Showing posts with label Shikha Kapur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shikha Kapur. Show all posts
As heroes falter, producers take up the challenge for Bollywood
10:53 AM
Independent producers brimming with ideas are disrupting the industry and achieving success
Rajesh Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; February 1, 2025)
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.
Eros Now called out for non-payment of dues; CEO denies claims
8:16 AM
After Eros COO Shikha Kapur and team walk out of the company, ex-employees accuse production house of withholding F&F settlement; CEO denies claims even as he admits that studio is badly hit by the pandemic
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 25, 2021)
Last week, it was reported that Shikha Kapur, COO, Eros International, stepped down from her position, putting an abrupt end to her year-long stint at the organisation. Almost 20 members have exited the production house in the past few months, some along with her, giving credence to the industry buzz that the organisation has been defaulting in its payment of salaries and dues. Shortly after, several former employees took to social media to call out the company for its non-payment of dues.
A senior employee, who left the Kishore Lulla-led organisation this month, says the monetary constraints began well before the Coronavirus pandemic. “The management has been callous. The place doesn’t feel aligned to my value system. The employees are not cared for and the lockdown resulted in an emotional shift. People have not left because of money. They left because they were suffocated. There are angry employees in every corner of the company. Movie making is a collaborative process where if vendors are not being paid measly amounts like 25k and 1 lac, they wouldn’t want to work with you again. These monies haven’t been cleared in years and Eros believes they can get away with it because no one flags it off.”
The ex-employee adds that following Eros’s merger with STX Entertainment in 2020, one assumed the company would be on firm ground. “Their issues are functional. And they have a tendency of not paying people. Last year, they hadn’t cleared a vendor’s dues, he made a big noise about it after which it was cleared. Why do we need to do andolan to get what's due? They say things like, 'It’s only one month’s money, why are you asking for it?' There is a lack of compassionate leadership. My biggest concern was for small vendors who were constantly told by the finance department why are you following up. They are too small in the system to protest because they fear not getting work in the future."
Another senior resource who left late last year informs us, “This has been happening routinely for the last few years. People keep leaving because there is an ethical issue more than a financial one. But their outlook on business is flawed. Eros Now had the first mover advantage but the platform could never capitalise. They keep bluffing their numbers on releases. Old collaborators are backing out because they are given lopsided deals. What happened with Shikha Kapur’s team has been happening to people for more than a year. Manav Sethi, the former COO too, had to go through a lot to get his full and final salary from the company. Eros also keeps senior employees at arm’s length and this lack of transparency issue is troubling.”
Another senior leader from the creative team, who quit in mid-2020, rues that he has not been given his year-end bonus. “Salaries would come late, which can be attributed to the pandemic. Letting people go can be justified, but how do you explain not paying dues? They are a listed company. I left in the initial days of the lockdown because they owed me certain money in January 2020. Taking into account the bonus and the full-and-final settlement, they owe me close to Rs. 60 lakh,” he says.
A vendor, who worked on media sales with Eros, says that the company hasn’t cleared his dues of close to Rs 10 lakh since 2019. However, two current employees confirmed that they are paid timely salaries, while Kapur and her team were also given their monthly dues.
Founded in 1977, the production and distribution company has backed several films, including Manmarziyaan (2018), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017) and Bajirao Mastani (2015). It also launched its movie-on-demand vertical, Eros Now, in 2012.
When mid-day reached out to Eros, Pradeep Dwivedi, CEO, said that the studio was “doubly hit” by the lockdown. “We had 7 films on floors and everything came to a standstill. Theatrical shutdown impacted us heavily too. Significant constraints and stresses have been in our business. We have had to take some harsh steps to manage the situation. Unlike most companies, we did not cut salaries in the last one and half years. In turn, we have decided to move away from theatrical productions to develop content for OTT. OTT offerings are drastically different in its making than large format films. After wave 2, we have been left shaken. The business model is rejigged; requesting former people to resign or terminate their services after they have been found redundant in the current scheme of things. For all people laid off, complete salaries have been paid to them or are under process. Existing employees could face some delayed salaries, because of vendor payment delays. But former employees have all been paid in full.”
Dwivedi emphasises that the studio suffered huge financial losses after Haathi Mere Saathi that was released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi but couldn’t have a run due to the theatre lockdown in March.
Reiterating that the payments could also be pending due to logistical delays if the employee hasn’t returned company items like access data cards, critical documents et al. “Once all the handover has been completed, it takes 90 days for finance to clear their amounts which we assure we will for every employee past and present.”
We specifically ask him about the non-payment of bonus amounts as cited by an employee earlier in the copy, to which Dwivedi says, “Some employees leave unhappy. A particular senior management employee left on a bad note and that’s where the non-payment of bonus amounts is coming from. As of July last year, he signed a letter saying he was duly paid by the company. He has withdrawn claims to bonus and ESOPs in his full and final settlement. He had sent us a legal notice to which we have responded. We are initiating legal action on the said employee for defamation (referring to his tweets) to move against the said employee. He is indulging in social media extortion.”
Addressing rumours of lack of vendor payments, he says, “It is a chain reaction. From the time the pandemic started till now, we had not let go of a single person till now. The fact that we have paid everyone internal, some external payments were delayed. Creative process getting hampered due to cash flow delay is possible. There are some long delays too. Some occasions it was a case of work not being completed. The monies being owed to us from distributors, theatre chains because there is no money in the market. The stress is on the economy and it’s not fair to single us out.”
Win a lakh a day with this Total Dhamaal game
8:23 AM
MUMBAI MIRROR (February 7, 2019)
Indra Kumar’s adventure comedy, Total Dhamaal, the third installment of the popular comedy franchise, is a comic caper that brings alive the allure of money and the thrill that chasing it brings. The makers of the film have taken this experience to the next level, and are looking to get fans to live through the experience of finding a lot of money, like the characters do in the film, and looking high and low for it.
As part of that endeavour, to build an engaging movie experience, Fox Star Studios has launched a game called Fun Dhan Dhamaal. The game is a mobile experience which brings alive the milieu and the settings of the film, in a 360 degree experience. This game is an opportunity for fans to acquaint themselves and get familiar with the world and the characters of Total Dhamaal. FSS has recreated and rebuilt various scenes from the film specifically for the game, and just like the stars in the film, have encouraged fans to go crazy in chasing bags of money!
Says Shikha Kapur, CMO, Fox Star Studios, “The game is a microcosm of Total Dhamaal itself—a lot of money, and a lot of fun! We wanted to bring alive the experience of our movie to fans, who live and breathe in virtual worlds. The quality of the game-play and the 360-degree, immersive experience, that we have created is as good as anything that’s been developed in Bollywood.”
Fun Dhan Dhamaal Game Highlights:
- The game will last a total of 10 days
- Each day one new level will be unlocked (9 levels + 1 Bonus Level)
- Each day one new level will be unlocked
- Each level will have 60 second game play
- Points will be given for collecting cash bundles & correctly answering questions
- The points collected will decide their position on the leader board
- The player with the highest points at the time of closing will be the grand prize winner
What are You Winning:
1. Hourly Winner- 5,000/-
2. Daily Winner – 1,00,000/-
3. Grand Prize Winner – 5,00,000/-
Where to Find the Game:
http://206.189.135.17/
Total Dhamaal presented by Fox Star Studios, produced by Fox Star Studios, Ajay Devgn Ffilms, Ashok Thakeria, Indra Kumar, Sri Adhikari Brothers, Anand Pandit and co-produced by Sangeeta Ahir and Kumar Mangat Pathak. Releases on 22nd February, 2019.
Check out Mr X with Chacha Chaudhary
7:51 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (March 30, 2015)
Mr X and Chacha Chaudhary team up to solve a mystery
In a novel marketing innovation of sorts, Emraan Hashmi aka Mr X will team up with the tremendously popular comic book character Chacha Chaudhary to solve a mystery. Mr X is a complete family, masala entertainer and kids are expected to love the invisibility of Mr X, who takes the law in his hand only to protect it from forces of evil. Chacha Chaudhary will also take the help of Mr X's power of invisibility to solve an unsolvable case.
Known for his intelligence, Chacha Chaudhary is a tremendously popular comic character, created by cartoonist Pran. Chacha was created in 1971 and according to research, 10-13 year old children have consistently ranked Chacha as their most recognised Indian comic book character. With this association, the makers will certainly broaden the appeal of Mr X among kids. The film is releasing in 3D which should be a big draw for kids and family who would want to see the visual effects of the film in that format.
Shikha Kapur, Chief Marketing Officer of Fox Star Studios says, "Mr X is an entertainer in the truest sense. It’s a tale of justice and redemption, replete with excellent special effects, thrilling chase sequences, designed to appeal to family audiences, especially kids who thrive on larger-than-life action heroes. The character of Mr X is an intriguing one – cloaked in his invisibility powers, he dares to use the law in his own way to correct the wrongs that have been unleashed in the system. We found a relevant and engaging connect with one of the most endearing icons in Indian popular culture - Chacha Chaudhary – the tireless crusader of justice and beloved of children for so many years. We are really happy to have Diamond Toons to partner with us in this unique association: to come up with an exciting comic book featuring Chacha Chaudhary and Mr X - two characters separated by age, but united in their intentions to fight crime rampant in our society. We, at Fox Star Studios, have always believed in extending the appeal of our films beyond the traditional platform, and this association is a firm step in that direction."
N K Verma, Chairman, Diamond Group said, “We are delighted to partner with Fox Star Studios for this exclusive edition of 'Chacha Chaudhary and Mr. X'. Chacha Chaudhary and Saboo have captured the attention of numerous readers traversing various age groups. Emraan Hashmi has paid tribute to Pran by becoming a part of his latest comic Chacha Chaudhary and Mr. X. And according to me, this is the best way an artist can accolade another artist for his creations.”
Mr. X has been produced by Vishesh Films and is being presented by Fox Star Studios. The film releases on April 17.
Anurag Kashyap trying his best to get his 'hero' Martin Scorsese to present Bombay Velvet?
8:11 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 17, 2014)
Maverick filmmaker Anurag Kashyap considers Martin
Scorsese a god of cinema and buzz is, he’s mighty keen on getting the
celebrated Hollywood director to present his next, Bombay Velvet.It is also being speculated that the Ranbir Kapoor-Anushka Sharma-starrer may have an international release. However, Shikha Kapur, Chief Marketing Officer, Fox Star Studios, which is producing BV, said, “Nothing has been confirmed but yes, Anurag wants to show the film to Scorsese.” Madhu Mantena, who is a part of Phantom Films that is co-producing Bombay Velvet, wished that it was true! “But it will be like taking advantage of their friendship. There are no such plans,” he said.
Anurag, a huge fan of Martin has always maintained that the latter’s Taxi Driver inspired him to be a scriptwriter. Anurag met his idol last year at the Marrakech Film Festival.
Finding Fanny to premiere 17 days in advance
8:13 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 28, 2014)
In an unprecedented move in
Bollywood, the premiere of Finding Fanny will be held on August 25, 17
days before its release date.
The decision was taken after the film's trailer garnered positive response. Says producer Dinesh Vijan, “Premiering a film two weeks before its release has never been done before in Bollywood, but we are willing to stick our necks out. We want opinion makers and regular moviegoers to share their views. Hope this strategy generates an actively interested forum for Finding Fanny.“
Shikha Kapur (Chief Marketing Officer, Fox Star Studios), adds, “A story this strong deserves a unique marketing approach. So, we are inverting the normal course of promotional campaigns and will commence ours with the premiere of the film.“
The movie, directed by Homi Adajania, stars Arjun Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur and Dimple Kapadia and will be released in Hindi and English. A comical tale, it narrates the story of five odd balls who venture out in search of Stefanie Fernandes (Fanny). The film traces their journey as the characters find meaning to their otherwise pointless lives.
Finding Fanny, produced by Maddock Films and Fox Star Studios, releases September 12.
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