GECs
Viacom18 Studios and Aamir Khan Productions announce upcoming film inspired by the Paramount Pictures’ classic, FORREST GUMP
MUMBAI: Viacom18 Studios, India’s premiere content studio in association with Aamir Khan Productions announces their upcoming Indian film LAAL SINGH CHADDHA, inspired by Paramount Pictures’ Oscarâ winning movie, FORREST GUMP. While Aamir Khan essays the titular role in the film, Kareena Kapoor Khan will be seen paired opposite him for the third time. The superhit duo has shared screen space in the past in 3 Idiots and Talaash. Laal Singh Chaddha is directed by Advait Chandan of Secret Superstar fame and is being written by Atul Kulkarni. The film will release in Christmas 2020.
Delving a bit deeper into the association with Aamir Khan Productions and Paramount Pictures, Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Studios says, “It gives me immense pleasure to announce our upcoming venture with Aamir Khan titled Laal Singh Chaddha. For every cinephile out there, the must watch list of films would be incomplete without the mention of FORREST GUMP. To be able to adapt the classic for Indian audiences is a long-cherished dream for many of us. Knowing Aamir’s burning passion for this subject for many years, he is the perfect partner to bring to life this dream. I also want to thank Jim, Andrew and the wonderful team at Paramount Pictures for believing in our vision and continuously supporting all endeavors to bring some of their best content to the Indian markets.”
“We’re thrilled to be in business with Aamir Khan Productions and Viacom18 Studios, and to see them bringing this timeless story to a whole new generation of audiences,” said Andrew Gumpert, Chief Operating Officer of Paramount Pictures.
FORREST GUMP, starring the Academy Awardâ winner Tom Hanks, is a 1994 American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump (Hanks), a slow-witted but kind-hearted man from Alabama who witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century in the United States. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis.
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.
