Fiction
Shemaroo Entertainment brings new movie series ‘Picture Ki Cheer Phaad’
MUMBAI: Content powerhouse Shemaroo Entertainment has begun experimenting with a new format of ‘Roast Cinema’ in association with VKAAO, a joint venture of BookMyShow and PVR Pictures. The new movie series named Picture Ki Cheer Phaad will be released exclusively across PVR theatres in 20 cities in India.
The new series will see standup comedian Gaurav Kapoor roasting Bollywood movies in his unique style during the first phase of the initiative. On 1 February, the first movie is slated to release. The series will be horror thriller Papi Gudia.
“Shemaroo has been a close part of Bollywood’s cinematic evolution. With this new series, we aim to showcase the change through a humorous take on Bollywood movies. The quality of content has been in vast contrast with today’s Indian cinema, and Picture Ki Cheer Phaad will reflect the same with an added sense of humor. Our main aim is to entertain the audience, showcasing yesteryear movies in a comic way without hurting anyone’s sentiments. The industry has matured over the years and we hope this is enjoyed alike by the moviemakers and the audience of today who are always in search of innovative content,” Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd CEO Hiren Gada said.
Talking about the target audience of the show, Gada said although comedy format works for everyone, roast format has been working more in a younger audience. He also added that the youth audience have not even watched some of the movies from 80s or 90s. According to him, this is a funny way to connect to this audience.
“We have tied up with PRV VKAAO, they have supported us lot with in-theatre trailer placement. Apart from that, we have done marketing on few limited TV channels, digital media. Like I said, this an experiment and I hope this works. At this point, there is a limited release. It’s a national release in 20 cities but we will be releasing it on 40 screens. The marketing is more focused on theatre goer audience in those cities,” Gada commented on the marketing initiative.
Fiction
Banijay merges with All3Media in $6.65 billion deal
Marco Bassetti will lead the combined company as CEO
PARIS: Six years after acquiring Endemol Shine at the height of the pandemic, Banijay has struck again. The European production heavyweight is merging with All3Media in a deal that will create a television titan with $6.65 billion in revenue and redraw the contours of a fast-consolidating market.
The combined company will trade under the Banijay name and be owned 50 per cent each by Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, which acquired All3Media in 2024. The transaction is expected to close by autumn, subject to regulatory approvals.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti, will take the top job at the enlarged group. All3Media CEO Jane Turton becomes deputy CEO. RedBird IMI CEO Jeff Zucker will serve as chairman.
The logic is scale. Broadcasters are commissioning less, streamers are tightening budgets and global buyers are fewer but bigger. Against that backdrop, heft matters. The merged entity will generate roughly $6.65 billion in revenues based on 2024 figures, giving it sharper elbows in rights negotiations and deeper pockets for franchise-building.
“Entrepreneurialism, ambition and creativity” remain core to Banijay’s DNA, Bassetti said, flagging plans to invest more heavily in new intellectual property, live events and emerging platforms. Turton struck a similarly bullish note, pointing to All3Media’s journey from a 2003 start-up to a global supplier of hit formats and high-end drama.
Between them, the two groups control a formidable slate. Banijay’s catalogue spans MasterChef, Big Brother, Survivor, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and Deal or No Deal. All3Media’s labels include Studio Lambert, producer of The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge; Two Brothers, behind The Tourist; and Neal Street, currently producing the forthcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes for Sony.
The back catalogue is equally muscular. Banijay Rights holds some 220,000 hours, while All3Media International adds around 35,000 hours, forming one of the industry’s largest libraries.
Banijay, controlled by French entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit and listed in Amsterdam, counts more than 130 production companies across 25 territories. All3Media operates over 40 labels, with strong positions in the UK, US and Germany. The enlarged group will also lean into live entertainment, building on Banijay’s Balich Wonder Studio, which produced the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the Independents.
The deal marks a shift in tone. As recently as October, Bassetti suggested that mergers and acquisitions were not a priority. But the drumbeat of consolidation has grown louder. Mediawan has moved for Peter Chernin’s North Road. David Ellison’s Paramount has agreed to a $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros, with plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount plus. ITV has explored selling its media and entertainment arm to Comcast-owned Sky, though talks have reportedly slowed.
