GECs
Suvarana launches three new shows to replace Kannada KBC
BENGALURU: The second season of the Kannada version of the Who wants to be a Millionaire – Kannadada Kotyadhipathi (KK) which catapulted Star Network's Kannada GEC offering Suvarna to numero uno in the Kannada ratings race ended on July 25.
Hosted by one of the top actors from Sandalwood, Puneeth Rajkumar, KK ran every night Monday to Thursday for 90 minutes on prime time between 8pm and 9.30pm. Throughout this week the grand finale of Suvarna Super Jodi (SSJ) is being aired during this slot. SSJ's run will end Sunday, 4 August. SSJ was aired three days a week, Friday to Sunday between 8pm and 9.30 pm.
Early this week, Suvarna announced the launch of three new 30 minute daily soaps which will run six days a week, Monday to Saturday starting 5 August. The shows which will replace KK and SSJ are Priyadarshini, Milana and Aragini, at the 8.00pm; 8.30pm and 9.00pm slots respectively. The channel plans to air movies on Sundays' for a couple of weeks during this slot before announcing a new weekly property.
Suvarna business head Anup Chandrashekaran said, "These three shows are very different from each other. They have a strong story line and narration. I am sure that our viewers are going to enjoy them. All the three shows appeal to the mass audiences and cater to the entire family. Suvarna as a brand has built a strong loyal viewer base. Our current fiction offerings have made us the leader in weekday prime time, with the launch of these three shows we intend to maintain this leadership and further strengthen our position in the KGE market."
The channel says that almost the entire inventory of spots for all the three shows has already been sold out. Suvrana's head of marketing and research Anil Narang said to www.indiantelevision.com ,"Spots generally are fully booked, and with the limit on ad spots, we have had to say no to advertisers and agencies often. We are planning a major outdoor campaign with over 100 hoardings across the state. Radio, print and magazines have also been planned."
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An emotional drama Milana is revolves
around three characters |
Promos for the three shows began airing on Suvarna and the recently launched Kananda GEC Suvarna Plus. Outdoor and press conferences across cities in Karnataka, as well purchase of spots on radio stations are a part of the campaign to attract more eyeballs for the three soaps. Suvarna has purchased spots on Radio City in Bengaluru and on Red FM across the state.
The channel has roped in an all new cast for each of the three shows, two of which are being directed by Ravi R Garani. Milana will be directed by R Madhusudhan.
Priyadarshini is a story of two sisters (Kavya and Anjali). Anjali, a soft natured girl falls in love with a haughty Gaurav. Kavya, a boisterous girl falls in love with the ever courteous Gautham. A joint family which has been split from many years comes together because of these four characters.
Suvarna says that the USP of the show is its lively and crisp narration. Its high emotional drama narrated with light humour is to attract youngsters and homemakers alike. Produced by Garani, the cast is Goutham – Gururaj V; Gaurav – Ajay; Kavya – Shwetha; Anjali – Amrutha S.
Priyadarshini is a story of two sisters who bring their families together
Aragini is a love – hate relationship between Sidharth Patil, an arrogant business tycoon and Khushi, a bubbly young girl from Bijapur. A series of unexpected incidents in their lives brings them together. The tussle between these contrasting characters forms the crux of the story. Directed by Garani, the cast includes Sidharth Patil played by Harish and Khushi played by Meghana.
Milana is a story within the mind. It is an emotional drama woven by the three characters – Samarth, a successful corporate who has lived all his life as per his parents' instructions. He is highly ambitious and is looking to break-free from the clutches of his strict parents. Prarthana is a simple girl from a small town in Shimoga. She believes in small happiness and wishes for a happy family life. When Samarth's marriage is planned with Prarthana, he meets Aishwarya who is daughter of the maid in Prarthana's house. Aishwarya is an opportunist and desires all the happiness in the world. The love-triangle between these three characters forms the crux of the story. Directed by R Madhusudhan, the cast includes Samarth – Prashanth; Prarthana – Vinutha and Aishwarya – Pratula.
The channel has canned about 10 episodes of each of the serials. "We plan for 70-80 episodes of a show at least, and we generally have a buffer of two weeks -12 episode bank in hand," revealed Narang.
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.
