Film Production
Q3-2015: Mukta Arts’ PAT Rs 21.21 crore despite drop in y-o-y revenue
BENGALURU: Mukta Arts Limited (MAL) reported a Profit after Tax (PAT) of Rs 21.21 crore for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014 (Q3-2015, current quarter) as compared to the Rs 0.92 crore in Q3-2014 and a loss of Rs 0.03 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q2-2015. However for the nine month period ended 31 December, 2014 (9M-2015, YTD), MAL reported a loss of Rs 3.45 crore as compared to PAT of Rs 1.83 crore in 9M-2014. The higher profit for the current quarter could be attributed to the lower distributors and producer’s share paid by the company, which in most quarters equals or exceeds 90 per cent of the company’s operating income (TIO)
Notes: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
The company’s TIO for Q3-2015 at Rs 44.40 crore was 42.1 per cent lower than the Rs 76.67 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter, but 85.4 per cent more than the Rs 23.95 crore in the preceding quarter. MAL’s 9M-2015 TIO was a massive 60 per cent lower at Rs 93.33 crore versus the Rs 233.27 crore in the corresponding period of last year. TIO for Q3-2015 includes sale of certain rights by the company for Rs 3.5 crore.
The company’s total expenditure (TE) in the current quarter was 70 per cent lower at Rs 23.05 crore (51.9 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 76.16 crore (99.9 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014 and 2.9 per cent lower than the Rs 23.74 crore (99.1 per cent of TIO) in the trailing quarter. In 9M-2015, TE at Rs 96.54 crore (103.2 per cent of TIO) was 58.4 per cent lower than the Rs 231.55 crore (99.3 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.
A major component of MAL’s TE is distributors and producer’s share (distributors share). For Q3-2015, MAL spent Rs 13.23 crore (29.8 per cent of TIO), less than a fifth (19.2 per cent) of the Rs 69.98 crore (90 per cent of TIO) spent in Q3-2014, but more than double (2.3 times) the Rs 5.74 crore (24 per cent of TIO). For 9M-2015, distributors share at Rs 43.02 crore (45 per cent of TIO) was again a fraction less than a fifth of the Rs 212.13 crore (90.9 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.
Other expense in Q3-2015 at Rs 4.92 crore (11.1 per cent of TIO) was 26.4 per cent higher than the Rs 3.89 crore (5.1 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014, but 5.1 per cent lower than the Rs 5.19 crore (21.7 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015. During 9M-2015, the company’s other expense at Rs 13.72 crore (14.7 per cent of TIO) was 45.7 per cent higher than the Rs 9.42 crore (4 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.
MAL paid 61.9 per cent more towards finance costs in Q3-2015 at Rs 2.43 crore (5.5 per cent of TIO) as compared to the Rs 1.50 crore (2 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014 and 15.2 per cent more than the Rs 2.11 crore (8.8 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015. For 9M-2015, finance cost at Rs 6.51 crore (7 per cent of TIO) was 54.4 per cent more than the Rs 4.22 crore (1.8 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.
Four divisions contribute to MAL’s numbers – Software division; Equipment Division; Theatrical Exhibition Division; others (Rent). Software and ‘Others’ divisions contributed positive results – operating profits, while the other two reported operating loss. Software division is a major contributor to revenue and results. In Q3-2015, MAL’s Software division reported revenue of Rs 33.56 crore, which was 44.3 per cent lower than the Rs 60.24 crore in Q3-2014, but almost 2.5 times (2.42) the Rs 13.89 crore in Q2-2015. For 9M-2015, Software Division revenue at Rs 64.21 crore was less than a third (1/3.35) the Rs 214.83 crore in 9M-2014.
Software division reported operating profit of Rs 21.35 crore in Q3-2015 as compared to an operating loss of Rs 0.73 crore in Q3-2014 and an operating profit of Rs 0.33 crore in Q2-2015. For 9M-2015, operating loss from this division was Rs 3.35 crore as compared to an operating profit of Rs 0.31 crore in 9M-2014.
Equipment division contributed a very small amount to revenue and operating results of MAL. Theatrical division reported revenue of Rs 8.91 crore, which was 9.8 per cent more than the Rs 8.11 crore in Q3-2014 and 72.6 per cent more than the Rs 5.16 crore in Q2-2015. 9M-201 revenue from this segment at Rs 23.35 crore was 88.8 per cent more than the Rs 12.36 crore in 9M-2014.
Theatrical division reported operating loss of Rs 0.16 crore in Q3-2015 as compared to operating profit of Rs 0.37 crore in Q3-2014 and an operating profit of Rs 0.07 crore in Q2-2015. For 9M-2015, this division reported operating loss of Rs 0.23 crore as compared to an operating profit of Rs 0.21 crore in 9M-2014.
Revenue and operating results from ‘Others’ division was Rs 1.84 crore and an operating profit of Rs 1.49 crore in Q3-2015; revenue of Rs 2.18 crore and operating profit of Rs 1.7 crore in Q3-2014; Revenue of Rs 1.85 crore and operating profit of Rs 1.68 crore in Q2-2015; Revenue of Rs 5.55 crore and operating profit of Rs 4.74 crore in 9M-2015; revenue of Rs 5.67 crore and operating profit of Rs 4.64 crore in 9M-2014.
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
