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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.
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HSBC names Gautam Anand to head global India private banking unit
The bank taps a 25-year veteran to run its franchise as the war for wealthy NRI clients heats up
MUMBAI: HSBC has handed Gautam Anand the keys to its global India private banking business, betting that a seasoned operator can squeeze more out of one of the world’s most lucrative pools of offshore wealth.
Anand, who joined HSBC Private Bank in December 2023 as global co-ordinator for Global India, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, steps up to lead the franchise outright. He will run the operation across India and its key international outposts in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom, putting him squarely in the middle of the corridors through which Indian money flows abroad.
The appointment is a signal of intent. HSBC only launched its global private banking business in India in 2023, pitching hard at high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients as part of a broader assault on Asian wealth management. The bank now wants Anand to turn that beachhead into a fortress.
He comes well-armed. Before HSBC, Anand clocked time at UBS, Credit Suisse, ANZ and ABN Amro, a CV that reads like a roll-call of the banks that have long competed to manage the fortunes of India’s affluent diaspora.
With Indian wealth exploding at home and spreading fast across global financial centres, the race to capture it is only getting fiercer. HSBC is backing Anand to make sure it does not finish second.
