Film Production
Other income cushions Balaji Telefims FY-2014 loss; board recommends dividend of Rs 0.4 per equity share
BENGALURU: Balaji Telefilms Limited (Balaji) reported consolidated loss of Rs (-17.2124) crore in FY-2014, a loss that was lowered by other income to the extent of Rs17.984 crore. The company had reported PAT of Rs14.58 crore in FY-2013. Other income includes proceeds of Rs 6.73 crore from a Keyman Insurance Policy taken by the company in earlier years. Other Income in FY-2013 at Rs 18.38 crore was 2.17 per cent more than the current year.
Three major segments contribute to Balaji’s revenue – Commissioned Programs, Sponsored Programs and Films according to the results the company has submitted to the bourses. The board of directors of Balaji have recommended a dividend of Rs 0.40 per (20 per cent) equity share of face value of Rs 2- each for FY-2014 as compared to a dividend of Rs 0.20 (10 per cent) in FY-2013.
The company reported Rs133.48 crore as the revenue from Commissioned Programs in FY-2014, (-1.63) per cent lower as compared to the Rs 135.69 crore in FY-2013. Commissioned programs reported an operating profit of Rs 21.21 crore in FY-2014 as compared to a profit of Rs19.32 crore in FY-2013.
Revenue from Sponsored Programs in FY-2014 was nil as compared to the Rs 4 crore in FY-2013. This segment result in FY-2014 was nil as compared to a loss of Rs (-2.04) crore in FY-2013.
Balaji’s Films reported consolidated revenue of Rs 273.43 crore in FY-2014 more than six times as compared to revenue of Rs 44.63 crore in FY-2013. This segment reported an operating loss of Rs (-27.72) crore in FY-2014 as compared to an operating profit of Rs 2 crore in FY-2013.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by the company.
Balaji Telefilms reported consolidated revenue of Rs 407.46 crore in FY-2014, more than double (2.19 times) the Rs185.97 crore in FY-2013.
The company’s total expense in FY-2014 at Rs 435.97 crore was 2.34 times more than the Rs185.96 crore in FY-2013.
Higher marketing and distribution expense, decrease in stock in trade are some of the major reasons for the increase in total expenditure.
Balaji spent 6.125 times more money towards marketing and distribution expense at Rs 76.18 crore in FY-2014 as compared to the Rs 12.38 crore is FY-2013. The company showed a reduction in stock-in-trade of Rs 80.60 crore in FY-2014 which showed an increase in total expenditure as compared to an increase in stock-in-trade of Rs107.59 crore which resulted in a reduction in total expenditure in FY-2013.
The company has paid higher finance costs at Rs13.731 crore in FY-2014 as compared to the Rs 8.52 crore in FY-2013.
Let us look at Balaji’s subsidiary companies
Three companies – Balaji Telefilms (BTL), Balaji Motion Pictures Limited (BMPL) and Bolt Media Limited (Bolt) are a part of Balaji. Cost of Production / Acquisition and Telecast Fees is the highest expense head for all the three companies.
BTL’s income from operations in FY-2014 was Rs131.54 crore, and the company reported a profit of Rs 10.02 crore in FY-2014. BTL paid Rs 100.60 crore in FY-2014 towards Cost of Production / Acquisition and Telecast Fees.
BMPL had income from operation of Rs 271.69 crore in FY-2014 and the company reported a loss of Rs (-26.27) crore during the period. Cost of Production / Acquisition and Telecast Fees for BMPL was Rs 281.13 crore.
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Bolt reported Operating revenue of Rs 4.75 crore in FY-2014 and an operating loss of Rs 0.93 crore. Cost of Production / Acquisition and Telecast for Bolt was Rs 3.76 crore.
Balaji says that its revenue per commissioned hour for BTL in Q4-2014 was Rs 21.66 lakh as compared to Rs 21.18 lakh in Q3-2014 and Rs 22.30 lakh in Q4-2013. Excluding regional segment, event business and incentives, the company commissioned 173 hours in Q4-2014 which was same as the number of hours commissioned in Q3-2014 and 28.1 per cent more as compared to the 135 hours in Q4-2013.
Balaji also says that two movies were released in Q4-2014 and six movies in FY-2014. It adds that Production cost comprises old films inventory amortisation and marketing and distribution expenses of films releasing in FY-2015.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
