Film Production
Balaji Telefilms launches Hoonur, its talent management vertical
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has rolled out Hoonur, a dedicated talent management arm under its digital division, sharpening its push to build an integrated entertainment ecosystem spanning content, platforms and artists.
The new vertical is aimed at structured career development in an industry increasingly driven by digital reach, brand partnerships and multi-platform visibility. Hoonur will focus on long-term representation, strategic positioning and audience engagement for talent across broadcast and streaming formats.
The initiative will be led by Mohammed Nagman Lateef, a talent strategist with more than 11 years of experience, who earlier founded Iconic Entertainment. His appointment signals a more organised, forward-looking approach to artist management within the Balaji Telefilms fold.
Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor, said, “At Balaji, we have always believed that every artist deserves the right environment to grow. Talent thrives when it is supported by a platform that understands its individuality and long-term potential. With Hoonur, we are creating a curated space where artists receive focused attention, strategic guidance, and opportunities that are aligned with who they are and where they can go. It’s about shaping meaningful journeys, not just managing assignments.”
Hoonur has already signed a diverse roster of television and digital stars, including Madalsa Sharma, Sahil Uppal, Rohit Chandel, Simba Nagpal, Tejasswi Prakash and Shubhangi Atre.
Several of its artists: Urvashi Dholakia, Ridhi Dogra, Shiv Thakre and Shiny Doshi, also feature in The 50, one of India’s most anticipated new reality television shows.
Balaji Telefilms chief revenue officer Nitin Burman, said the new vertical would enable closer collaboration between content, brands and platforms, placing talent at the centre of long-term partnerships and audience engagement strategies.
With Hoonur, Balaji Telefilms is doubling down on its integrated model, blending content creation, digital strategy and talent representation to shape the next generation of media stars.
Film Production
Priyanka Kaur Dhillon joins SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution
A seasoned content dealmaker with 16 years in digital and satellite media joins the Bengali entertainment powerhouse as it pushes into the pan-India music market
Mumbai: Priyanka Kaur Dhillon has made her move. The content acquisitions and commercials veteran, most recently commercial manager at Sony Pictures Networks India, has joined SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution, stepping into one of the more interesting briefs in regional entertainment right now.
SVF is no ordinary regional label. Over 30 years it has built a formidable legacy in Bengali cinema and music, driven by culturally resonant storytelling and a catalogue that consistently punches above its weight. Its recent success with Chiraiya underlines the point. But the Kolkata-based powerhouse now has its sights firmly set beyond Bengal, most visibly through Legacy, a rap reality series produced in collaboration with hip-hop label Kalamkaar that signals a deliberate push into the pan-India music ecosystem.
Dhillon brings precisely the kind of muscle SVF needs for that expansion. At Sony Pictures Networks India, she led film acquisition and commercials and handled music licensing across the entire satellite network. Before that, she spent nearly 15 years at Hungama, rising to assistant general manager and leading strategic content licensing for the platform’s digital entertainment business, with a particular focus on international markets. Her label relationships span the full roster: Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, Believe International, Tunecore, The Orchard and a clutch of smaller aggregators. She has negotiated and closed deals with Hollywood studios, Bollywood production houses and regional content players alike, building pricing models and deal structures off data analysis rather than instinct.
Announcing the appointment, Dhillon said she was “thrilled to begin this journey with an iconic Bengali music label and content powerhouse,” adding that SVF’s “constant drive to push boundaries” was what drew her to the role.
SVF has spent three decades proving that regional does not mean limited. With a sharp commercial operator now steering its music distribution, its bid to go national just got a good deal more serious.
