News Broadcasting
Sony’s ‘Kkusum’ takes a 20 year leap
MUMBAI: What’s with the K soaps and fast forward leap anyways? After the gradual phasing out of Kaun Banega Crorepati on Star Plus,Kkusum created a winning formula for Sony in the beginning of 2002 but seems like the formula is going awry now.
With the fast forward formula doing well for the Star Plus’ shows, guess what is in store for Kkusum ?
The serial will see a 20-year fast forward from the second week of December.
Anuj Saxena and Nauseen Sardar Ali in ‘Kkusum’
When Sony TV launched Kkusum and Kutumb, the family soaps from the Balaji Telefilms clan, it literally rode the crest with TVRs of 10.2 and 8.3. Somewhere down the line, Kutumb lost its way, while Kkusum managed to hold out. But latest is that Kkusum has dipped alarmingly low.
When storylines hit a plateau, shake them up a bit with a fast forward – that seems to be Ekta Kapoor’s credo, presently. A year ago, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (Star Plus) leapfrogged 20 years ahead, bringing in its wake an entire new generation of the Virani family, while keeping most of the older generation alive and around.
Encouraged by its success, Ekta decided to do an encore almost two months back for Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki (Star Plus) as well. This time it was 18 years leap and amazingly the move worked for the show. So effective is the trick that even UTV’s Shagun (Star Plus) followed the suit, just recently.
“So why can’t I do the same with Kkusum?” Ekta Kapoor tells indiantelevision.com. “The story with Kusum and Abhay has reached a dead end. I cannot go any further, despite my best efforts. This show is one of my favourite babies and I can’t let it die. It will now have new generation characters. Kusum and Abhay will have a daughter in the last episode of the present series. The daughter will be a young and beautiful debutante. She will be directly shown as a youngster, just like I did in KGGK with Shruti, Monalika and other kids.”
When quizzed if the fast forward will be able to revive TRPs, Kapoor said, “I was asked this question when I fast-forwarded KGGK too. Earlier, KGGK was watched by mostly middle-aged and elderly people. Today, their children and grandchildren have joined too. That’s why the viewership has increased. Even Kahiin To Hoga is doing well simply because it is youth-centric. Tastes have changed. Every show can’t focus on elderly people. Many people want youth based stuff. So why shouldn’t I make the most of this opportunity? I am sure that it will work,” she quips.
As for the show itself, Kapoor offers, “None of the characters is dying and none of them is leaving the serial. Kusum will not start looking old. Even Tulsi and Parvati don’t look old, so why should bechari Kusum?”
However she said, “Kusum’s daughter Kumud will hold centrestage. And Poonam Narula is entering the serial. She will enter any moment now, much before the leap happens. She has a very important role to play from here on. Poonam is my lucky charm. Kaahin Kissii Roz had dropped quite a bit and her entry was one of the factors responsible for its revival.”
Whether Ekta proves third time lucky, only time will tell…
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
