'The South today is a creative engine shaping the future of Indian entertainment.'
Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's Rare Enterprises Ltd and BofA Securities Europe SA on Tuesday bought shares of Zee Entertainment Enterprises worth over Rs 225 crore through open market transactions.
Micro dramas -- typically 30 seconds to one to two minutes long per episode -- are designed for mobile-first audiences.
The National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT's) declaration that Zee Entertainment is bankrupt adds a new measure of uncertainty to the proposed merger with Sony. Three entities -- Aditya Birla Finance, IndusInd Bank and YES Bank -- have filed appeals in the NCLT for recoveries of Rs 130 crore, Rs 90 crore and Rs 540 crore, respectively. The money was borrowed by a related party - Siti cable - and not returned. Zee was a corporate guarantor.
Japan's Sony Corporation, which is merging its Indian television content company with Zee Entertainment Enterprises, is likely to seek a fresh forensic audit of the company after market regulator Sebi levelled fund diversion charges against Zee promoters, top lawyers said. The Sebi also barred Zee founder Subhash Chandra and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Puneet Goenka from holding any position as director. "As the Sebi has made fund diversion charges, which may change the nature of audited reports already filed, the acquirer (Sony) can seek a fresh forensic audit," said H P Ranina, a corporate lawyer.
In its reply to the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said urgent action was warranted against the promoters of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) in the alleged fund diversion case to safeguard the management and protect investors and other stakeholders. It termed the applications made by Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra and ZEEL managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Punit Goenka as "completely false and misleading" in its response submitted to SAT on June 17. "We have a situation before us where the chairman emeritus and the MD and CEO of this large listed company are involved in a myriad of different schemes and transactions through which vast amounts of public money belonging to listed companies are diverted to private entities owned and controlled by these persons.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises, co-producer of Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency, on Friday told the Bombay high court it has agreed to the cuts suggested by the censor board.
Punit Goenka has resigned as the managing director of Zee Entertainment and has been appointed as CEO to have his focus entirely on operational responsibilities assigned to him by the board of the company. The board has "accepted the resignation of Punit Goenka as managing director of the company and appointed him as CEO," said Zee Entertainment in a regulatory update.
The biographical drama is caught up in controversy after some Sikh organisations including the Shiromani Akali Dal objected, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.
Reliance-Disney skips bidding
The biographical drama is caught up in controversy after some Sikh organisations including the Shiromani Akali Dal objected, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.
The promoters expect to get Rs 9,000-10,000 crore from the sale of their assets
A look at the red carpet glamour.
Markets watchdog Sebi on Thursday said it will slap a fresh show cause notice on ZEEL founder chairman Subhash Chandra, and his son Punit Goenka as it vowed to continue the investigation into alleged violation of listing norms against the media baron and his company. The order passed by Sebi's adjudicating officer said the contents of the earlier Show Cause Notice (SCN) issued to them will also be incorporated "in the SCN to be issued in the instant matter".
Engineering and construction major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) reported a 25 per cent rise in net profit attributable to the owners of the company for the January-March quarter of 2024-25, owing to higher revenues and an exceptional gain. For the quarter under review, L&T posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 5,497.3 crore, while revenue rose 10.9 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 74,392.28 crore.
The Bombay high court on Thursday said creative freedom and the freedom of expression cannot be curtailed and the censor board cannot refuse to certify a film just because there is an apprehension of a law and order problem.
ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) and Sony Pictures Networks India on Tuesday said they have settled their six-month-long dispute related to the failed $10-billion merger and have agreed to withdraw all claims against each other. As part of the "comprehensive non-cash settlement" between ZEEL and Culver Max Entertainment Pvt Ltd (CMEPL), both "have mutually agreed to withdraw all respective claims against each other, in the ongoing arbitration at the SIAC and all related legal proceedings initiated in the NCLT and other forums," said a joint statement.
Punit Goenka, the former director of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, is not the only one who lost his board seat due to shareholders' activism last fortnight. In recent past, institutional shareholders of several companies, including Nestle and Wipro, have pushed back against board proposals by taking an aggressive stance while voting.
Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency didn't get any relief on Wednesday from the Bombay high court which refused to pass any order in the wake of a directive by the Madhya Pradesh HC directing Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider objections to the movie before certifying it.
The political period drama, also written and co-produced by Ranaut, was scheduled to hit theatres across the country on Friday but the makers are yet to get a clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the matter is currently in court.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises has sought a termination fee of $90 million (around Rs 748.7 crore) from the Sony Group for calling off the $10 billion merger deal in January this year. It has sought termination fees from two Sony Group entities -- Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), now known as Culver Max Entertainment, and Bangla Entertainment (BEPL), according to a regulatory filing from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) on Thursday.
Emergency is caught up in a controversy after Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, objected, accusing it of misrepresenting the community and getting historical facts wrong.
The sharp pullback in mid and smallcap stocks signals a cooling-off period in segments that previously attracted considerable investor interest.
Leading broadcaster Zee Entertainment on Monday said it is planning to raise funds from the market through various routes, including issuing of equity of shares, and qualified institutions placements (QIPs). Though the company has not specified the amount it plans to raise, Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd (ZEEL) in a regulatory filing said its board is meeting on June 6 to consider the proposal for this.
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut says she was forced to sell off her property in Mumbai after the release of directorial venture Emergency was postponed due to delay in getting a censor certificate.
Across the board, brands use influencers like a Bhuvan Bam or Kusha Kapila as the second or third rung of their strategy. The first rung is always a celebrity that has been created outside the Internet, through mainstream media.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said the error committed by the trial judge had been perpetuated by the high court.
Unprecedented bribery charges, farewells, separation, failed union, monumental mergers and record-breaking IPOs, along with a healthy dose of online happenings in the form of spat and lessons in customer care, corporate India saw it all in 2024.
Two days after the termination of the merger agreement by Sony Group, Zee Entertainment on Wednesday hit back by filing a petition before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), seeking a direction to implement the merger scheme. Besides, it has also initiated appropriate legal actions to contest the claims of $90 million (Rs 748.5 crore) filed by Sony Group before the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), according to a regulatory update by Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd (ZEEL).
The fate of the $10 billion merger between Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Culver Max Entertainment, formerly Sony Pictures Networks India, is hanging by a thread, with the two parties unable to finalise an agreement as the end of the one-month grace period looms. The two parties are yet to come to an agreement over Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka leading the merged entity after Sony expressed concerns after market regulator Sebi barred him from holding managerial posts in Zee and any of the entities in a fund-diversion case.
Chandra, who will turn 69 years old on Saturday, becomes non-executive director with immediate effect.
The high court observed there was no final adjudication on the subject matter at this stage as the ADJ was yet to hear Bloomberg.
If the index is unable to sustain above 24,500 levels, technically it can then slip to its 200-DMA placed at 23,365 levels.
Industry experts believe that this deal will positively impact the Indian film industry, which is struggling with fewer movie releases.
Why are DIIs holding such a high stake in Zee, which is beset with alleged governance issues? Perhaps they think Zee is a deep-value stock, observes Debashis Basu.
Gautam Adani-owned Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) will replace IT major Wipro in the 30-share BSE Sensex from June 24, according to an official announcement on Friday. This marks the first inclusion of any Adani Group firm in Sensex. The group has 10 listed firms with a combined market valuation surpassing Rs 17 lakh crore.
Sony Picture Network India (SPNI) management is committed to long-term growth in India and the company will actively explore new organic and inorganic possibilities to strengthen its presence in the country, company managing director and CEO, NP Singh told employees. In a letter, two-days after the calling off of the $10 billion merger deal with Zee Entertainment, he asked employees to focus on current projects, with an immediate goal to unleash the company's full potential, continuing to craft content that not only engages audiences but also boosts subscriber growth and revenues. "As we close the chapter on our proposed merger with ZEEL (Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd), I want to take a moment to talk to you - not just as your CEO but as someone who has been on this journey with you.
The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Thursday questioned market regulator Sebi's credibility on completing its investigation within a stipulated time in the Zee Entertainment Enterprises' (ZEEL) matter. SAT was hearing Zee's plea against Sebi's order baring Zee Entertainment Enterprises' Punit Goenka and Subhash Chandra from holding any key managerial positions in the company and other organisations for allegedly siphoning off funds of the media firm. "There is no certainty that these eight months won't be extended. ...past record of Sebi is that they have always extended it (investigation).
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Friday issued notices to Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd (ZEEL) over the petitions filed by IDBI Bank and AXIS Finance against an NCLT order that approved the media company's merger with Culver Max Entertainment. However, a two-member NCLAT bench comprising chairman Justice Ashok Bhushan and Member Arun Baroka declined to grant any stay over the merger process during the pendency of the hearing. The appellate tribunal (NCLAT) has directed to list both petitions on January 8 for hearing, directing Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd to file a reply.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Thursday allowed the merger of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd and Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India). This order by the Mumbai bench, headed by H V Subba Rao and Madhu Sinha, will pave the way for the creation of a $10-billion media company, the biggest in the country. The tribunal also dismissed all objections regarding the merger.