MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms has rolled out Hoonur, a dedicated talent management arm under its digital division, sharpening its push to build an integrated entertainment ecosystem spanning content, platforms and artists.

The new vertical is aimed at structured career development in an industry increasingly driven by digital reach, brand partnerships and multi-platform visibility. Hoonur will focus on long-term representation, strategic positioning and audience engagement for talent across broadcast and streaming formats.

The initiative will be led by Mohammed Nagman Lateef, a talent strategist with more than 11 years of experience, who earlier founded Iconic Entertainment. His appointment signals a more organised, forward-looking approach to artist management within the Balaji Telefilms fold.

Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor, said, “At Balaji, we have always believed that every artist deserves the right environment to grow. Talent thrives when it is supported by a platform that understands its individuality and long-term potential. With Hoonur, we are creating a curated space where artists receive focused attention, strategic guidance, and opportunities that are aligned with who they are and where they can go. It’s about shaping meaningful journeys, not just managing assignments.”

Hoonur has already signed a diverse roster of television and digital stars, including Madalsa Sharma, Sahil Uppal, Rohit Chandel, Simba Nagpal, Tejasswi Prakash and Shubhangi Atre.

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Several of its artists: Urvashi Dholakia, Ridhi Dogra, Shiv Thakre and Shiny Doshi, also feature in The 50, one of India’s most anticipated new reality television shows.

Balaji Telefilms chief revenue officer Nitin Burman, said the new vertical would enable closer collaboration between content, brands and platforms, placing talent at the centre of long-term partnerships and audience engagement strategies.

With Hoonur, Balaji Telefilms is doubling down on its integrated model, blending content creation, digital strategy and talent representation to shape the next generation of media stars.

MUMBAI: Ananya Birla is rolling the camera on a new act. The entrepreneur and singer has launched Birla Studios, a film production house pitched at the sweet spot between artistic heft and box-office muscle, as India’s content boom lures fresh capital and ambition.

Based in Mumbai and launched in 2026, the studio sets out to produce high-concept, prestige-driven commercial cinema that pairs broad audience appeal with artistic distinction. The pitch is clear: culturally relevant stories, emotional immediacy and films designed to linger in the mind long after the credits roll.

Birla Studios will champion narratives that spark instant connection while offering long-term resonance. Its mandate blends creative ambition with commercial viability, alongside a stated commitment to nurture new talent and amplify fresh voices across genres.

The venture is rooted in Ananya Birla’s view of cinema as a serious medium of expression and influence, not merely spectacle. The studio positions itself as a platform for meaningful but widely engaging storytelling that mirrors contemporary cultural sensibilities.

“We are all stories. Cinema is one of the most powerful mediums through which those stories are told. At its most powerful, cinema creates an immediate connection while leaving a lasting resonance,” Ananya Birla said. She added that the focus is on curating a slate that balances cultural significance with strong entertainment value, while taking “a conscious stand to nurture new talent, explore genres, and amplify fresh voices and diverse perspectives”.

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As the slate takes shape, she noted the “kindness and receptiveness” encountered across the industry, calling it a privilege to play even a small role in taking Indian cinema forward.

The content strategy is deliberately wide. Birla Studios is assembling a multi-language slate spanning Hindi, Gujarati and Malayalam films, alongside international English-language projects. The idea is to travel across regions, languages and borders rather than stay in one cinematic lane.

Genre is no barrier. The studio describes itself as genre-agnostic, backing stories with depth and commercial potential while prioritising craft, scale and careful execution. Details of specific projects remain under wraps, with announcements promised in the coming months.

India’s film business is in flux, with streaming platforms, pan-Indian hits and global audiences reshaping what travels and what sells. Into that churn steps Birla Studios, betting that stories with cultural specificity and universal emotion can do both.

The script, for now, is aspirational. The real test will be on screen. In a crowded market chasing the next big story, Birla Studios wants to make films that do not just open well—but endure.

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MUMBAI: Warner Bros Discovery has elevated Agnieszka Veriga, widely known as Aga, to vice president, program management for Apac global experiences, placing her at the helm of the company’s fast-expanding experiences business across the region.

Based in Dubai and working closely with teams across Asia Pacific, Veriga will lead Warner Bros Discovery’s portfolio of owned and licensed experiences. Her remit includes the Warner Bros Studio Tours in Tokyo and Shanghai, alongside shaping the company’s long-term growth strategy for experiences in Asia.

The appointment follows a landmark year in which Veriga worked closely with Sarah Roots to deliver the Harry Potter Studio Tour Shanghai project. Developed in partnership with Chinese hospitality major JingJiang, the project marked a major step in Warner Bros Discovery’s global experiences ambitions and stood out for its scale and complexity.

In her new role, Veriga will partner with Tony Qiu and the regional leadership team, focusing on strong programme delivery, clear governance and close collaboration across markets as the experiences portfolio continues to grow.

Veriga brings deep international experience to the position. Prior to joining Warner Bros Discovery, she served as director, strategic project management and business operations for Asia at Paramount, where she led major transformation initiatives and played a key role in launching Paramount Plus in South Korea and Japan. Her earlier career spans senior strategy and operations roles across Asia, Europe and the Middle East within the Discovery ecosystem and beyond.

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Sharing the news, Veriga said she was grateful for the trust and support she has received and excited about what lies ahead. With studio tours and immersive entertainment gaining traction across Asia, her expanded mandate signals Warner Bros Discovery’s intent to scale experiences with precision and pace.