Film Production
Balaji Telefilms’ shareholders approve Rs 130.68 crore preferential share issue
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has received shareholder approval for a Rs 130.68 crore preferential share issue following e-voting conducted from 7-10 January, 2025 and an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held on 11 January 2025. The scrutiniser of the ballot results, declared that all the shareholders who had taken part in the evoting had given their consent.
The preferential allotment involves issuing 1,78,59,776 equity shares of face value Rs 2 each at a price of Rs 73.17 per share, as determined in compliance with Sebi regulations. This proposal, first approved by the board of directors on 19 December 2024, aligns with the company’s strategic objectives and funding requirements. The issue aims to raise funds for strategic initiatives, including movie production, music rights acquisition, and digital content development.
Key Details of the Preferential Issue:
* Promoter participation proposed: Ekta Kapoor, a promoter of Balaji Telefilms, will invest Rs 24.99 crore, increasing her stake from 18.16 per cent to 18.30 per cent post-issue.
* Major proposed non-promoter allottees:
o Atyant Capital India Fund I: Rs 20.67 crore (increasing stake from 4.02 per cent to 5.78 per cent).
o Vanderbilt University (via Atyant Capital Management): Rs 20.67 crore (stake rising from 4.51 per cent to 6.02 per cent).
o Gothic Corp: Rs 23.15 crore (stake increasing from 4.76 per cent to 6.69 per cent.
o The Duke Endowment: Rs 8.27 crore (stake rising from 1.76 per cent to 2.44 per cent).
o Other Notable Investors: Gothic HSP Corp (Rs 4.96 crore, stake going from 2.18 per cent to 2.42 per cent) , Employees’ Retirement Plan of Duke University (Rs 4.96 crore, stake going from 0.99 per cent to 1.41 per cent), and Sanjiv Dhireshbhai Shah (Rs 23 crore, stake going from zero to 2.6 per cent) will collectively contribute over Rs 32 crore,
Proposed fund utilisation:
The proceeds of Rs 130.68 crore will be deployed across:
Movie production: Rs 65 crore (49.74 per cent).
Music rights & digital content: Rs 33.18 crore (25.39 per cent).
General corporate purposes: Rs 32.5 crore (24.78 per cent), including strategic growth initiatives, brand building, and contingency planning.
Balaji Telefilms has committed to utilise the funds within 24 months. This strategic capital infusion aligns with the company’s goals to strengthen its core operations and expand its content offerings across platforms The move demonstrates robust shareholder confidence and the company’s commitment to delivering value.
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
