Hindi
Pyramid Saimira to list its subsidiaries in January 2010
MUMBAI: Chennai-based Pyramid Saimira Theatre Ltd (PSTL) plans to list its production and distribution subsidiaries in January next year, after demerging them from the parent company.
The company is in the process of appointing independent agencies to valuate its distribution subsidiary company, Pyramid Saimira Content Distribution Pvt Ltd (PSCDPL). For FY 2008-09, PSCDPL posted a turnover of Rs 2.5 billion and has so far distributed 100 movies.
PSTL had got Deloitte value its production arm, Pyramid Saimira Production International Ltd (PSPIL), in 2008 at Rs 4.5 billion. Now PSPIL is in the process of diluting 40 per cent stake to a strategic investor for Rs 1 billion. The cash-strapped company will use the money from the investor for production of 17 movies, which it had put on hold following a liquidity crunch.
“The respective subsidiaries have already achieved independent business credibility and now are hindred by the parent company. Each of these companies have created their own infrastructure, business model and management bandwidth independent of the parent company PSTL,” Pyramid Saimira said, explaining its demerger move.
Further elaborating, Pyramid Saimira said: “The parent company underwent huge business loss and also had taken a higher amount of risk in the exhibition sector by locking in properties at higher price during 2007-08. Moreover, the group had certain credibility-related issues.”
Pyramid Saimira, which plans to raise up to $100 million via GDRs/ADRs, has initiated the process of demerger and is planning to file for scheme of arrangement in the second week of October.
Hindi
Kuku enters theatrical cinema with Indian Institute of Zombies
Audio and micro-drama giant launches first Hindi feature film on 8 May.
MUMBAI: Kuku just added brains to its bite because when an audio and micro-drama powerhouse decides to make a zombie comedy, even the undead had better watch their step. Kuku, one of India’s largest digital entertainment companies and the force behind Kuku FM and Kuku TV, has announced its foray into theatrical cinema with its debut Hindi feature film, Indian Institute of Zombies (IIZ). Billed as India’s first campus zombie comedy, the film is set to release in cinemas on 8 May 2026.
Set inside an elite engineering campus, IIZ blends zombie horror, youth comedy and sharp social satire, promising a high-energy big-screen experience. The film stars an ensemble cast including Jessie Lever, Anupriya Goenka, Mohan Kapur, Ranjan Raj, Shivani Paliwal, Shantanu Anam, Rose Sardana, Sachin Kavetham and Tanishq Chaudhary. It has been developed in-house at Kuku, scripted by Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal (known for Brahmāstra and Farzi), and directed by Gaganjeet Singh and Alok Dwivedi of Low Gravity Productions.
Kuku, CEO Lal Chand Bisu said, “Kuku has always been obsessed with how India consumes stories. We built scale in personal consumption through Kuku FM and created a new micro-drama category with Kuku TV. Theatres represent the next frontier, and Indian Institute of Zombies marks the first of many, rooted in youth culture, genre innovation and mass Indian tastes.”
Kuku senior vice president Kunj Sanghvi added, “IIZ is a film for everyone who has ever been on a college campus. We observed the success of horror comedies at the box office, the lack of a breakout Indian zombie film, and the insatiable appetite for campus stories across age groups.”
The project also showcases Kuku’s AI-native approach to filmmaking. Artificial intelligence has been deeply integrated into concept structuring, story architecture, scheduling, budgeting and creative iteration not as a gimmick, but as an amplifier to enable faster development cycles and sharper decisions.
With this move, Kuku is evolving from a leader in audio and vertical storytelling into a multi-format entertainment powerhouse, leveraging its deep audience insights and technological edge to create culturally resonant theatrical experiences.
In a content universe where stories are getting shorter and screens smaller, Kuku is boldly going big proving that even in the age of two-minute episodes, there’s still plenty of room for zombies, campus chaos and full-blown cinematic laughter. Indian Institute of Zombies hits theatres on 8 May 2026.
