MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms Ltd’s net profit rose 39 per cent to Rs 173.77 million for the first quarter of this fiscal, as against Rs 125.15 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Total Income has recorded Rs 756.86 million as compared to Rs 645.17 million during this period.
Operating profit stood at Rs 281.85 million, while in the year ago period it was at Rs 218.56 million.
MUMBAI: Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms and Smriti Irani will co-produce Star Plus’ new weekend prime time venture Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan. The soap launches on 19 August Saturday at 10:30 pm.
States Irani on her second most significant outing on tube after Kyunki Saas…, “Apart from co-producing the show with the production house that gave me India’s most celebrated show, I am extremely honoured that Star Plus has given me the opportunity to graduate from an actor to a producer.”
Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan, is a story of Uma didi, a 27-year old obedient daughter of a mill worker, who undertakes several jobs to run the family ever since the mill has shut. Set in the heart of Mumbai in a middle class “chawl”, it is mostly occupied by the mill workers, who are out of job; a story full of hardships and tribulations of a common man’s everyday life. Where Uma will hold the centre stage, as she will be looked up as a source of constant inspiration and driving force for the chawl people, who draw their strength and reason to live from her indomitable spirit!
The story and screenplay of the show is done by the acclaimed Bollywood writer Kamlesh Pandey, who was behind blockbuster movies such as Rang De Basanti and Tezaab. The soap is directed by Santram Verma.
MUMBAI: Media stocks crashed along with the benchmark Sensex Index which shed 452.80 points to close the day at 10,938. Pulled down by brokers who sold heavily to cover margin requirements and foreign funds to reduce their exposure in the derivatives market, the negative sentiment was also visible in the Nifty Index which ended at 3279, down 109 to previous close.
The major media scrips which recorded a two figure drop include HTMT, Adlabs, Zee Telefilms, Sun TV Ltd, NDTV, Saregama, TV18, Galaxy Entertainment, Gemini Communications and Navneet Publications.
HTMT took the deepest plunge, going down by Rs 48.30 to close at Rs Rs.701.75 at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Sun TV also stood weaker, recording a fall of Rs 38.25 to close at Rs.1192.35. Adlabs went down by Rs 26 to close at Rs 271.45 while NDTV ended the week at Rs 220.00, falling by Rs 21.10. Gemini Communications recorded a drop of Rs 22.8 to touch Rs Rs.433.30.
TV 18 went down by Rs 19 .35 to close at Rs 636.15, while the Zee TV stock dropped by Rs 15 to end the week at Rs 229.60. Navneet Publications recorded a fall of Rs 15, to close the week at Rs 304.30. The Saregama scrip shed Rs 11.35 to touch Rs 250. Galaxy Entertainment went down by Rs 13.55 to end the week at Rs 268.
Other important media scrips which saw the red at the week’s close included UTV, BAG Films, Mid Day Multimedia, K Sera Sera, Pritish Nandy Communications and ETC Networks.
Stock analysts feel the Sensex is undergoing an overall valuation adjustment. “The correction in the valuation of media stocks is in line with the stock market crash which fell around 11 per cent in the week. There is no unusual reason to worry about the media stocks,” says ING Vysya fund manager Manish Bhandari.
So will the fall continue? “The sensex has already lost heavily. It may further dip by about 3 per cent. But a heavy fall like this is definitely ruled out,” says Bhandari.
The media scrips which bucked the trend are TV Today Ltd and Balaji Telefilms. Both recorded minimal gains of Rs 1.35 and Rs 0.75 respectively. “Balaji’s strong fourth quarter result has protected the scrip’s fall,” adds Bhandari.
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has posted a net profit of Rs 155.03 million for the quarter ended 31 March 2006 as compared to Rs 96.47 million a year ago.
The total income has increased to Rs 781.40 million, up from Rs 568.44 million during this period.
For the entire fiscal, the company has posted a net profit of Rs 596.428 million as against Rs 412.962 million for the year ended 31 March 2005.
Total income for the year was Rs 2.9 billion, up from Rs 2.01 billion a year ago.
The board of directors has recommended a full and final dividend of Rs 3 per share (150 per cent on par value of Rs 2 per share), subject to the approval of members at the ensuing annual general meeting.
Balaji Telefilms chief financial officer V Devarajan has put in his papers, the company said. Sandeep Jain will take over as the CFO of the company.
MUMBAI: Indian television’s most successful television soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is set for a 20-year leap and the next generation of actors will be chosen from a talent hunt.
Walk-in auditions have been planned in three northern cities: New Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla and the hunt will kick start on 29 April.
The leap makes way for a host of new characters to make their appearance on the small screen. The Ekta Kapoor headed creative team of Kyunki…. is stepping out of Mumbai to search for these new faces, informs an official release.
“The highlight of this talent hunt is the search for “Krishnatulsi” who takes over the mantle of Tulsi from Smriti Irani as she takes over the mantle of Baa,” says Balaji Telefilms creative director Ekta Kapoor.
“We are always on the look out for fresh talent but this time around it is very special. We are looking for the next generation of the Virani family. We started Kyunki… five years back with a large part of the cast selected from the masses and most of them, today, are well established artists with their own fan following. It therefore makes complete sense for us to go back to the masses to look for the next generation of the Virani family,” says Kapoor.
The dates for audition in each city are:
New Delhi — 29 and 30 April at Marwah Studio Noida.
Shimla — 1 May at Chaura Maidan College.
Chandigarh — 2 May at Dev Samaj College for Girls.
The auditions are open to professional actors, models, theatre artists and the general public in the 18 to 25 years age group. Good diction, brilliant attitude and acting skills are factors critical in being short-listed, states the release.