Hindi
Umesh Kulkarni’s ‘Vijay’ wins top prize at Bangkok fest
MUMBAI: Umesh Kulkari’s Short Film Vilay (Dissolution) won the top award in the International Competition section of the Thai Short Film and Video Festival held from 26 August to 5 September in Bangkok .
The film centres on a grandson returning home and remembering with pain and sorrow, the open-door welcome he always got from his late grandmother in their old-word home, all of which had totally changed in the new-age city.
Dissolution was one of 15 entries in the International section that had entries from countries like Israel, Finland, Malaysia, Brazil and Austria.
Kulkarni won the top prize at this festival last year too for his film The Three of Us.
It is also heard that Kulkarni’s debut feature film The Well will be screened at the World Film Festival of Bangkok in November. The festival will also screen Laxmikant Shetgaonkar‘s Man beyond the Bridge.
Thailand’s Short Film & Video Festival is 14 years old, and is proof of the popularity of this film-genre in the Land of Smiles. In fact, the jam-packed hall of the vibrant Bangkok Arts & Culture Centre is a welcome sight.
Hindi
YRF Entertainment appoints Saugata Mukherjee as head of content
Former SonyLIV content head to steer films and series at streaming arm
MUMBAI: YRF Entertainment, the streaming arm of Yash Raj Films, has appointed Saugata Mukherjee as head of content, signalling a strong push to scale its original films and series slate.
Mukherjee joins the company following a successful three-and-a-half-year stint at SonyLIV, where he served as executive vice president and head of content. In his new role, he will report to CEO Akshaye Widhani and lead the creative direction and commissioning strategy for YRF Entertainment’s growing slate.
The appointment comes on the back of YRF Entertainment’s recent global success with titles such as The Romantics, The Railway Men and Mandala Murders, which have helped position the studio as a serious player in the streaming space.
At SonyLIV, Mukherjee played a key role in shaping the platform’s identity as a premium content destination. Under his leadership, the service delivered acclaimed originals across genres, building a reputation for storytelling depth and creative risk-taking. His exit was described as “one of the harder goodbyes”, reflecting both the impact of his tenure and the strength of the team he leaves behind.
Mukherjee brings with him a wide-ranging career that spans publishing, television and streaming. Before SonyLIV, he led content initiatives at HBO Max under Warner Bros. Discovery, where he was instrumental in shaping the platform’s India strategy. His earlier roles include senior leadership positions at Hotstar and Star TV, where he worked on building original content pipelines and collaborating with top creative talent.
With a career that began in publishing at firms like HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan, Mukherjee’s journey reflects a deep-rooted understanding of storytelling across formats and platforms.
His move to YRF Entertainment comes at a time when the battle for streaming audiences is intensifying, with studios doubling down on high-quality originals to stand out in a crowded market.
For YRF, the appointment is more than just a leadership hire. It is a clear signal that the studio is ready to scale its streaming ambitions, with Mukherjee expected to play a central role in shaping its next chapter.
