News Broadcasting
Star Plus readies ‘Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand’ for a makeover
MUMBAI: Something is definitely brewing on the sets of Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand. When quizzed, both the channel and the producers have a common refrain – “It is something that you have never seen on Indian television before.”
Maybe the slipping TRPs or the prosaic story line resulted in the call for an overhaul, but it is rather interesting to speculate on what the makers will come up with, especially since they have already exhausted every possible twist and turn in the book.
‘Never seen before’ tag almost cancels out the routine amnesia, amazing plastic surgeons, premature greying or lack of it. But industry mills are abuzz with couple of possibilities…
Story No. One: Star Plus does what it does the best; put the story into the time machine and whoosh!, the romantic lead Dev and Pammi are now parents of an 18-year-old charming daughter, who accidentally happens to be an exact replica of her mother. Looking at the suggested story flow, Sweta Keswani, who plays the vamp Anu and Amar Upadhayay Dev /Raj are likely to opt out.
Both Keswani and Upadhyaya have previously denounced the ‘mature’ roles (during their last stint), so that pretty much rules out them. Rumour has it that even the main protagonists Sangeeta Ghosh, who plays Pammi and Varun Badola, who plays Dev/Rohit would be bumped off eventually.
So far so good, but when contacted Upadhayay vehemently denied that he is averse to playing an older guy. Ghosh, however, remained tightlipped and yet a little morose about the entire proceeding, which brings us to our Story Number Two.
Radical changes are in store for DMNHC, say industry sources. Apparently, the channel might just bid the entire cast good-bye. So there should be a slew of fresh faces and a fresh story in the pipeline. While channel sources remain tight-lipped, production house sources say they don’t want to reveal anything till they get a green signal from the channel.
As of what we know, the next episode will show Dev and Pammi (Upadhyay and Ghosh) unite again. And to put an end to the twisted story line, will come back to India – away from the evil and the prying eyes and away from their family and loved ones.
But the channel sources hint that just as things seem to be coming to a ‘happily ever after’ conclusion, in will come the ‘big change’.
Although it seems like the Story Number Two is the lead contender, two days of brainstorming does not seem to have made any clearer what drama is in store for the ‘unsuspecting’ viewer…
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.
