Brands
Two’s company as Ratpack and Mad Man roll camera on fresh film pact
Nikhil Bhat and Saket Chaudhry set to helm two feature films under new tie-up.
MUMBAI: When filmmakers find the right co-producers, it is not just lights, camera, action, it is alignment. Ratpack Stories and Mad Man Films have come together in a new production partnership to jointly develop and produce two feature films, signalling a director-led collaboration built for the big screen.
The partnership will see two distinct feature projects developed in parallel, to be directed by Nikhil Bhat, whose cult action thriller Kill earned global attention, and Saket Chaudhry, best known for the commercially successful Hindi Medium. Both films are currently in development and are expected to span different genres, united by an emphasis on strong theatrical appeal and distinctive storytelling.
The collaboration brings together Mad Man Films, founded by producer Madhu Mantena, and Ratpack Stories, led by Kshitij Mehta. The partnership is supported by the wider ecosystem of Collective Artists Network, underlining its focus on creator-first, scalable content models.
Speaking on the collaboration, Collective Artists Network founder and group CEO Vijay Subramaniam said, “This collaboration reflects Collective’s focus on enabling long-term creative partnerships. Bringing together Mad Man Films and Ratpack Stories allows us to support ambitious producers and filmmakers while building scalable, creator-first content ecosystems.”
For Mantena, the partnership also marks a new chapter. He said, “Collective, under our founder Vijay’s leadership, is pushing boundaries in ways no Indian media company has before. The true scale of what he’s building will become clear in the coming years, and I’m excited to be part of that journey. After exiting Phantom last year, building a film production company from scratch again has been very intense and at times, lonely. Therefore I am very excited and happy that over the past few months, Kshitij and I have been collaborating on several films, he’s an outstanding producing partner. I’m confident this partnership will lead to some exceptional work.”
Mehta echoed the sentiment, noting that the alliance formalises a collaboration already in motion. “We have been collaborating creatively with Mad Man Films over the past few months, and formalising this partnership felt like a natural next step. With filmmakers like Nikhil and Saket, our shared intent is to back bold, distinctive stories that connect strongly with audiences,” he said.
With two films now in development and directors known for both critical credibility and box-office connect at the helm, the partnership positions itself as one to watch. Details around casting, timelines and release plans are expected to be announced in due course, but the intent is already clear: this is less about volume, and more about making every story count.
Brands
Dunkin’ Donuts to exit India as Jubilant FoodWorks ends 15-year franchise deal
The quick service restaurant giant is ending a 15-year franchise partnership with the American doughnut chain, even as it renews its Domino’s agreement for another 15 years
NOIDA: Dunkin’ is done in India. Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, the country’s leading quick service restaurant operator, has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with the American coffee and doughnut chain, and will wind down its Indian stores in a phased manner before December 31, 2026, bringing a 15-year partnership to a quiet, loss-laden close.
The decision, approved by JFL’s board on March 30, 2026, ends a relationship that began with a Multiple Unit Development Franchise Agreement signed on February 24, 2011. JFL will now evaluate and undertake what it described in a regulatory filing as the “rationalisation and/or cessation of certain operations and/or sale, transfer or disposal of assets and/or assignment or transfer of franchise rights,” all in consultation with Dunkin’s brand owners and strictly within the terms of the original agreement.
The numbers tell the story bluntly. In the financial year 2024-25, Dunkin’ India posted a revenue of Rs 37 crore against a loss of Rs 19 crore — a haemorrhage that was always going to test the patience of a parent company recording revenues of Rs 6,104 crore and a profit of Rs 194 crore in the same period. Doughnuts, it turns out, were never going to move the needle.
The contrast with JFL’s handling of its other marquee franchise could hardly be sharper. Even as it walks away from Dunkin’, the company has just doubled down on Domino’s, signing a fresh Master Franchise Agreement on March 31, 2026, granting it exclusive rights to develop and operate Domino’s Pizza stores in India for 15 years, with an option to renew for a further 10.
JFL, incorporated in 1995 and promoted by the Bharatia family, operates a network of more than 3,500 stores across six markets — India, Turkey, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Its portfolio includes Domino’s and Popeyes on the global side, and two home-grown brands: Hong’s Kitchen and COFFY, a café brand in Turkey.
For Dunkin’, India was always a stretch. The brand never quite cracked the cultural code in a market where filter coffee and chai command fierce loyalty and where the doughnut remains, at best, an occasional indulgence rather than a daily habit. Fifteen years, mounting losses and a parent with better things to spend its capital on was always going to be a difficult equation to solve.
The doughnut has had its last day. The pizza, however, is staying.
