Hindi
UTV to start theatrical release of world cinema next month
MUMBAI: UTV World Movies will start the theatrical releases of films from the first week of April. The channel, which had announced the plan of venturing into the theatrical release and home video segments at the time of launch, had deferred the plans due to exhibition hassles.
The channel has lined up a slew of movies to release in theatres across Mumbai, Delhi and Mangalore over a span of two months.
The movies to be screened in theatres are The Song of Sparrows (4 April), The Counterfeiters, La Zona, Murderers, I Always Wanted To Be A Gangster, Wrap Up and A Ton Of Luck.
Says UTV World Movies business head Sameer Ganapathy, “When we started the UTV World Cinema channel, we had decided to tap the other two verticals. Though the Home Video section was launched last year, we had to defer theatrical release due to the exhibition problems in the wake of the multiplex strike.”
Meanwhile, UTV World Movies will also hold Arties festival in association with NCPA on 26 and 27 March, wherein an international band is scheduled to perform.
Adds Ganapathy, “It is a matter of privilege for UTV World Movies to be associated with this unique endeavour. Music lovers are in for a delight with the celebrated band Quatuor Eben of France belting out their finest numbers.”
Hindi
Hansa Entertainment launched to produce across OTT, TV and film
New venture from R K Swamy Hansa Group eyes multi-language stories for digital-first audiences.
MUMBAI: Hansa Entertainment has just stepped into the spotlight because when a legacy media house decides to script its next act, even the credits get excited. Hansa Entertainment Private Limited has been incorporated to develop and produce original programming across digital, television, OTT platforms and theatrical features. The company will create short-running series, long-running series and original films for OTT, alongside standout theatrical ventures. It will also launch a podcast platform called Hansa Spotlight and produce content for the fast-growing vertical drama format. Stories are initially planned in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada.
The venture is founded by Sruti Swamy and Siddharth Swamy, drawing on the rich legacy of Hansa Vision and the broader R K Swamy Hansa Group. Sruti brings creative expertise with a master’s in architecture, interiors and design from Milan and a postgraduate degree in business management from the Indian School of Business. Siddharth contributes a data-driven perspective, having studied data science at Imperial College London.
Sujatha Narayanan has been appointed CEO of Hansa Entertainment. With over two decades of experience in creative content curation and production across film and OTT, she is also a well-known film columnist and media entrepreneur.
R K Swamy Hansa Group executive chairman Srinivasan Swamy said, “The launch of Hansa Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter. The new entity is the brainchild of the next generation and will be independently managed by Sruti Swamy, who is the Director and the newly appointed CEO.”
Hansa Entertainment director Sruti Swamy added, “I am very optimistic about the future of Hansa Entertainment, given the content explosion and the opportunities offered by new technologies for production.”
Hansa Entertainment director Siddharth Swamy noted, “The idea is to grow a contemporary production house that creates compelling stories for today’s multi-platform audiences while drawing inspiration from the rich storytelling traditions that audiences have appreciated over the years.”
Hansa Entertainment CEO Sujatha Narayanan said, “Hansa Entertainment will evolve as a story-first, IP-driven entity. We have already put together a smart team of interesting and dynamic creators who will helm our vertical dramas, shows and films.”
In the ever-evolving world of Indian entertainment, where stories now travel faster than the scripts that birth them, Hansa Entertainment is stepping onto the stage with fresh ink and big ambitions proving that even the best legacies know when it’s time for a compelling sequel.
