Hindi
Thousands pay homage to Dev Anand
MUMBAI: Scores of fans of India‘s evergreen star Dev Anand thronged the Mehboob Studios where a memorial prayer was organised in memory of the star who passed away on 4 December.
While most of the mourners were above the age of 50, there were many young people who had come to have a glimpse of the stars and those from the film fraternity who had come over to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
Among those we could spot near the podium, where a giant sized portrait of the Guide star was placed, were notable names like Aamir Khan, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rishi Kapoor, Dheeraj Kumar, Prem Chopra, Waheeda Rehman. Asha Parekh, Ramesh Sippy, Yash Chopra, Sushma Shiromanee, Anadji (of Kayanji Anandji fame), Bappi Lahiri, Raza Murad, Mrs Manoj Kumar, Kunal Goswami, Rohan Sippy, Sushil Kumar Agarwal of Ultra and Padam Sacheti among others.
Paying his condolence to Dev Anand, Dheeraj Kumar said, “Dev Anand was a legend and is a legend, legends don‘t die. Even after his departing from the world, he must have taken a rebirth by now. He shall grow up to entertain the millions across the globe in the entertainment and media sector.”
According to me Dev Saab was a true karmavir who performed his karma in the field (the entertainment world) which shall again be his karmabhoomi. I had a strong bond with Dev Saab both on a human level as well as on the professional level,” Kumar said.
Bappi Lahiri added, “Dev Saab is Dev Saab. There was no other great and humanitarian person as he was. He must have given a break to more than thousand people in the film industry. I have had the honour of working with him as well as his brother Vijay Anand. They were people beyond comparison.”
A teary eyed Prem Chopra said, “Dev Saab was an actor and died an actor. I think he is the only film personality in the world who died as an actor cum filmmaker. I bow down to him.”
Fans and film folks were still streaming in even after the appointed time chanting his songs that made the world go mad for him.
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.
