GECs
When the stars become one of us!
MUMBAI: Much as we love and admire our film and television celebrities, how would we react if we saw them as one amongst us, leading a life as mundane as ours!
Well that’s something viewers may soon find out for coming to drawing rooms in April is a show that brings together celebrities and commoners even as famous people attempt to live the life of an aam aadmi for a day.
Mission Sapne, produced by Sobo Films and slated to premiere on Colors next month, is rooted in the belief that in order to make a difference, one needs to go out there and understand the trials and tribulations of the common man. The proceeds will go towards helping the cause of the less fortunate.
10 names from showbiz will grace the show in avatars quite unlike their usual selves. Karan Johar will turn photographer at the Gateway of India; Salman Khan a barber; Varun Dhawan a coolie; Siddharth Malhotra a vegetable vendor; Ranbir Kapoor a vada-pav seller; Harbhajan Singh a namkeen seller; Mika Singh a chaiwallah; Ram Kapoor a taxi-wallah; Drashti Dhami a nimbu-mirchi vendor; and Ronit Roy a cosmetic seller. Sonali Bendre will play the host.
Says Colors CEO Raj Nayak: “With everything that our audiences have given us in making Colors a household name, Mission Sapne is our endeavour to give back to the society by bringing the life of a common man to the limelight and sharing his/her story for the world to behold. We thank all the celebrities associated with the show for extending their support and helping us lighten the burden of a tough life from some less fortunate shoulders by raising funds for their welfare.”
Each episode will feature a common man and his problems. His favourite actor/actress will step into his shoes for a day and try to solve his difficulties. For instance, Salman will extend support to Qurban Ali, a barber who lost both his legs in an accident. The money earned will be multiplied and donated to someone in need.
Apparently, Sobo Films had created a similar concept in the Marathi language called Bole to Malamaal. Realising its potential, the producers thought of adapting it into mainstream TV. “We had done this in the regional space before and it was a huge success. We thought we could take this to the Hindi GEC space and see how it worked,” says Sobo Films director, Smruti Shinde. “I think, though it hasn’t been aired yet, it has been very well received by all the celebs,” adds Shinde.
Of the 10 episodes, seven have been shot at locations such as the Gateway of India, Seven Bungalows and Crawford Market in Mumbai while the remaining three have been shot at Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Delhi.
Speaking of the actual shoot that was completed within eight days, Shinde says, “We knew what the show was all about so it did not take us much time to get it on the floor. We just had to format it in the Hindi GEC space and slight alterations were made from the Marathi space. In a month’s time, we had finished planning and shooting for the show.”
Did the celebrities take some convincing to come on-board the show? “There was no difficulty in getting the celebs on-board. When we approached them, they loved the concept and were ready to accommodate the dates. Normally, celebs perform in front of the audience, but in this show, they are one amongst the audience. They actually go on-ground and earn money for the common man,” reveals Shinde.
Ask them and media professionals will call it a PR gimmick on the part of Colors. “What will the channel show for that duration? The success of the show completely depends on the treatment. If they can make it entertaining enough, people will watch it. At the end, a viewer wants entertainment and that is what sells. If they are able to find enough entertainment footage, then it can work wonders for the channel,” opines Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan.
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.
