News Broadcasting
Sony readies Devi in new one-hour ‘avtaaar’
MUMBAI: If a serial shows a dip in viewership, the best way is to reinvent it and then re-evaluate it in terms of its continuity. This trial and error strategy seems to be followed by most channels today. The latest serial to go in for a similar facelift is Sony TV’s weekend thriller Devi.
Devi will now be presented in an one-hour format, telecast every Friday from 9 pm to 10 pm with an added attraction- Amman Verma (note the spelling change in his name Aman Varma).
Apparently, the actor himself wasn’t aware of the change till he had a look at the press release handed out by the channel. The new format of Devi seems to have done the rounds of the astrologers as well!
Verma will play the character Vasu, earlier played by Rajesh Khera, the flamboyant gay designer Maddy in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin.
Vasu, Vikram’s brother-in-law, had not only encouraged Vikram for his misdeeds in the past but also harboured evil designs to take over Vikram’s family business by deceit. After his true colours come to light, Devi gets him expelled from the Sharma family.
After being disowned, he vows to take a revenge and returns after acquiring mystical powers. His sole motive now is to prevent Gayatri and Vikram from bearing an offspring who is destined to be the ultimate nemesis of evil.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Varma started on a light note, “I think Sony wanted someone who had lots of hair.” (Khera is bald, out of choice).
Further, Varma revealed that he was very keen to play a negative role since a long time. “I was actually bored of the positive roles and the game shows. I wanted to do something powerful. Though my role in Kehta Hai Dil is powerful, it is quite melodramatic. Over a period of time, I have evolved as an actor and I am sure that the people will accept me in my new ‘avtaar’.”
Varma makes an entry on 20 February, which will incidentally coincide with the release of Aruna Raje directed film Tum (co-starring Manisha Koirala, Karan Naths) where he plays the role of an I-care- a-damn police officer.
While the serial was earlier directed by Anant Mahadevan, a new director will probably be roped in to assist him. With Mahadevan likely to get busy in his second directorial venture Dil Maange More… starring Shahid Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan (Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s daughter), Raima Sen and Ayesha Takia (the girl who gyrated in the Shake it Daddy remix), from June onwards, the new director could take on the reigns for some time.
Let’s wait and watch if the change in storyline, new addition and so called powers of astrologers can do the trick for Sony as well.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
