GECs
The Anupam Kher Show looks to ramp up viewership further
MUMBAI: It is a format that has not been much explored but definitely experimented with by Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs). We are talking about celebrity talk shows with the latest to hit screens being The Anupam Kher Show (TAKS) on Colors.
With TAKS, the genre saw a re-birth. As compared to earlier shows such as Movers and Shakers on Sab, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai on Zee TV, Issi Ka Naam Zindagi on Star Plus and Koffee With Karan season 4 on Star Plus (repeats), The Anupam Kher Show has been rated highest in terms of viewership for the launch episode. “
According to data provided by the channel, TAKS opened with 2,591 TVTs whereas, Movers and Shakers recorded 2,283 TVTs, Issi Ka Naam Zindagi registered 1,089 TVTs and Koffee With Karan season 4 garnered 738 TVTs.
Media planners say that ‘talk shows’ as yet haven’t been appetizing to Indian audiences. “If we compare these ratings with dailies or even any non-fiction property, they are low on numbers, but we cannot ignore that fact that talk shows are high on interest,” asserts a planner. “It’s good that Colors has taken the step of bringing a personality like Anupam Kher who has acceptability with other big screen names and talent and viewers.”
Colors CEO Raj Nayak feels that it is people’s perception that talk shows don’t get the ratings. “I think with The Anupam Kher Show we have managed to get both perception and ratings. More than an average of 2.4 million people have been watching it week on week which is a very good number for a chat show.”
Unlike on other chat shows where celebrities come to promote their movies, Nayak believes the beauty of ATKS involves no movie integrations and is completely not scripted and sans cue cards. “Most of the people coming on the show are his personal friends and that brings in a lot of intimate moments and there is a feel in the show since it is a free flowing chat where the guest is very comfortable.”
However, even though ATKS gained high in terms of viewership in the launch episode, the ratings have been slipping – abeit marginally in week two and three respectively to 2,360 TVTs and 2,263 TVTs. The fourth episode which featured Kangana Ranaut reported a weak 1,575 TVTs. “That’s because of Queen which aired on Sony Entertainment Television,” says a media observer.
Nayak is not too perturbed about the drop in week four. “We need to watch how TAKS performs over a longer period,” says he. “It is a “different” show which the team and I believe will grow on audiences. In every chat show, there are ups and downs. The ratings we have got for the show are anyway higher than what we had expected. You have to go with the flow and not create sensationalism in a show otherwise it looks scripted.”
He is confident that the upcoming week’s ratings will beat the launch viewership record as well. Channels sources reveal that the coming week’s episode has Kapil Sharma as a guest, and the following ones are slated to feature Varun Dhawan and his father David Dhawan, and Akshay Kumar.
They reveal that the entire advertising inventory has been sold out and TAKS also has roped in Jyothi Laboratories’ Henko as the powered by sponsor.
Planners also believe that overall, talk shows rate below daily shows. Yet they attract a small yet significant set of audience which are relevant to the GECs.
According to a highly placed industry source, the production cost per episode of a chat show is higher than that of the dailies. The reason: the cost of the sets, the host’s fee and other embellishments that come along with celebritydom. “But they have a glamour and buzz factor which a TV show featuring TV stars cannot bring,” says she. “Colors needs to be lauded for once again pushing ahead and working on producing differentiated programming. The show can also have a lot of syndication and distribution potential internationally to audiences which know of Anupam Kher because of his involvement with Hollywood through films like Silver Linings Playbook.“
(updated on 13 August at 5:07 pm)
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.
