Hindi
Udaan and Paan Singh Tomar to showcase in London Film Festival
MUMBAI: The London Film Festival, scheduled to be held between 13 to 28 October, will showcase UTV Motion Pictures‘ Udaan and the soon-to-be-released Paan Singh Tomar.
While Udaan will be showcased in the UK market for the first time since its release in June last, Paan Singh Tomar will have its world premiere at this festival.
Besides Udaan and Paan Singh Tomar other Indian films that will be showcased at the festival include Autumn (Harud), I Am Kalam, I Am Sindhutai Sapkal (Mee Sindhutai Sapkal) and Just Another Love Story (Aarekti Premer Golpo).
Says UTV Senior Vice President- International Distribution and Syndication, Motion Pictures Amrita Pandey, “It‘s a very proud moment for us to have two of our films out of the seven Indian films that will be showcased at the most prestigious film festival in the UK this time. Our films have been doing well with the audiences at large, where London as a market has always been extremely encouraging, considering the strong and passionate movie watching crowd who are popularly known to appreciate good cinema. “
Udaan was officially selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard (A Certain Look) category at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and was the first Indian film to be part of Cannes‘s official section in seven years. The film also won awards at one of world‘s largest children‘s film festivals, Giffoni Film Festival in Italy, namely, the Audience Award and Best Music Score.
Hindi
YRF Entertainment appoints Saugata Mukherjee as head of content
Former SonyLIV content head to steer films and series at streaming arm
MUMBAI: YRF Entertainment, the streaming arm of Yash Raj Films, has appointed Saugata Mukherjee as head of content, signalling a strong push to scale its original films and series slate.
Mukherjee joins the company following a successful three-and-a-half-year stint at SonyLIV, where he served as executive vice president and head of content. In his new role, he will report to CEO Akshaye Widhani and lead the creative direction and commissioning strategy for YRF Entertainment’s growing slate.
The appointment comes on the back of YRF Entertainment’s recent global success with titles such as The Romantics, The Railway Men and Mandala Murders, which have helped position the studio as a serious player in the streaming space.
At SonyLIV, Mukherjee played a key role in shaping the platform’s identity as a premium content destination. Under his leadership, the service delivered acclaimed originals across genres, building a reputation for storytelling depth and creative risk-taking. His exit was described as “one of the harder goodbyes”, reflecting both the impact of his tenure and the strength of the team he leaves behind.
Mukherjee brings with him a wide-ranging career that spans publishing, television and streaming. Before SonyLIV, he led content initiatives at HBO Max under Warner Bros. Discovery, where he was instrumental in shaping the platform’s India strategy. His earlier roles include senior leadership positions at Hotstar and Star TV, where he worked on building original content pipelines and collaborating with top creative talent.
With a career that began in publishing at firms like HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan, Mukherjee’s journey reflects a deep-rooted understanding of storytelling across formats and platforms.
His move to YRF Entertainment comes at a time when the battle for streaming audiences is intensifying, with studios doubling down on high-quality originals to stand out in a crowded market.
For YRF, the appointment is more than just a leadership hire. It is a clear signal that the studio is ready to scale its streaming ambitions, with Mukherjee expected to play a central role in shaping its next chapter.
