Mumbai: Entrepreneur Ananya Birla has launched Birla Studios, marking the Aditya Birla Group’s entry into film production at a time when India’s film business is growing in scale but becoming increasingly concentrated around a handful of big hits.

While overall box office collections are at an all-time high, revenues are increasingly driven by a limited number of tentpole and sleeper hits, squeezing mid-budget films and accelerating consolidation across the industry. This has led large corporate groups to step up investments in the entertainment sector.

The Aditya Birla Group already has a presence in the content segment through Applause Entertainment, the studio behind popular shows such as Scam 1992 and Criminal Justice.

“Cinema is one of the most powerful mediums through which those stories are told. At its most powerful, cinema creates an immediate connection while leaving a lasting resonance. At Birla Studios, our focus is on curating a slate of films that balance cultural significance with strong entertainment value and a conscious stand to nurture new talent, while exploring genres, amplifying fresh voices and diverse perspectives," Birla said.

Birla Studios is developing a multi-language slate spanning Hindi, Gujarati, Malayalam and other regional languages, along with international English-language cinema. The studio will be genre-agnostic and plans to back films with strong commercial potential while nurturing emerging talent and bold ideas.

“As we put this slate together, we’ve been deeply encouraged by the kindness and receptiveness of everyone across the industry. It would be a privilege to play even a small part in taking Indian cinema forward,” Birla said.

In 2025, India’s gross box office collection stood at Rs 13,415.21 crore across 1,572 films, while total net collection was Rs 11,371.82 crore, according to Sacnilk.

Beyond films, Birla is the founder and chairperson of Svatantra Microfin. Last year, she launched beauty brands Contraband and LOVETC under Birla Cosmetics, with a focus on aspirational positioning, differentiated consumer insights and product excellence.

She also plays an active strategic role within the Aditya Birla Group, serving on its apex strategic body, ABMCPL, and on the boards of Hindalco, Grasim and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail.

Five years after she ventured into music, Ananya Birla is set to present her debut album, Bombay Basement, named after the location at which its six songs were created. In this interview, she discusses becoming comfortable in her own skin as a singer, and drawing from her experiences to pen the numbers.

When I returned to India from Los Angeles, there were a lot of things that I wanted to say. I set up this make-shift studio in my basement and decided to write about different things. These are like conversations turned into compositions; so it is honest. When I’m alone is an ideal example of its conversational tone. It is emotional. When I’m alone is a pop [song], the next one is a retro number. So the entire album is in the pop realm, but it is influenced by different genres. 

PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], self-discovery, immigration [issues], toxic love and relationships, equality, and racial discrimination. These are drawn from my own experiences.

For a long time, people didn’t appreciate my talent. I had to get through [that phase]. The first person who said I had a nice voice was A R sir [Rahman]. Only now do I feel appreciated for my art and voice. 

It was a mix of both. I haven’t shied away from who I am, so I built my audience around those who understood that. Many songs of mine fit into what others are accustomed to hearing. I never [aspired] to [appease] everyone. For instance, even if I sing a Hindi-English song, it will be in a non-conventional way. Ever since I started my career, my vision has been to bring misfits together. I always feel like I don’t fit in society. I have seen how strongly music can impact people. It makes me want to keep making good music. 

I directed When I’m Alone, and wrote its screenplay. If you ask anyone close to me, they will say that this song has Ananya written all over it. There is a dark, deprecating humour which is reminiscent of [my style]. There’s another one too that I shot for in Koliwada only days ago. I’m excited for that as well. A third number has the sound of defiance. I like that too.

Salman Khan, brand ambassador, Indian Pro Music League, with Ananya Birla (left), owner of team Bengal Tigers and (right) Akanksha Chaturvedi, owner of team UP Dabbangs

As India gets ready to welcome its first-ever music league with the Indian Pro Music League (IPML) this February, the makers have now announced an exciting addition to their already star-studded list of ambassadors — it’s none other than Salman Khan! He will be seen as the IPML Brand Ambassador on what is touted to be the biggest musical stage on television. The show, produced by Fathom Pictures, will be broadcast on Zee TV and Zee5.

The League will see six teams supported by Shraddha Kapoor, Govinda, Rajkummar Rao, Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, Bobby Deol and Suresh Raina while Asees Kaur, Mika, Akriti Kakar, Shaan, Neha Bhasin, Sajid (of Sajid-Wajid), Shilpa Rao, Kailash Kher, Bhoomi Trivedi, Javed Ali, Payal Dev and Ankit Tiwari have been roped in as team captains.

Talking about this exciting collaboration, Salman Khan says, “I am passionate about music and excited about my association with IPML as it introduces new singers and gives them an opportunity to showcase their talent alongside India’s biggest playback singers, which is a first-of-its-kind concept.”