Hindi
Producers, plex owners meet on 5 May to decide fate of Bollywood releases
MUMBAI: Film producers and plex owners are slated to meet again on 5 May to settle a dispute that has kept fresh Bollywood movies away from multiplexes since 4 April.
The last negotiations on 29 April, which ran for hours, was inconclusive but representatives from both camps expressed that a conclusive pact wasn’t far away.
“We have posted the next meeting on 5 May and hope that something will definitely come out of it,” says spokesperson of United Producers and Distributors Forum Mukesh Bhatt.
Confirming the meeting, Multiplex Owners Association president Shravan Shroff said, “I think we should be able to crack the nut in our next meeting. We are keeping our fingers crossed.”
The resulting stalemate has caused a lot of anxiety among cine-viewers. Amid this confusion comes the news that 99, produced by Anupam Mittal and Aditya Shastri, is going to be released in multiplexes besides single-screens.
No sooner did the news reach the producer lobby, they protested. Initially the producers were adamant, but later they said they would give it a thought. Meanwhile, newspapers have splashed the film’s advertisement which bears the names of multiplexes the film is to be released.
When indiantelevision contacted Shastri, he coolly said that he would come up with a decision on 4 May.
Says a producer on condition of anonymity, “This is the time when all producers whether big or small, should remain united. Why don’t these people understand that whatever decision we arrive at in our consecutive meetings will be covering all of us. So why take a stand that betrays our ideology.”
Says a positive looking Harry Baweja whose Love Story 2050 made headlines not so long ago, “We producers are very positive that something concrete would certainly crop up. This is not the time to play games.”
Whether the next meeting will bear any results or not only time will tell. But one thing is clear: both sides are weary of the losses that have sunk in since the fracas broke out between producers and multiplex owners.
Hindi
Marico founder Harsh Mariwala’s book Harsh Realities set for film adaptation
Almighty Motion Picture taps Karan Vyas to script Marico story
MUMBAI: Almighty Motion Picture is turning its lens on India Inc., with plans to adapt Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico into a screen project. The story charts the rise of Harsh Mariwala, the chairman and founder of Marico, and is currently in early development, according to a report by Variety.
Writer Karan Vyas, known for his work on Scam 1992, Scoop and Made in India – A Titan Story, is attached to pen the screenplay. The project continues the studio’s growing interest in real-life Indian narratives that blend business with human drama.
At the heart of the story lies a defining moment in 1987, when Mariwala chose to step away from the family-run Bombay Oil Industries and strike out on his own. What followed was not just the creation of a company, but the reinvention of a legacy. Marico would go on to become a global FMCG player, with brands like Parachute, Saffola, Set Wet and Livon becoming household names, reaching nearly one in three Indians.
The source material, co-authored by Mariwala and renowned business strategist Ram Charan, offers more than a boardroom chronicle. It captures the grit behind the growth, the risks behind the rewards and the leadership lessons forged along the way.
The adaptation aims to move beyond balance sheets and brand milestones, focusing instead on the person behind the enterprise. Expect a narrative that leans into the emotional stakes of entrepreneurship, where decisions are as personal as they are professional.
Today, Marico draws about a quarter of its revenue from international markets across Asia and Africa, reflecting its steady transformation from a domestic player into a multinational force. Yet, if the makers have their way, the screen version will remind audiences that every global success story begins with a leap of faith.
With development set to begin soon, this is one business story that may just trade spreadsheets for storytelling, and profit margins for moments that linger
