Hindi
Cinema Capital Venture Fund plans to raise $50 mn from overseas
MUMBAI: Cinema Capital Venture Fund (CCVF) has kicked off its second round of fund-raising activity in India as it plans to build a corpus size of Rs 7.5 billion to support film companies who are in need of financing to scale up their businesses.
CCVF is eyeing $50 million from overseas markets while the balance will be raised in India in three tranches. The first Sebi-registered film venture capital fund mopped up Rs 1.75 billion late last year, but is yet to invest in any projects.
“Our second round kicked off on 7 January and we have raised a further Rs 250 million. We are in the evaluation process and hope to announce two of our major investments in February. These are film content production companies,” CCVF promoter Samir Gupta tells Indiantelevision.com. He, however, did not reveal the name of the two companies.
CCVF is planning to raise Rs 5 billion with a greenshoe option of Rs 2.5 billion at a time when markets across the world are hit by financial woes.
The fund, which has been launched by a group of media professionals, will make a string of investments with deal sizes in the range of Rs 300-500 million. Picking up minority stakes, the aim is to build a wider, diversified portfolio.
“We are looking at content companies who are involved in producing films in Hindi and south Indian languages. We will help them scale up. Our stakes in these companies could range between 25 and 49 per cent but we would want the promoters to hold the majority,” says Gupta.
Gupta, however, rules out seeding ventures which are in the film distribution and exhibition business.
CCVF will be examining companies that have a track record. “We are looking at investing in content companies that have credibility in the market. The promoters should also have a five-year vision to take the company to the next level,” says Sanjay Bhattacharji, a key member in the senior management of CCVF.
Hindi
Rashmika Mandanna, Shanaya Kapoor and Naila Grrewal climb IMDb’s Indian celebrity rankings
Upcoming films and returning shows are driving fan interest across Bollywood and streaming
MUMBAI: Bollywood’s popularity contest has a new weekly scorecard, and the numbers are telling. IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities list for this week places Shanaya Kapoor at number six, buoyed by buzz around her film Tu Yaa Main. Naila Grrewal slots in at seven on the back of the returning comedy series Maamla Legal Hai, while Rashmika Mandanna climbs to eighth, riding mounting anticipation for Cocktail 2.
The list, available exclusively on the IMDb app for Android and iOS, tracks trending Indian entertainers and filmmakers each week, drawing on data from more than 200m monthly visits to the platform worldwide.
Further down the rankings, Raaka is keeping two of its biggest names in the spotlight. Deepika Padukone holds 11th position, with Allu Arjun close behind at 13th, as the film continues to find traction with audiences.
The list offers fans a weekly pulse on who is breaking through, who is holding steady, and who is fading. It is a barometer as unsparing as the box office itself.
