NH Studioz becomes world’s largest holder of Tamil movies

MUMBAI: NH Studioz has raced to the top of global Tamil cinema ownership after acquiring 1,677 feature films from Columbia Video Films, the Malaysia-based distributor with one of the region’s most prized South Indian libraries. The deal hands NH Studioz complete negative and copyright control, marking one of the biggest single transfers of Tamil film IP to an Indian company.

Founded in the 1970s, Columbia Video Films built a formidable catalogue and distribution network across Southeast Asia, turning its library into a treasure trove of Tamil classics. The haul now landing with NH Studioz stretches across the golden eras of M.G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Jayalalithaa, Rajinikanth, Kamal Hassan, Ajith Kumar and Vijay, films that shaped the cultural identity of Tamil cinema and continue to enthral audiences.

NH Studioz director Shreyans Hirawat called the acquisition a cultural and commercial milestone. Tamil cinema’s global footprint, he said, makes preservation and worldwide distribution the company’s next priority, with restoration and platform-ready versions set to power TV, OTT, FAST channels and international syndication.

The grab lifts NH Studioz’s Tamil catalogue to 2,100 titles, cementing its position as the world’s biggest holder of Tamil films at a time when nostalgia-fuelled demand is surging across Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and diaspora markets. The firm plans to partner with free-to-air networks and digital platforms to bring these classics back into circulation and introduce new viewers to Tamil cinema’s roots.

NH Studioz will parade its expanded library at ATF 2025 in Singapore, inviting broadcasters and global buyers to tap into its multilingual vault. With this haul, the company isn’t just scaling up, it is turbocharging its march into the global content big league.