Hindi
Hindi cinema’s grandmaster Bhansali gets a new patron
MUMBAI: In a marriage of melody and melodrama, Saregama India has splashed Rs 325 crore on Bhansali Productions, backing one of Hindi cinema’s most lavish auteurs with the kind of cheque that would make even his on-screen maharajas blush.
The deal, announced on December 16th, pairs India’s oldest music label with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director who never met a chandelier he didn’t want to film in slow motion. It’s a shrewd play: Saregama secures exclusive rights to all future film music from Bhansali Productions, eliminating the need to duke it out in bidding wars whilst the maestro gets the financial muscle to expand his slate of grandiloquent epics.
For a studio that delivered Rs 304 crore in revenue and Rs 45 crore in profit last year—up from a paltry Rs 5.52 crore in FY24—the timing couldn’t be better. Bhansali Productions is on a roll, with over ten films planned for the next three years, including Love and War, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, and Do Deewane Shehar Mein, a romantic drama featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Mrunal Thakur.
Saregama’s initial outlay buys it 9,960 compulsory convertible preference shares, with options to increase its stake to 28 per cent by 2028 and potentially 51 per cent by 2030. The investment, expected to boost earnings per share by FY27, marks a strategic pivot for Saregama, which plans to wind down its own film production over the next two years in favour of such partnerships.
Saregama vice chairperson Avarna Jain called it an alignment with “India’s finest creative minds”. Bhansali, known for films like Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani and Netflix’s Heeramandi, said the firm has found a partner who understands that “powerful cinema requires time, trust, and deep respect for the process”. Translation: the sets will remain enormous, the costumes extravagant, and the songs suitably stirring.
Kotak Investment Banking advised on the transaction, which brings together content and commerce in a way that’s part pragmatism, part spectacle—much like a Bhansali film itself. If it works, Saregama will have locked in a pipeline of premium music whilst bankrolling Bollywood royalty. If it doesn’t, well, at least the soundtrack will be magnificent.
Hindi
Prime Video to stream Don’t Be Shy, produced by Alia Bhatt
MUMBAI: Prime Video has found its next feel-good original, and it comes with a healthy dose of heart, humour and youthful chaos. The streaming platform has announced Don’t Be Shy, a coming-of-age romantic comedy produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt under their banner, Eternal Sunshine Productions.
Written and directed by Sreeti Mukerji, the film follows Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old who believes her life is neatly mapped out until it suddenly is not. What follows is a relatable tumble through friendship, love and the awkward art of growing up, when plans unravel and certainty gives way to self-discovery.
The project is co-produced by Grishma Shah and Vikesh Bhutani, with music composed by Ram Sampath, adding to the film’s promise of warmth and energy. Prime Video describes the story as light-hearted yet emotionally grounded, with a strong female-led narrative at its core.
Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok, said the platform was delighted to collaborate with Eternal Sunshine on a story that blends sincerity with humour. He noted that the film’s fresh writing, earnest characters and infectious music make it an easy, engaging watch for audiences well beyond its young adult setting.
For Alia Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy reflects the kind of storytelling Eternal Sunshine set out to champion. She said the film stood out for its honesty, its coming-of-age perspective and Mukerji’s passion, which she felt was deeply woven into the narrative. Bhatt also praised Prime Video for supporting distinctive voices and bold creative choices.
With its breezy tone and familiar emotional beats, Don’t Be Shy aims to charm viewers whether they are rom-com regulars or simply in the mood for a warm, unpretentious story about life refusing to stick to the plan.
Hindi
Tips Films reports Rs 286.87 lakh quarterly loss in Q3 FY26
MUMBAI: Tips Films struggled to find its rhythm in the final quarter of 2025, as a spike in production costs and a new regulatory burden pushed the Mumbai-based outfit deeper into the red. According to results released on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the company posted a net loss of Rs 286.87 lakh for the quarter ended 31 December, despite a modest bump in total income to Rs 456.29 lakh.
The bottom line was hit by the introduction of India’s New Labour Codes, which forced a Rs 37.37 lakh catch-up payment for employee benefits. Production costs also proved a heavy lift, gobbling up Rs 318.48 lakh during the period. On a nine-month basis, the picture looks even bleaker; the company has racked up losses of Rs 1,237.61 lakh, a sharp reversal from the Rs 1,269.17 lakh profit it managed in the same period last year.
Investors will be looking for a script change as the company enters the final stretch of the financial year, with basic earnings per share now languishing at minus Rs 6.64. For now, Tips Films remains a single-segment player, pinning its hopes entirely on the volatile world of film production and distribution.
Hindi
Tere Ishk Mein row: Eros sues Aanand L Rai over Raanjhanaa rights
MUMBAI: Eros International Media Ltd has moved the Bombay high court against filmmaker Aanand L Rai and his production banner Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP, alleging unauthorised exploitation of the intellectual property of its 2013 blockbuster Raanjhanaa in the promotion and release of the 2025 film Tere Ishk Mein.
The studio is seeking damages of Rs 84 crore, claiming losses arising from what it describes as unlawful capitalisation on Raanjhanaa’s goodwill. According to a report in The Times of India, Eros has filed a commercial intellectual property suit along with an interim application, alleging trademark infringement, copyright infringement and passing off.
Eros contends that Tere Ishk Mein was deliberately marketed as a “spiritual sequel” to Raanjhanaa without authorisation. The suit names Aanand L Rai, Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP and Colour Yellow Productions, along with Super Cassettes Industries (T-Series), writer Himanshu Sharma and Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP, turning the dispute into a multi-party legal battle.
In its filing, Eros asserts that it is the producer and exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights in Raanjhanaa, including copyright, registered trademark rights, character rights in Kundan Shankar and Murari, and remake, prequel and sequel rights. The company alleges these rights were exploited while promoting Tere Ishk Mein, which released theatrically on November 28, 2025.
The legal action was triggered by a teaser released online in July 2025, which Eros claims used phrases such as “From the world of Raanjhanaa” and hashtags including #WorldOfRaanjhanaa. The interim application further alleges unauthorised use of footage, background score and music from Raanjhanaa, despite Eros no longer holding the film’s music rights.
Directed by Aanand L Rai, Tere Ishk Mein stars Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, Priyanshu Painyuli, Prakash Raj and Tota Roy Chowdhury. Neither Eros nor the defendants have issued an official statement so far.
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