Hindi
Dinesh Vijan says big screen must offer what audiences cannot get at home
Maddock Films founder says emotion, scale and risk drive box office boom
MUMBAI: India’s box office may have crossed the Rs 20,000 crore mark, but for Dinesh Vijan, founder, Maddock Films, the real story lies not in the number but in the shift behind it.
Speaking at a fireside chat at the FICCI-EY M&E Industry Report launch, in conversation with columnist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, Vijan unpacked how theatrical cinema is evolving in the streaming age and why the big screen still holds its ground. His answer is simple yet telling: give audiences something they cannot get at home.
“The audience has changed. Good is no longer good enough,” he said, pointing out that today’s viewers, conditioned by global content and streaming platforms, demand scale, novelty and intensity. “If you want people to step out, it has to be an experience. Extreme emotion works.”
From horror-comedy hits to rooted dramas, Vijan believes films that succeed today share one trait. They make audiences feel deeply and instantly. Subtlety, he suggested, often gets deferred to streaming. Theatres, on the other hand, thrive on spectacle and emotional highs.
This shift has also altered how films are conceived. “You cannot make a film lesser than what audiences now expect in theatres,” he said, referring to the rising baseline of quality and engagement. In his view, the grammar of storytelling is undergoing a “radical shift”, driven by fragmented attention spans and digital consumption habits.
Yet, even as storytelling evolves, Vijan insists filmmaking remains a collaborative business anchored in strong creative leadership. At Maddock Films, he positions the producer as a key decision-maker, balancing creative instincts with financial discipline. “The director is the mother of the film, the producer is the father. Someone has to take the tough calls,” he said.
That balance extends to budgeting as well. Rather than imposing cost limits, Vijan lets the story dictate scale, supported by a strong internal team across production, finance and distribution. The company’s relatively high success rate, he noted, is what sustains its risk-taking ability.
However, one structural challenge continues to cap growth: India’s limited number of cinema screens. While urban centres are saturated, large parts of the country remain underserved. Vijan recalled instances of audiences setting up makeshift screenings in areas without theatres, underlining the gap between demand and access.
“If there were more screens, some films would have done significantly more business,” he said, adding that recent box office successes have revived industry conversations around expansion.
On the long-running debate around streaming versus theatrical, Vijan was clear. The two can coexist, but the industry’s overemphasis on digital deals stems from a desire to de-risk films. “Every film that has crossed Rs 500 crore did so because it worked in theatres, not because it was pre-sold,” he said.
Looking ahead, he sees global markets as the next frontier. While Indian films occasionally break out internationally, the scale remains inconsistent. “We have not taken our cinema to the world in a structured way,” he said, calling for bigger, culturally rooted stories that can travel.
Vijan is already betting on that vision with ambitious projects like Mahavatar, aiming to combine Indian mythology with global storytelling scale.
He also acknowledged the growing role of artificial intelligence, particularly in visual effects and production efficiency. While still evolving, AI could lower costs and democratise filmmaking, though seamless integration with live action remains a work in progress.
For now, though, the core formula remains unchanged. Strong stories, bold choices and a willingness to take risks.
“Nothing succeeds like success,” Vijan said, summing up an industry that, despite disruption, continues to find its audience where it always has, in the dark, before the big screen.
Hindi
New labour codes reshape rules for India’s media & entertainment sector
EY masterclass highlights unified framework, wage redefinition and expanded coverage.
MUMBAI: The new labour codes just rewrote the rulebook for India’s media and entertainment industry because when four old laws become four big codes, even the fine print needs a director’s cut. At the FICCI-EY Media & Entertainment Industry Report launch, EY partners Nirali Goradia and Lakshmi Ranganathan delivered a detailed masterclass on how the labour codes implemented in November 2025 are fundamentally changing the sector. The four consolidated codes Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Industrial Relations Code, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code have replaced a fragmented set of central and state regulations that existed for decades.
The speakers explained that the new framework brings consistency across all types of establishments and workers. Previously, cine-workers, journalists and other media professionals were governed by separate, narrow laws. Now, definitions have been broadened: “audio-visual worker” now covers everyone involved in film, television, OTT, broadcasting and digital content creation, while “working journalist” extends to digital news platforms.
Key changes include:
- A uniform definition of wages, with at least 50% of total remuneration needing to qualify as wages for calculations like provident fund and gratuity.
- Expanded social security coverage for gig workers, platform workers and project-based freelancers.
- Unified working conditions, safety norms and leave entitlements.
- Simplified compliance through digital filings and a more principle-based approach.
Nirali Goradia emphasised that the codes aim to bring gig workers, freelancers and project-based talent under the social security net, though the exact contribution mechanism for platform workers is still being finalised. She noted that the intent is clear: no worker should be left out of basic protections such as provident fund, ESI, gratuity and safety standards simply because of the nature of their engagement.
Lakshmi Ranganathan highlighted that establishments in the sector must now carefully map their workforce—permanent employees, fixed-term contracts, freelancers and gig workers because different categories attract different obligations. She pointed out that gratuity vesting for journalists remains at three years, but the broader wage definition will impact calculations across the board. Organisations that previously computed contributions on basic salary (often 35-40%) will now need to move to at least 50% of total wages, potentially increasing costs by around 10% on a recurring basis. This change applies retrospectively for gratuity valuation as well, creating immediate balance-sheet implications for many companies.
The panel also discussed how the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code has expanded the definition of “manufacturing process” to include digital printing and related activities. This brings more workers under safety and working-condition norms that were previously limited. Additionally, the codes introduce a clearer framework for fixed-term employment contracts, offering organisations flexibility while ensuring such workers receive benefits similar to permanent employees, including gratuity after one year.
One area still evolving is the treatment of platform and gig workers. The Social Security Code recognises this new category, but the exact funding mechanism and contribution structure are awaited. Industry experts expect a dedicated fund where platforms and employers will contribute, from which benefits can be extended to gig workers. Until the schemes are notified, organisations are advised to review their existing contractor and freelancer agreements to assess potential future obligations.
Both partners stressed the need for proactive steps. Companies should:
- Reclassify their workforce based on the new definitions of “employee” and “worker”.
- Review compensation structures to align with the 50 per cent wage threshold.
- Update contracts, especially for project-based and gig engagements.
- Reassess gratuity liabilities and payroll processes.
- Ensure compliance with expanded safety and working-condition requirements.
The speakers noted that while the codes bring much-needed unification and broader coverage, they also demand careful interpretation. The shift from highly prescriptive rules to a more principle-based regime means organisations must build internal frameworks to apply the codes consistently. This is particularly relevant for the media and entertainment sector, where project-based work, freelancers, short-term contracts and gig-style engagements are common.
In an industry that thrives on creativity and agility, the new labour codes are forcing a rewrite of the fine print. What was once a patchwork of rules is now a unified playbook and for media houses, the real plot twist will be how quickly they adapt to keep talent happy, costs manageable and stories flowing. The next few months, as states finalise their rules and schemes are notified, will be critical in determining exactly how this new framework reshapes hiring, compensation and workforce management across the sector.
