GECs
Singer Udit Narayan’s surprise visit on ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs’
MUMBAI: This weekend on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’l Champs, emotions flow in abundance as all the contestants, Captains Shaan and Monali and even the host Aditya Narayan get a special surprise from their loved ones. The young Li’l Champs have been living away from home for nearly two months now , gearing up for the tough competition and giving their best week on week. So it was time to surprise them by bringing down their parents, siblings and even teachers.
While host Aditya Narayan was busy welcoming each contestant’s relative or parents who were specially flown down for this episode, never did he imagine that the makers of Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa had also planned a surprise for him! During the course of the show, the Li’l Champs were asked to share one thing which they would like to thank and apologise to their parents for. When the young and charming host Aditya Narayan was asked the same question, he replied that he would like to thank his dad for his genes and singing ability and before he could continue, a very familiar voice singing the popular 90’s number ‘tu mera dil tu meri jaan’ took over for backstage. Well it hardly took Aditya and people sitting in the audience a couple of seconds to realise that it was the legendry singer and host Aditya’s father, Udit Narayan singing his son’s debut song and their first duet. Aditya, who was visibly pleasantly surprised, replied singing his portion of the track ‘oh I love you daddy’! An overwhelmed Aditya expressed his delight and disbelief on seeing his dad on the sets of his show and even thanked the channel for bringing in this sweet surprise for him.
The senior Narayan also had a great time catching up with old friend Mahaguru Alka Yagnik and affectionately teased her. The duo has given Bollywood some of the most memorable chartbusters of the 90’s together and took this opportunity to walk down memory lane and talk about their good old recording days. The two even sang ‘mere mehboob mere sanam’ from the film Duplicate on the demand of the audience. However, the father and son duo were only allowed to leave the stage after they gave an encore of their superhit debut duet. Udit Narayan immediately obliged and even rendered his own version to son Aditya Narayan’s latest hit ‘tattad tattad’ . It was truly a delight to see the two powerhouse performers perform together on stage!
When two of Captain Monali’s friends paid her a surprise visit on the sets as a part of the same episode, they spill the beans on her passions other than music. The audience, Mahaguru and Li’l Champs were surprised to know that this petite beauty is actually a squash, pool and badminton champion and has given many of her male friends stiff competition. Her friends, who met her years back at a dance class also divulged that she is a phenomenal salsa dancer and can also do some dangerous head stunts. Well, seems like Monali is surely a ‘chota packet bada dhamaka’!
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.
