GECs
Sony to strengthen weekend lineup, begins with ‘Super Dancer’
MUMBAI: The trio that has given Indian television some top of the line dance reality shows is back again with program in the same genre: Super Dancer – Dance Ka Kal. Ashish Golwalker, Ranjeet Thakur and Hemant Ruparel are all set to launch their new kids dance reality show on Sony Entertainment Television. It promises to showcase dance talent from across the country on one national platform and will air from 10 September at 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Produced by Frames Production, Super Dancer will have 12 dance contestants who will get a golden opportunity to compete for the coveted title of India’s top emerging talent. Each finalist will be paired with one notable choreographer in charge of mentoring, understanding and nurturing their strengths, while introducing them to different dance techniques and bringing out the best in them week on week.
To run for 27 episodes over 13 weeks, the production team has already canned four episodes at the time of writing.
According to information available, the per episode production cost of Super Dancer is said to be between Rs 65 and 70lakh per episode and a 10 second TV commercial is being sold at Rs. 1.5 lakh.
The channel has roped in Patanjali Powervita as the presenting sponsor and Quick Heal as co-powered by sponsor.
Super Dancer will be judged by actress Shilpa Shetty, choreographer Geeta Kapur and Bollywood director Anurag Basu. Rithvik Dhanjani and comedian Paritosh Tripathi will host the show.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Sony Entertainment Television EVP & business head Danish Khan says: “Sony Entertainment Television has always celebrated talent across India – Indian Idol, Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, KBC amongst others. Super Dancer will give a national platform for dancing talents to be nurtured, groomed and honed. We are delighted to have Frames Production Company as our creative partner.”
Khan also announced that Sony will soon launch another season of Indian Idol after a four years hiatus, once Super Dance is over. This will fall in line with the channel’s plan to renew its marquee shows with new seasons.
“With Super Dancer we will have weekend prime time. The talent show will be at 8 pm, comedy at 9 pm followed by the thriller C.I.D at 10 pm and reality show Crime Patrol at 11.30 pm. By October and November we will have a full-fledged weekend line up. Soon after Super Dancer, we will launch Indian Idol season 9.”
Dance Plus on Star Plus, which is also produced by Frames Production, airs at the same time slot as Super Dancer is proposed to be. Will that not impact the ratings of the new show or the older one because of cannibalisation? Frame Production co-founder Ranjeet Thakur does not think so. He explains: “Both the shows are different in their own way. One is a kid’s reality show and the other one is for youngsters. The audiences are different. I believe that Super Dancer will also become a successful show.”
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.
