GECs
ZEE Biskope celebrates its first anniversary with Bhojpuri DJ Night
New Delhi: Launched with a promise to be the one-stop, go-to destination for every Bhojpuri movie lover, Zee Biskope left no stones unturned in serving non-stop authentic Bhojpuri entertainment for its ardent viewers. Within a year, ZEE Biskope has been a game-changer in differentiation by continually curating viewer experience beyond just movies. Along with a stellar launch campaign, the brand has presented many category first initiatives including blockbuster premieres, curated movie festivals and novel viewer engagement drives throughout the year.
Extending the legacy of novelty to its celebration of the first anniversary, the channel yet again gives its viewers an opportunity to live their Bhojpuriyat to its unabashed best with their latest campaign Birthday Lahariya– Jug Jug Jiya Ho Channelwa from December 10. The revelry doesn’t end here as the channel has also curated a special movie line-up and a Bhojpuri DJ Night for its audiences on the birthday – December 21.
Birthday Lahariya, the week-long campaign will invite viewers to share videos of their creative birthday wishes for the channel on Whatsapp number 9169315016 between 10 – 17 December. Every 24 hours (AanthPahar), the channel will select one winner and the 8 winning videos will be featured on ZEE Biskope on 21 December. Winners will also receive the exclusive ZEE Biskope Anniversary Edition gift box. The engagement will further extend on social media where selected few from the top fans of ZEE Biskope’s Facebook page will be invited for an exclusive virtual Birthday Meet with a popular Bhojiwood celebrity.
Bringing in a hyperbolic dose of entertainment on its birthday, the channel will showcase a specially curated movie line-up Rishto Ka Safar featuring 4 blockbuster movies throughout the day. The morning band at 9 am will showcase Jaan Lebu Ka Ho featuring Pawan Singh and Monalisa followed by comedy king Manoj Tiger and Amrapali Dubey’s recent superhit Lagal Raha Batasha at 12 noon. The entertainment ride will continue with Parvarish featuring Yash Kumar, Amrapali Dubey and Ritesh Pandey at 3 pm and popular couple Nirahua& Amrapali Dubey’s blockbuster Nirahua Hindustani 3 in the prime time at 6 pm. Just when you think that’s the end for the day, the rollercoaster of authentic Bhojpuri entertainment will take a never-seen before turn.
ZEE Biskope will host a Birthday Party with a 30-minute Bhojpuri DJ Night featuring DJ Vee at 9 pm that will make viewers groove with peppy Bhojpuri dance mixes mashed up with movie song visuals. While the DJ Night will get over on TV, it will continue on ZEE Biskope’s Facebook& Instagram pages between 9:30 – 10:30 pm.
On the occasion, ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Cluster Head East Samrat Ghosh said, “ZEE Biskope’s journey to success has been exciting and exhilarating. It demonstrated strength in the Bhojpuri market by sharply deep diving into consumer centricity, upscaling in presentation of its curated content by bringing the Bhojpuriya soul to screen. Our idea is that in the Bhojpuri market, there is still a huge gap as to what you can curate for the viewers. ZEE Biskope’s vision ahead will hence be to remain very consumer-focused and a differentiator by offering curated movies, bands, and novel viewer engagement initiatives.”
ZEEL business head ZEE BISKOPE & BIG Ganga Amarpreet Saini said, “ZEE Biskope’s journey in the last one year has been a narrative of category firsts. Right from the organizing the biggest ever Bhojpuri movie screening in Bihar to the topically curated movie festivals and the innovative viewer engagement drives, the channel has brought novelty to the category. Offering curated content in an otherwise commoditized market, ZEE Biskope has redefined and reshaped the category.The response we received from our viewers also evidences their affinity towards the brand. We are motivated to carry on the legacy of novelty and curation as a way forward for the brand to remain as the Ultimate Bhojpuri Entertainer.
Touted as the go-to destination for Bhojpuri movies; Zee Biskope offers a slew of robust content spread across an array of genres highly popular amongst Bhojpuri audience, such as romance, drama, action and comedy. The channel is available on Airtel (channel no 663), Tata Sky (channel no 1120), DEN Bihar(channel no 840), DEN Jharkhand (channel no 839), DD Free Dish (channel no 31), d2h (channel no 859), Dish TV (channel no 1555), Siti Cable (channel no 214) and Darsh Digital (channel no 189). It’ll soon be available on all other major cable platforms.
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.
