GECs
Yeh Mohalla hai Navrangi Re!
Most of the times, we don’t #GiveAShit about shit. But starting February 2, 2019, we won’t be able to ignore it any more, as a one-of-a-kind drama series is coming to our living rooms to make us laugh, cry, wonder, question and fall in love. In an industry first, Viacom18 has partnered with the world’s largest philanthropic organization Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and development communications specialists, BBC Media Action to create a Hindi general entertainment fiction series called Navrangi Re!with an underlying behaviour change message on sanitation.Laced with high drama, wit and satire, Navrangi Re! is a finite series that will make us all sit up, take responsibility and #GiveAShit this New Year.
Produced by Swastik Productions, Navrangi Re! is the story of a lively mohalla (a neighbourhood) in a town in Northern India full of quirky and endearing characters. Navrangi Re! has a gamut of colourful characters- from a talking wall to a rich and ruthless diva to a spoilt brat to a strong female lead that refuses to give in, and an underlyingmonster that’s growing underground. It is the laugh-a-minute story of a community living on the edge, teetering from one crisis to another and then deciding to take control of their lives. Vishwaas, the hero of this 26-episode television drama series, played by actor Aamir Ali, is a struggling TV journalist always looking for career-defining ‘breaking news’. In this hunt for one story, he discovers something bigger- the gateway to bring about change in his mohalla!It is entertainment all the way using an ensemble cast made up of thespian actors such as Susmita Mukherjee and Raju Kher, and promising new talent like Vaishnavi Dhanraj, Manmohan Tiwari and others.
Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18, said “Today, 70% of urban India’s sewage is left untreated and it’s an issue that needs immediate attention. As a media and entertainment company we have realized that you connect with the viewers better when you marry social messaging with an interesting narrative. Viewers identify and resonate with such content very well and we have seen this with our film, Toilet: EkPrem Katha. Navrangi Re! therefore is not a PSA but a 13 weeks’ series which aims to showcase the various challenges faced in a community due to lack of proper sanitation facilities. Along with BMGF and BBC Media Action this is our humble effort to spread awareness and lead to behaviour change.”
Nina ElaviaJaipuria, Head- Hindi Mass Entertainment & Kids TV Network, Viacom18, elaborates, “At Viacom18, we are storytellers, and we believe in harnessing the power of stories to bring about change. Navrangi Re! is a product of that philosophy. It is a powerful story narrated entertainingly with the idea to mainstream a topic as important and nuanced as Faecal Sludge Management. Given the wide audience we are targeting through this social impact programming, Navrangi Re! is an apt fitment as the first ever Rishtey Original.”
Devika Bahl, Creative Producer, BBC Media Action, adds, "It's quite tricky to engage viewers with an issue like faecal sludge management. The challenge is to convert technical information into full-blown entertainment – a story that's full of romance, drama humour and aspirations. Navrangi Re! is an attempt to achieve that balance."
This finite series promises to make you laugh while raising critical questions around ‘flush kebaadkikahaani’, thus making it a challenging experience because how does one make shit prime-time and fun? Siddharth Kumar Tewary, Founder, Producer, Creative Director, Swastik Productions agrees, “Sanitation is a serious issue and the challenge for us was to merge this topic with entertainment and create a light-hearted show which
entertains yet gets a strong message across to our viewers. The partnership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, BBC and Viacom18 and Swastik is a great step on Indian Television as we bring forth content on a mass medium which shall have viewers laughing and learning simultaneously.”
But the USP of the show doesn’t end here! There is a special guest who joins the Mohalla one day as well, and it’s none other than Anil Kapoor, the superstar himself, who is known to take roles he truly believes in. But what made him do a cameo on TV? Says Anil Kapoor, “Most people believe that talking about the cause of sanitation is boring. But Viacom18, being the powerful storytellers that they are, took it upon themselves to add a quirky twist to a seemingly mundane topic and made it funny. The cause is aligned with Sri Narendra Modi ji’s vision of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, and also very close to my heart. I agreed to do a cameo, because I believe every small step brings change.”
Aamir Ali as Vishwaas said “I couldn't have asked for a better start to the year. Navrangi Re! is very close to my heart because the character of Vishwas is very relatable. He is fun and games yes, but he also has this hunger of doing something for the betterment of the society.”
Vaishnavi Dhanraj as Chitralekha said, “Navrangi Re! urges you to #GiveAShit and take responsibility. It's actually my New Year resolution as well. I think everyone who watches this show will enjoy it,and take a message at the end of it. I couldn't have asked for anything better.”
Susmita Mukherjee as Rajrani said “I've been part of many TV shows in my career, but this one will always be close to my heart. It's a finite series for once, something I've never done before, which means we have the added challenge of establishing our character in a shorter period of time. Also, the character is very “Navrangi” herself.”
Raju Kher as Gajraj Singh said, “Navrangi Re! gives me the opportunity to explore lots of emotions while passing on the message of sanitation. It's a very creative concept, with a host of actors that are balls of energy themselves. Every day at the sets is unique and rejuvenating. I can't wait for the audience to feel the same love for Navrangi Re! that we have felt while acting in it.”
Navrangi Re! will launch on February 2nd, 2019 and will be telecaston Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 pm on Rishtey.It will also air on COLORS Gujarati and COLORS Odia at 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays starting February 9th. Viewers can also watch it anytime on VOOT.
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.
