GECs
Cutthroat sets new crowdfunding record
MUMBAI: Adding an important landmark to the ever-evolving crowdfunding potential in India towards supporting independent films, Cutthroat – a film to be based on real life in a Business School – announced that it has managed to raise Rs 5.94 lakh in a span of last eight weeks.
Directed by Sarthak Dasgupta of The Great Indian Butterfly fame, the film was seeking pre-production funds through Catapooolt, an industry-backed crowdfunding platform. The collection makes it the highest ever amount crowdfunded for a film project on any Indian crowdfunding platform.
The total budget the project is seeking is Rs10 lakh.
Commenting on this feat, Sarthak Dasgupta who recently received the Sundance Global Filmmaker Reward 2013, said, “I’m really humbled and honored with this extensive support and recognition that my proposed script Cutthroat has received so far. I always believed that this film should be made on basis of community support – and I’m glad that with Catapooolt – I’ve got the right team and platform to take this project to the desired communities. I’m sure that with this continuing momentum and interest in this film, we should be able to achieve the set crowndfunding target.”
Recognising this step as a key indicator of growing interest and trust in crowdfunding in India, Catapooolt MD Satish Kataria said, “Globally, crowdfunding has been accepted as the new future of funding creativity and independent projects – and through Catapooolt – we continuously endeavour to populate this empowered way to support upcoming talent in India. We are ensuring that we don’t only stop ourselves as a platform, but go beyond and completely work hand-in-hand with project managers to help them achieve their desired targets.”
So far, more than 50 contributors, from across the world, have come forward and lend their support for the film which is based on how things change during the placement season in a B School and how the peer pressures can play with dreams of the management students.
Furthermore, as a part of really innovative exercise, Catapooolt along with the Syndenham Institute of Management Studies – has brought together more than 163 teams from leading management institutions to compete and draft the best possible marketing and outreach strategy for this film.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
