Hindi
Today, entertainment is finally about business: Manmohan Shetty
MUMBAI: Even as the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) gears up for the third edition of its ‘IMC FUSION’ under the auspices of its Entertainment Committee, for the first time, the committee will be chaired by film producer-entrepreneur Manmohan Shetty.
Apparently, Shetty was egged on by good friend and construction magnate Niranjan Hiranandani to accept the position. In a candid chat with indiantelevision.com, he spoke of what the conference would be all about this time…
Congratulations on your appointment as chair of IMS FUSION 2014. What will be your prime focus as far as the entertainment industry is concerned?
This time, we are focusing on two aspects of the entertainment industry. One being the business aspect and the other one being the technology used in entertainment. We have invited Tamil superstar Rajinikanth’s daughter, Soundarya and Dr Murali, who will talk about the technology deployed in creating stunning visuals in their upcoming film Kochadaiiyaan.
Please elaborate on the business aspect the conference will be touching upon. Who will be talking about the business of entertainment at the conference?
Today, entertainment is finally about business. Big stars are turning producers because they are not only inclined creatively but also want to ensure their movie does good business. I would say the business aspect is more important than the creative aspect. Even students graduating out of film schools like Whistling Woods and others are ultimately looking to make money and do good business.
Answering the second part of your question, we have invited Mukesh Bhatt to expound on the business aspect of entertainment. He will deliberate on how it is possible to make a small-budget film and still reap profits from it. After the success of Vishesh Films’ Aashiqui 2, I think he is the best person to speak on this subject (smiles).
This time, IMS FUSION has tied up with IES Management College and Research Centre. What do you intend to achieve through this collaboration?
The intention is to have a greater interaction with students. We have also invited students of cinema and media. To interact with them, we have invited captains of industry who will share their experiences and insights with them. We believe this will be fruitful for those who want to make a career in the entertainment industry.
Last but not the least, what is the one thing you intend to achieve as chair this year?
I feel people are rather private and personal in this industry. For every production company churning out films through the year, there are many which are unable to produce the same number of movies. So, what kind of talent goes into making commercially viable or financially viable films or any other financially viable projects? I want this information to be disseminated which can happen either by reading or listening to people who’ve already been there, done that… I will be happy if such information is passed on by people who have the knowledge and experience to rank newcomers who will be soon entering the industry. If that happens through IMC FUSION, I will be happy.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
