Sikhya Entertainment eyes diverse film projects for theatres, digital platforms

Sikhya Leisure, led by Guneet Monga and Achin Jain and whose documentary The Elephant Whisperers gained the Oscar award in 2023, intends to steadiness theatrical movie releases with internet originals made for OTT platforms that may stream as a part of each SVoD (subscription video-on-demand) and AVoD (promoting video-on-demand) choices.

In 2024, the manufacturing and distribution agency launched motion movie Kill and motion thriller sequence Gyaarah Gyaarah in partnership with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, teen drama sequence Gutar Gu on Amazon MX Participant and Yo Yo Honey Singh: Well-known, a documentary on the singer for Netflix.

“Sikhya is a manufacturing firm and artistic home that’s continually innovating in each format, be it a docu-short, function movie, mini sequence, a full-blown sequence, or a movie for OTT,” Monga stated in an interview. So far as future initiatives go, the corporate is engaged on a spy-comedy starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan to be co-produced by Dharma Productions, and a household thriller whose solid is but to be introduced. Each these shall be theatrical initiatives, Monga stated.

Sikhya, arrange in 2008 and recognized for acclaimed movies like The Lunchbox, and Masaan, has additionally began work on the following season of Gutar Gu, in addition to one other present with director Saqib Pandor for Amazon MX Participant.

To make certain, the video-streaming business in India continued its sluggish however regular trajectory in 2024, with the emergence of a brand-new drive after the Disney-Jio merger and the latter’s OTT service JioCinema introducing premium subscription plans.

Most different companies operated sturdy ad-supported tiers and hybrid fashions to enhance margins. Total, greenlighting and commissioning choices remained sluggish, as most platforms tightened their purse strings. Nonetheless, Monga stated their firm was properly suited to adapt to those adjustments given its numerous choices. “We even have many factors of interplay with OTTs, beginning with their sequence folks, their documentary groups, function groups to their acquisitions crew for issues that exit to cinemas. So we converse to them throughout the entire spectrum and that’s very distinctive to us. In our universe, there’s a lot occurring with each platform. Exterior of the truth that a few them went into mergers and there was a slowdown on that entrance, we’ve our arms full with the work that we’re doing,” she emphasised.

Strategic partnerships

Final yr, Sikhya had introduced a partnership with Dharma Productions to provide a number of initiatives throughout function movies and digital codecs. Their first collaboration, an online sequence referred to as Gyaarah Gyaarah, streamed on ZEE5. The corporate has additionally partnered with Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Movement Photos on movies like Kathal and Pagglait, each of that are streaming on Netflix.

Whereas emphasizing that the corporate shouldn’t be on the lookout for any extra companions, Monga stated the offers with Dharma and Balaji each make for a well-oiled equipment that the corporate want to service extra. Additional, Sikhya is eager to take movies international and safe worldwide distribution offers. This yr, Lionsgate had acquired distribution rights to Kill for North America and the UK, marking one of many uncommon cases of a Hollywood studio buying a Hindi-language movie to immediately launch within the US. Earlier, in 2013, Sony Photos Classics had picked up all North American rights for distribution of the late Irrfan Khan-starrer The Lunchbox.

“If we discover a script that may transcend languages, we do have a look at it (securing worldwide offers). If there’s a challenge that may complement that form of distribution, we’re very properly structured, suited and linked to have the ability to have that in place,” Monga stated.

To make certain, whereas the Indian theatrical enterprise is more and more pushed by high-budget, large star movies, typically with motion and dramatic visible results, like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Pathaan, Jawan and others, Sikhya stays dedicated to investing in content-driven cinema with sturdy tales.

“I feel we’ve loads to be taught from Malayalam cinema, in that sense (the place small funds movies regularly do properly). This (2024) is a yr that has informed us it’s not in regards to the scale of the movie, the viewers can sense what’s an actual film versus what’s a challenge. Good tales at all times discover their viewers, and smaller movies like Laapataa Women, Kill and twelfth Fail have proven us that it’s not in regards to the large names or the massive star, it’s about tales that resonate with audiences and folks will come to cinemas,” Achin Jain stated.