Hindi
MPA takes up anti-piracy initiative in India
MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Dist. Association (MPA), formed in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II to re-establish American films in the world market, has now made its presence felt in India by being instrumental in conducting as many as 400 anti-piracy raids all over India in 2008.
Quoting a US India Business Council/Ernst & Young report on ‘The effects of counterfeiting and Piracy on India‘s Entertainment Industry‘ MPA managing director Rajiv P Dalal says, “The Indian film industry lost US $ 959 million and 571,896 jobs due to piracy in 2008. We at MPA have been playing a silent role since some time and. Our activities will gain momentum once the general elections are over.”
“We are happy that the country‘s President, Pratibha Patil, has given her consent to the Maharashtra Government to enact a law wherein both the seller and the buyer of a pirated CD/DVD would straightaway be sentenced to three months of prison without bail if caught red-handed. A fine would not be as rigid a punishment as a three-month sentence,” reasons Dalal. “However, all will depend upon the enforcement,” Dalal hopes.
Talking about educating the masses about the anti-piracy initiative, Dalal avers, “A film celebrity pleading his fans to stop buying pirated CDs/VCDs is very much prevalent in the South and has been working effectively. I don‘t see any reason why such an initiative wouldn‘t work here in Maharashtra.”
The Motion Picture Dist. Association comprising Hollywood Studios like Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal City Studios LLLP, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, has been, all along, working closely with local industry, government, law enforcement authorities and educational institutions to protect the film and television industry. It has also been rigorously playing an important role in eradicating piracy across the world.
Hindi
Marico founder Harsh Mariwala’s book Harsh Realities set for film adaptation
Almighty Motion Picture taps Karan Vyas to script Marico story
MUMBAI: Almighty Motion Picture is turning its lens on India Inc., with plans to adapt Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico into a screen project. The story charts the rise of Harsh Mariwala, the chairman and founder of Marico, and is currently in early development, according to a report by Variety.
Writer Karan Vyas, known for his work on Scam 1992, Scoop and Made in India – A Titan Story, is attached to pen the screenplay. The project continues the studio’s growing interest in real-life Indian narratives that blend business with human drama.
At the heart of the story lies a defining moment in 1987, when Mariwala chose to step away from the family-run Bombay Oil Industries and strike out on his own. What followed was not just the creation of a company, but the reinvention of a legacy. Marico would go on to become a global FMCG player, with brands like Parachute, Saffola, Set Wet and Livon becoming household names, reaching nearly one in three Indians.
The source material, co-authored by Mariwala and renowned business strategist Ram Charan, offers more than a boardroom chronicle. It captures the grit behind the growth, the risks behind the rewards and the leadership lessons forged along the way.
The adaptation aims to move beyond balance sheets and brand milestones, focusing instead on the person behind the enterprise. Expect a narrative that leans into the emotional stakes of entrepreneurship, where decisions are as personal as they are professional.
Today, Marico draws about a quarter of its revenue from international markets across Asia and Africa, reflecting its steady transformation from a domestic player into a multinational force. Yet, if the makers have their way, the screen version will remind audiences that every global success story begins with a leap of faith.
With development set to begin soon, this is one business story that may just trade spreadsheets for storytelling, and profit margins for moments that linger
