Hindi
Masti sequel to release in summer next year
MUMBAI: Eight years after Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Desmukh and Aftab Shivdasani went chasing Lara Dutta in the pursuit of extra-marital fun in Ashok Thakeria‘s Masti, the makers are back with a sequel Grand Masti (GM) produced by Maruti International.
However, the sequel will have the three leading men having girlfriends of their own.
When asked about the eight-year gap, director Indra Kumar says, “We have filmmakers making sequels after 20 years. Considering that, we‘re coming out with our sequel at the right time.” Calling the 2004 hit Bollywood‘s Hangover, the filmmaker adds, “While Masti has nothing to do with that Hollywood film, it surprised, shocked and entertained the audience.”
Producer Ashok Thakeria also feels the same. “Masti was the first film where the lead characters boldly sought extra-marital fun. In GM, the story gets bolder,” he says. Not surprisingly, the sequel has a lot more double entendres. “It‘s an adult comedy no doubt, but it‘s going to be more entertaining than the first,” says Kumar.
It is said that the producer-director, who churned out hits like Dhamaal and its sequel Double Dhamaal discarded a few drafts before zeroing in on the final one.
“We didn‘t want to make a sequel just for the sake of it. The idea is to come out with something that‘s better than the first, ” says Indra Kumar.
Having already shot for 15 days, the filmmakers plan to wrap up the schedule by November and release the film in the summer of next year.
Hindi
Hansa Entertainment launched to produce across OTT, TV and film
New venture from R K Swamy Hansa Group eyes multi-language stories for digital-first audiences.
MUMBAI: Hansa Entertainment has just stepped into the spotlight because when a legacy media house decides to script its next act, even the credits get excited. Hansa Entertainment Private Limited has been incorporated to develop and produce original programming across digital, television, OTT platforms and theatrical features. The company will create short-running series, long-running series and original films for OTT, alongside standout theatrical ventures. It will also launch a podcast platform called Hansa Spotlight and produce content for the fast-growing vertical drama format. Stories are initially planned in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada.
The venture is founded by Sruti Swamy and Siddharth Swamy, drawing on the rich legacy of Hansa Vision and the broader R K Swamy Hansa Group. Sruti brings creative expertise with a master’s in architecture, interiors and design from Milan and a postgraduate degree in business management from the Indian School of Business. Siddharth contributes a data-driven perspective, having studied data science at Imperial College London.
Sujatha Narayanan has been appointed CEO of Hansa Entertainment. With over two decades of experience in creative content curation and production across film and OTT, she is also a well-known film columnist and media entrepreneur.
R K Swamy Hansa Group executive chairman Srinivasan Swamy said, “The launch of Hansa Entertainment marks an exciting new chapter. The new entity is the brainchild of the next generation and will be independently managed by Sruti Swamy, who is the Director and the newly appointed CEO.”
Hansa Entertainment director Sruti Swamy added, “I am very optimistic about the future of Hansa Entertainment, given the content explosion and the opportunities offered by new technologies for production.”
Hansa Entertainment director Siddharth Swamy noted, “The idea is to grow a contemporary production house that creates compelling stories for today’s multi-platform audiences while drawing inspiration from the rich storytelling traditions that audiences have appreciated over the years.”
Hansa Entertainment CEO Sujatha Narayanan said, “Hansa Entertainment will evolve as a story-first, IP-driven entity. We have already put together a smart team of interesting and dynamic creators who will helm our vertical dramas, shows and films.”
In the ever-evolving world of Indian entertainment, where stories now travel faster than the scripts that birth them, Hansa Entertainment is stepping onto the stage with fresh ink and big ambitions proving that even the best legacies know when it’s time for a compelling sequel.
