Hindi
Reliance, Spielberg fork out $26.5 mn to Paramount for 17 projects
MUMBAI: Reliance ADAG and Hollywood director Steven Spielberg have bought 17 projects from Viacom Inc‘s Paramount Pictures for $26.5 million, making the first moves to develop a wide slate of films.
Reliance and Spielberg‘s DreamWorks studio are equally sharing the costs. The roster includes films like 39 Clues, Chicago 7, Motorcade and Dinner With Schmucks.
“We have together acquired 17 projects from Paramount,” confirmed Reliance Big Entertainment president Rajesh Sawhney while declining to comment on the financial details.
Reliance and Spielberg are in the process of setting up a $1.5 billion company that would finance 32 movies over six years.
The global economic meltdown, though, is having an impact and it seems that the funding would be raised in various legs. JPMorgan Chase & Co is arranging a $350 million debt within three months. Reliance will put in a similar amount as equity.
“These carefully selected properties will lay the foundation for the new company. The partners continue to move forward with the various phases of additional funding,” a statement said.
The timetable for the financing has, thus, been adjusted. But the partners remain enthusiastic and committed to achieve the original long term goals.
Reliance will pump in $550 million as equity investment while JPMorgan Chase & Co. will lead the debt financing.
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
