Film Production
SPE inks first Indian co-production deal with Bhansali
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is making an entry into Hindi films. The company today announced that it had inked a deal with noted film director Sanjay Leela Bhansali (of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Black fame) to co- produce Saawariya (Beloved).
“India has a rich and a prolific film history and we at Sony Pictures recognise the potential and importance of the Indian market and welcome the opportunity to team up with the film industry in India. This is a defining moment for us as a company and for filmmakers, artists and audiences in India as well,” said SPE chairman and CEO Michael Lynton.
“Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s body of work has been in a class of its own. From his very first endeavour, Khamoshi, through Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to Devdas, and his most recent critically acclaimed film, Black, his films have epitomised sensitivity and embodied visual splendour. We are indeed proud to associate with one of India’s most revered directors,” said SPE vice chairman and Sony Motion Picture Group chairman Amy Pascal.
“It marks the dawn of a new and exciting chapter in the life of Sony Pictures Releasing India as it presents a wonderful opportunity to extend our horizons beyond motion picture distribution and interact with the enormous creativity that the Indian film industry has to offer,” said Sony Pictures Releasing of India Ltd general manager Uday Singh.
With Devdas, Bhansali set industry benchmarks by winning several awards at home, the most prominent being India’s official entry to the Oscars. International recognition for Bhansali came when Devdas won the ‘Asian Film Award’ at the MTV Asia Award, received a nomination in the ‘Best Film not in the English Language’ category at the BAFTA, and was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
The greenlighting of a Hindi film by a major Hollywood studio is a landmark for the Indian motion picture business. This co-production encourages the integration of Hollywood and Bollywood.
As the market for Indian cinema continues to grow internationally, SPE’s vast global network will allow Indian film producers to showcase their work outside the home market and acquire greater exposure for their films.
Film Production
Priyanka Kaur Dhillon joins SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution
A seasoned content dealmaker with 16 years in digital and satellite media joins the Bengali entertainment powerhouse as it pushes into the pan-India music market
Mumbai: Priyanka Kaur Dhillon has made her move. The content acquisitions and commercials veteran, most recently commercial manager at Sony Pictures Networks India, has joined SVF Entertainment as lead for music distribution, stepping into one of the more interesting briefs in regional entertainment right now.
SVF is no ordinary regional label. Over 30 years it has built a formidable legacy in Bengali cinema and music, driven by culturally resonant storytelling and a catalogue that consistently punches above its weight. Its recent success with Chiraiya underlines the point. But the Kolkata-based powerhouse now has its sights firmly set beyond Bengal, most visibly through Legacy, a rap reality series produced in collaboration with hip-hop label Kalamkaar that signals a deliberate push into the pan-India music ecosystem.
Dhillon brings precisely the kind of muscle SVF needs for that expansion. At Sony Pictures Networks India, she led film acquisition and commercials and handled music licensing across the entire satellite network. Before that, she spent nearly 15 years at Hungama, rising to assistant general manager and leading strategic content licensing for the platform’s digital entertainment business, with a particular focus on international markets. Her label relationships span the full roster: Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, Believe International, Tunecore, The Orchard and a clutch of smaller aggregators. She has negotiated and closed deals with Hollywood studios, Bollywood production houses and regional content players alike, building pricing models and deal structures off data analysis rather than instinct.
Announcing the appointment, Dhillon said she was “thrilled to begin this journey with an iconic Bengali music label and content powerhouse,” adding that SVF’s “constant drive to push boundaries” was what drew her to the role.
SVF has spent three decades proving that regional does not mean limited. With a sharp commercial operator now steering its music distribution, its bid to go national just got a good deal more serious.
