Film Production
Adar Poonawalla acquires 50 per cent stake in Dharma Productions for Rs 1000 Cr
Mumbai: In a blockbuster deal that blends Bollywood glamour with business acumen, Serum Institute of India, CEO, Adar Poonawalla has acquired a 50 per cent stake in Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions for Rs 1000 crore. This partnership not only infuses the storied film production house with fresh capital but also marks Poonawalla’s strategic entry into the entertainment sector, broadening his portfolio beyond healthcare.
Dharma Productions, known for producing some of Bollywood’s biggest hits, will now benefit from Poonawalla’s business expertise and resources. The deal is set to drive the company’s expansion into new content forms and strengthen its position in the evolving Indian film industry. The acquisition also brings an added layer of financial strength and strategic backing that is expected to propel Dharma into new ventures.
Johar, expressing his optimism about the partnership, stated, “I am thrilled to welcome Adar Poonawalla to the Dharma family. His vision aligns with ours, and this investment will open up new avenues for us to create engaging and meaningful content.”
This agreement symbolises a fresh chapter for Dharma Productions, which has been a cornerstone of Bollywood for decades. With Poonawalla on board, the company aims to accelerate its growth plans, expand its reach across platforms, and capitalise on emerging digital opportunities. The funds are likely to be used for producing high-budget films, expanding the company’s digital content division, and exploring international collaborations.
Poonawalla commented on his latest investment, saying, “Bollywood has always fascinated me, and this partnership is a step towards not only investing in a successful business but also in the future of Indian cinema. I look forward to working closely with Karan Johar and the team at Dharma to achieve great things.”
The deal puts Dharma Productions in a stronger position to compete with other major players in India’s entertainment industry. Prior to Poonawalla’s entry, the stake was hotly contested, with Reliance and Saregama among the potential buyers. However, Poonawalla’s winning bid underscored his serious intent to diversify his investments beyond the pharmaceutical industry.
Industry insiders believe this move will encourage more industrialists to look at the entertainment sector as a viable investment avenue. With content consumption surging across digital platforms, Poonawalla’s financial backing could help Dharma Productions expand its footprint in streaming and international markets.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
