters make a move, the market always tunes in and this one comes with a pledge. Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network Limited (SABTN) informed stock exchanges that promoter Kurjibhai Premjibhai Rupareliya has pledged 25,00,000 equity shares of the company, according to disclosures filed under Regulation 31 of the SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011.
The encumbrance was created on 31 December 2025 and formally reported on 1 January 2026. The pledged shares represent 9.85 per cent of SABTN’s total share capital and an equivalent 9.85 per cent of the promoter’s holding in the company.
Post the transaction, Rupareliya continues to hold 1,50,00,237 shares, amounting to 59.12 per cent of SABTN’s equity. The disclosure confirms that the encumbrance does not cross the regulatory thresholds of either 50 per cent of promoter holding or 20 per cent of the company’s total share capital.
The shares have been pledged in favour of Motilal Oswal Finvest Limited, a scheduled financial institution. As per the filing, the funds raised against the pledge amounting to Rs 100 crore are intended for personal use by the promoter, with no involvement of the listed company or its group entities in the transaction.
The valuation of the pledged shares at the time of the event stood at Rs 400 crore, translating to a security cover ratio of 0.25. The disclosure also clarified that the encumbrance is not linked to any listed debt instrument, debenture or commercial paper.
The filing, submitted to both BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India, brings transparency to a routine but closely watched promoter action, one that investors typically track for signals on leverage, confidence and future intent.
For now, the numbers are clear, the paperwork is in place, and the market has been duly informed.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
