Hindi
Hindi cinema must ensure its reach in dubbed market by appealing to larger audiences with relevant stories: Shibashish Sarkar
Mumbai: A panel discussion was held on the “Future of Cinema Distribution in India and Worldwide” on day three of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Film Festival in Mumbai. The session saw a discussion on various aspects of film distribution, including the impact of OTT platforms and the change in viewing habits brought by the pandemic.
The panellists were SCO Film Festival jury member from China Ning Ying, 91 Film Studios founder, CEO Naveen Chandra, film producer Sunir kheterpal and Producers Guild of India president Shibashish Sarkar.
Sarkar mentioned how Hindi cinema must ensure its reach in the dubbed market by appealing to larger audiences with relevant stories. He was also optimistic about OTT platforms and recognised their contribution to the enrichment of quality content. He also discussed how consumer expenditure has been impacted by inflation and recession globally. He describes how this has led to fewer people going to movie theatres after the pandemic. Naveen Chandra adds that a new wave of digitisation has created “individual critics” within every household. Reviews are posted within seconds, and this creates its own set of challenges for the movie. He also narrated how regionalisation of global cinema has impacted audience tastes and cited the example of how a Korean movie won the best movie at the 2022 Oscars.
Kheterpal chimed in by stating that there are no big or small movies, but only good and bad cinema. He adds that the essence of cinema is to make a good film. Ning Ying spoke of a new challenge posed by big stars to global cinema. “Big stars create predictable gambling for the producers. However, they suffer when a film suffers badly at the box office,” she says. Similarly, she states that post pandemic China has been looking inwards when it comes to audiences since the huge population of China creates a strong market for domestic cinema.
Hindi
Marico founder Harsh Mariwala’s book Harsh Realities set for film adaptation
Almighty Motion Picture taps Karan Vyas to script Marico story
MUMBAI: Almighty Motion Picture is turning its lens on India Inc., with plans to adapt Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico into a screen project. The story charts the rise of Harsh Mariwala, the chairman and founder of Marico, and is currently in early development, according to a report by Variety.
Writer Karan Vyas, known for his work on Scam 1992, Scoop and Made in India – A Titan Story, is attached to pen the screenplay. The project continues the studio’s growing interest in real-life Indian narratives that blend business with human drama.
At the heart of the story lies a defining moment in 1987, when Mariwala chose to step away from the family-run Bombay Oil Industries and strike out on his own. What followed was not just the creation of a company, but the reinvention of a legacy. Marico would go on to become a global FMCG player, with brands like Parachute, Saffola, Set Wet and Livon becoming household names, reaching nearly one in three Indians.
The source material, co-authored by Mariwala and renowned business strategist Ram Charan, offers more than a boardroom chronicle. It captures the grit behind the growth, the risks behind the rewards and the leadership lessons forged along the way.
The adaptation aims to move beyond balance sheets and brand milestones, focusing instead on the person behind the enterprise. Expect a narrative that leans into the emotional stakes of entrepreneurship, where decisions are as personal as they are professional.
Today, Marico draws about a quarter of its revenue from international markets across Asia and Africa, reflecting its steady transformation from a domestic player into a multinational force. Yet, if the makers have their way, the screen version will remind audiences that every global success story begins with a leap of faith.
With development set to begin soon, this is one business story that may just trade spreadsheets for storytelling, and profit margins for moments that linger
