iWorld
SonyLIV strengthens original content team by roping in Hotstar’s Saugata Mukherjee
MUMBAI: As all streaming platforms in India are becoming more bullish on original content slate, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) is also rebuilding its digital team. Few months after handling SonyLIV’s responsibility to Danish Khan, the over-the-top (OTT) platform is roping in Saugata Mukherjee to head its original content, as per sources.
Mukherjee has been associated with Hotstar since July 2018 as head of creative and development for Hotstar Specials. “As the creative head of the specials, my mandate is to strategise, commission, develop and curate the Specials slate for Hotstar,” as he puts it on his Linkedin profile.
The content strategist has been associated with Star TV Network since 2013. He commissioned, acquired, incubated and produced new shows for the Star TV network. Later as the editor of Star Plus, he was responsible for acquisition, development and content strategy.
After a long stint at SonyLIV, Uday Sodhi moved on from the organization last year. He was responsible for the introduction of its subscription model, re-launch of the platform and the international launch of SonyLIV subscriptions, among others.
At the time of publishing the story, SonyLIV denied to comment on the news. Mukherjee was also unavailable for comment. He is likely to join early February.
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
