Mumbai: At a time when confidence to finance fresh films is low and the pool of film financing has shrunk, the Hindi film industry is witnessing a gradual increase in independent film producers - without the backing of studios - who are collaborating based on their skills and core competencies to make films.

Hansal Mehta, known for films such as Shahid (2013), Citylights (2014) and Aligarh (2015), along with his partner Sahil Saigal, launched a production house - True Story Films. This production house has received investments from producers Vinod Bhanushali and Parag Sanghvi. Mantraa Luminosity, a film marketing and distribution company known for releases like Sulemani Keeda (2014) and La La Land (2016) as well as the marketing of Lakshmi (2014) in India, has now diversified into film production. The company launched a production house, Mayavi Entertainment, which is aiming to produce at least four films in 2025.

"The industry is going through an incredible shift as it is breaking long-standing patterns. A space is created for new voices to emerge, particularly independent producers who champion a culture of collaboration and teamwork," said Shikha Kapur, founder of Source Global, a content studio.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Rahul Merchant, managing partner of Mayavi Entertainment, said: "Independent producers who are guided by passion and are open for skillful, strategic collaborations are needed more now than ever. We are seeing more independent producers collaborating with each other based on their synergies."

Producers seek funding through various routes. These include collaborating with studios, selling rights - digital, music, overseas dubbing and satellite - bank loans (interest rates are as high as 12%) and private financing (two times the bank rates). They also raise funds from long-term private equity investors by offering stakes in their production companies, wealthy individuals and even friends.

After the pandemic, independent producers suffered huge losses as the economics of making Hindi films changed significantly. But in recent years, two favourable developments have provided renewed confidence for them. One is the improving footfalls in theatres, as indicated by the huge success of the Hindi-dubbed Pushpa 2 and the performance of the Sky Force. The other development that these producers consider encouraging is streamers using box office performance as the sole yardstick to buy films.

"The sentiment in the industry is changing. Footfalls in theatres are improving. Recent films have shown reasonably good performance," producer and film business expert Girish Johar said. "These facts have provided confidence to independent producers who are passionate about their stories to collaborate. I see more synergetic collaborations between independent producers."

Sector experts are of the view that increasing collaborations among independent producers will start bearing fruit in terms of new releases in 2026 as films will go on the floors in 2025.

Karmic Films cofounder and director Suniel Wadhwa said: "This is an era of coexistence. Today, independent producers are no longer solely dependent on traditional studios to greenlight projects. With evolving audience preferences, new funding avenues, and technological advancements, independent producers are driving fresh narratives and innovative business models while still working alongside studios to maximize scale and reach."

Even though the rise of independent producers is reshaping the industry, studios still remain an integral part of the production ecosystem, he added.

A studio makes four to five films a year in Hindi. Some 400-500 Hindi films are produced annually. This shows that there is tremendous potential for independent producers to collaborate and make films.

Mumbai: Mahesh Bhatt’s sister Kumkum Saigal and nephew Sahil Saigal have moved the city civil court against defamatory remarks allegedly made by Luviena Lodh, wife of relative Sumit Sabharwal. The plea said that Lodh in a video had made criminal allegations against members of the family. The Saigals have sought the court’s directions to prohibit Lodh from making such defamatory claims online and also sought Rs 90 lakh in damages. The matter will be heard again next week.

The plea said that the offending video has received wide publicity, and so they have been defamed and suffered damage to reputation and goodwill. “The offending video appears to be a desperate and malicious attempt on the part of the defendant to settle personal scores with Sabharwal with whom she is involved in a matrimonial dispute,” the plea said. Advocate Prashant Pandey, who appeared for Lodh, said that the court has granted their side time to submit a reply. “I requested the court for transfer of plaint to Dindoshi court,” he said.

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