Showing posts with label Abundantia Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abundantia Entertainment. Show all posts
Struggling movie production houses may open their doors to buyers
10:24 AM
Cos showing interest in film production houses, which have been battling high costs, to broaden their vision: Analysts
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; December 3, 2024)
A consolidation wave is likely to build steadily among film production houses in the coming months as their costs in running operations mount and interest of large and mid-sized corporations in the entertainment business increases.
Producers, independent consultants and trade analysts who spoke with ET shared that in the coming months large and medium-sized companies may acquire either a big or a bunch of mid-and-small-sized film production houses as their vision is not restricted to merely film business.
Ram Mirchandani, founder, Rampage Motion Pictures, a production house, said, "The Dharma Productions-Adar Poonawala deal has paved the way for some consolidation in the industry. We foresee either big companies acquiring well-established production houses or medium-sized companies acquiring a bunch of small boutique production houses."
A common challenge which most production houses face today is the cost and time involved from developing film projects to obtaining the right material. Developing scripts, bibles, buying re-make or other rights and then high fixed expenses in running a production house are unavoidable costs. Many a time, these costs are not recovered as projects get shelved for a variety of reasons.
"So, there is a need to fund costs. If you have investments, you can produce a film and leverage better on satellite and digital rights," said Ram Mirchandani of Rampage Motion Pictures. Changing dynamics of cost of film-making and performance of films at the box office have been another bane for production houses as they are unable to recover their investments.
Girish Wankhede, a movie trade analyst, said, "Production houses have been working on thin margins. Earlier, a hit film would recover the losses of four flop films. Today, a flop film wipes out the gains from four hit films. This shows production houses are not making enough money on their investments."
These are the reasons why production houses need money and could serve as lucrative investments for corporations. Post the Dharma Productions-Adar Poonawalla deal, there are reports which suggest that production houses Excel Entertainment (co-founded by actor Farhan Akhtar) and Abundantia Entertainment are also looking to raise money through selling stake.
Independent consultants are of the view that the interest of corporations in acquiring production houses serves their goals beyond the film business.
Shrirang Nargund, a veteran and independent consultant on entertainment business, said, "I think corporations have a bigger vision than merely investing in film business. They may want to exploit the creative talent of production houses in launching various business verticals such as gaming, web series, interactive social media content, and leveraging influencers on social media by providing them required infrastructure."
The lure of acquiring intellectual property (IP) of existing and future films is another reason corporations are showing interest in the business.
Vishesh Agrawal, a film producer, associated with films such as Dangal (2016) and Dream Girl 2 (2023) said, "Corporations do their due diligence. They will buy only those production houses which have strong IPs in their film libraries and a long proven performance across business cycles of the industry."
"It is not the first time corporations are showing interest in production houses. Earlier production houses managed without them. But today production houses need money because revenues are shrinking," he added.
On a macro level, producers believe that large corporations may want to leverage on the increasing emergence of Indian Cinema content as a 'soft power' in global markets. Producer and film business expert Girish Johar said, "Today, cinema is soft power. Indian content is consumed globally through streaming platforms. This provides a convincing reason for corporations to invest in the sector as it allows them to market and position a type of content."
I love Scam 1992, but Lootere takes me closer to the filmmaker I want to be-Jai Mehta
9:44 AM
Vivek Gomber with Jai Mehta on the set
Lootere maker Jai Mehta is grateful for his learnings from his filmmaker father Hansal, but says his vision as a storyteller is distinct and driven by a project’s “style, music, and scale”
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; June 3, 2024)
It may have been a month since the final episode of his latest work, the Disney Plus Hotstar action drama Lootere released, but Jai Mehta says words of appreciation continue to pour in. “I am humbled. It has been interesting to see the reaction because it wasn’t a conventional show. It does not [cater to] the target audience of the web platform. But the response has been reaffirming—the audience watches everything, and we can’t take them for granted,” he says.
Lootere, which chronicled the tale of the hijacking of an Indian ship by Somali pirates, marked Mehta’s independent feature debut after co-directing the 2020 Pratik Gandhi-starrer show, Scam 1992, with his filmmaker-father Hansal Mehta. For Mehta junior, the audience’s reception of Lootere was crucial, as he believes this project is a fitting reflection of his vision as a storyteller.
“Scam was ultimately Hansal Mehta’s brainchild. I love Scam, but Lootere takes me closer to the filmmaker I want to be. I like to focus on the style, music and scale of a project. Although I have been part of production ventures that were [challenging to film], like Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur and Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh, Lootere was one of the toughest of them all.”
But Mehta isn’t one to rest on his laurels. “I am working on a lot of stuff,” he smiles, sharing that he is developing a period crime drama based on a true story for Abundantia Entertainment. “It has been co-written by Vishal Kapoor and me. Vishal also wrote Lootere, with me. I have been writing it for five years. It’s a homage to all the films that have made me the filmmaker I am today. It’s a hat tip to films like Memories Of Murder, I Saw The Devil, select Ram Gopal Varma films, and all the movies that I have enjoyed in the crime drama space. This will be my love letter to them.”
Mehta plans to take the film—set in Bihar in the ’80s—on floors this year. “Visually, the film will look big, because I will shoot it with wide-angle lenses. It will be an emotional offering,” he signs off.
Tumhari Sulu director Suresh Triveni reveals plans for his content studio; also announces two directorial projects
8:00 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (January 30, 2023)
Suresh Triveni’s Jalsa, which released in March 2022, was appreciated by critics and audiences alike. The movie won the filmmaker praise for his direction and also the lead actors – Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah – for their performances. In April 2022, Suresh announced the launch of his creative studio and production house, Opening Image, in partnership with Vikram Malhotra-led Abundantia Entertainment, to make films and series.
After Tumhari Sulu (2017) and Jalsa, Suresh is now ready to entertain the audience with his next two directorial ventures. While one film is an action drama, the other one is a dramedy with an element of thrill that explores questions of identity in today’s world. Though details about both films are being kept under wraps, they will feature prominent A-list actors and roll within the next 12 months. Beyond Suresh’s directorial films, there is an exciting slate of content in development with young writers and creators.
Suresh Triveni, director and founder of Opening Image, says, “Our vision is to create disruptive stories and provide a platform that encourages young talent to tell their stories. We want to build a community that provides an ecosystem for storytellers to flourish. On my individual front, I am excited to be back in the director’s chair and along with my team offer fresh stories to audiences across the world. The partnership with Abundantia Entertainment and Vikram is growing from strength to strength, and we’re having a great time telling stories together where each one of us brings complimentary skills to the mix.”
Vikram Malhotra, founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment, adds, “Suresh and Opening Image are truly building a forward-looking, audience-focused creative community and ecosystem like no other. It’s amazing to see the progress that they have made in such short time and heartening to see the platform that it is providing to upcoming writers and directors. On another note, I am super excited about the shape Suresh’s directorial films are taking. . . unique and entertaining.”
Critically-acclaimed Malayalam film #Home to be remade in Hindi
8:07 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (October 7, 2021)
One of India’s finest and most progressive content creators, Abundantia Entertainment led by Vikram Malhotra, has joined hands with actor-producer Vijay Babu’s prolific Malayalam production company, Friday Film House, to remake the latter’s critically-acclaimed and heart-warming Malayalam film #Home in Hindi.
The film is an emotional story of Oliver Twist, a technologically challenged father who attempts to reconnect with his children in today’s digital world. It evocatively captures the nuances of how social media affects relationships in our society. The film became an instant hit on its recent premiere on a streaming platform and boasts of a phenomenal rating online owing to high viewership.
The two companies had earlier come together to remake the cult Malayalam film Angamaly Diaries in Hindi, which is presently in pre-production. In a light-hearted and bittersweet narrative, #Home effectively portrays the ever-increasing influence that digital devices have on our lives, including an entire generation’s struggle with technology, modern relationships that are forged online and how we sometimes miss out on the real and extraordinary stories around us while we are focused online.
In its young journey, Abundantia Entertainment has notched up an impressive track record of producing audience-focused, impactful content that includes films like the recently released Vidya Balan-starrers Sherni and Shakuntala Devi, Airlift, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Chef and Noor, as well as original series like Breathe and Breathe: Into The Shadows. Apart from upcoming films like Suresh Triveni’s Jalsa, Abundantia Entertainment is also producing the Hindi remake of the critically-acclaimed Tamil film Soorarai Pottru with Suriya’s 2D Entertainment.
Friday Film House, which is amongst South India’s premier content companies, is known for backing innovative stories and fresh talent while producing films that are reflective of the society that we live in. Their diverse range of films such as Angamaly Diaries, Sufiyum Sujatayum, Thrissur Pooram, June and #Home echo this sentiment.
Critically-acclaimed Tamil film Soorarai Pottru to be remade in Hindi
8:09 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 12, 2021)
Two of India’s leading content creators and producers, 2D Entertainment and Abundantia Entertainment, have joined hands to remake the critically-acclaimed Tamil film Soorarai Pottru (Praise The Brave) in Hindi. The film showcases an emotional and impactful story based on the life of Nedumaaran Rajangam or Maara, played by Suriya, who sets out to ensure that the common man, too, can fly, and in the process, takes on the world’s most capital-intensive industry.
The film was partly inspired by events in the life of Air Deccan founder, Captain G R Gopinath. It made history by being the only Indian film to be ranked third on IMDb’s highest-rated films list. While the casting is underway, the director of the original, Sudha Kongara, will helm the Hindi remake as well.
Abundantia Entertainment, led by Vikram Malhotra, constantly endeavours to be audience-focused in its approach to tell inspiring stories. Their films, much like the recently released Vidya Balan-starrer Sherni, Shakuntala Devi, Airlift and Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, have always made an impact. 2D Entertainment, led by Suriya, actor Jyotika Sadanah and Rajsekar Pandian, believes in harnessing the power of great stories to touch people’s lives, besides entertaining them. Their diverse range of films such as Ponmagal Vandhal, 24 and Soorarai Pottru echo this sentiment.
Nushrat Bharucha bags Chhori, Hindi remake of Marathi horror film Lapachhapi
8:21 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 29, 2020)
After a string of comedies, Nushrat Bharucha is ready to try her hand at horror with Chhori, the Hindi remake of the 2017 Marathi hit, Lapachhapi. The film marks the first collaboration of Abundantia Entertainment and Crypt TV, the American entertainment company that specialises in horror outings.With a pregnant woman at the centre of the narrative, Lapachhapi deftly weaves a tale of terror that addresses social evils. "This genre excites me, and the story is impactful as it is anchored in the practices of our society. Abundantia is known to make films with strong female voices. As an actor, I couldn't ask for more," says Bharucha.
Director Vishal Furia says he is honoured that Jack Davis, co-founder, Crypt TV, chose his Marathi offering for an adaptation. "I want to take the remake a few steps further and make it more thrilling. Partnering with Vikram [Malhotra] and Jack has been a wonderful process," says Furia, who has also helmed Criminal Justice.
Ajay Devgn might play the lead in film adaptation of Neeraj Pandey's Ghalib Danger?
8:03 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 1, 2014)
The film rights of Neeraj Pandey's Ghalib Danger have been acquired by Abundantia Entertainment, an independent banner recently floated by Vikram Malhotra. The book will be adapted as a bigbudget, commercial Bollywood movie, and spinoffs on multiple platforms, including digital and online media are also on the cards.
"There could be a graphic novel, an evolved game and a TV show too," revealed Vikram, the former CEO of Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, who is reported to have cracked the deal for Rs 3 crore. Vikram refused to get into the details of the exact figures. "All I can say is that it's a significant amount and higher than what rights have fetched in the same space. But it's worth every rupee," he said.
The gangster saga starts in the '60s and ends in 2015-2016. It revolves around a young cabbie, Kamran Ali, who saves the life of Mirza, a mafia don. Ali slowly gets drawn into Mirza's murky world and eventually not only inherits his throne but also his philosophy that all of life's problems can be solved through Mirza Ghalib's poetry. In the process he acquires the pseudonym 'Ghalib Danger'.
Speaking from Mauritius, Neeraj admitted that Ghalib's couplets will be integral to the film and pepper the dialogue of the two male leads. His production company, Friday Filmworks, will be collaborating on the film with Abundantia Entertainment. It's expected to flag off in the second half of 2015.
Buzz is, Ajay Devgn who played Sultan Mirza, a don modelled on Haji Mastan in Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, is one of the contenders for Mirza's role. Neeraj refused to comment on the casting saying: "It'll be an ensemble cast with A-listers and my don is a complete work of fiction, drawn from a collage of press reports."
Interestingly, many reviewers have pointed out that the book is written like a screenplay and was waiting to be made into a movie. "When I was writing it, all I wanted to do was to tell a good story, make sure the deadline was met and the book was accepted," laughed Neeraj, who's in the process of writing the screenplay and agrees it won't be too difficult.
Vikram added that the game, comic book and other spin offs would not be used as promotional tools for the movie. He said: "They are stand-alone content and revenue streams and their launch can be timed before, after or around the film's release but they will not be dependent on the film."
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