PremiumZee Studios, the movie production and distribution arm of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, is doubling the number of films it plans to produce in 2022, even as a merger with Sony Pictures Networks India awaits regulatory and shareholder approval
Zee Studios, the movie production and distribution arm of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, is doubling the number of films it plans to produce in 2022, even as a merger with Sony Pictures Networks India awaits regulatory and shareholder approval.
Shariq Patel, chief business officer, Zee Studios, declined to share investment figures, but trade experts estimate the cost of producing these films to be ₹1,000 crore.
In 2019, Zee released 10-12 movies, which plunged to half that number in 2020 before increasing to 20 films in 2021, according to Patel. In 2022, it plans to produce nearly 40 films. The strategy is to balance tent-pole films with mid-sized productions and small content-driven offerings across Hindi and regional languages. The line-up includes Ajith-starrer Valimai, scheduled for release in January.
The slate has several Bollywood titles such as Badhaai Do, the sequel to comedy-drama Badhaai Ho, starring Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar; Ajay Devgn’s sports drama Maidaan; and Akshay Kumar’s Rakshabandhan. Other films are planned in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi and Kannada.
According to media analysts, while the entity that emerges after the merger agreed in December will absorb Zee’s film business, Sony Corp.’s movie studio business will be independent. “The DNAs of Zee and Sony are different when it comes to movie-making. Zee looks at more mass-market films while Sony, at least as far as Hindi titles go, has had a niche, up-market approach. The cash inflows will be an advantage, but we have to see how the machinery moves on the ground," said a film trade analyst declining to be named.
Patel said release dates of new projects had not been announced as the theatre situation is evolving. “But our slate will include a mix of big-event films as well as small- and medium-sized offbeat films made with and by the best talent, many of whom have received global acclaim at film festivals," he said. The company is looking at co-productions, in-house productions as well as acquisitions.
Patel said the studio is open to releasing films in theatres as well as on digital platforms. “It has been an extremely challenging time, and it is still difficult to project if people will come to cinemas for mid-sized films. So, while we believe in the theatrical business, we are also looking at diversifying."
As a movie studio, Zee is looking to greenlight miscellaneous projects. Patel said the challenge for bigger projects is to recover the cost, especially if overseas shoots get disrupted. Mid-sized films, however, can be sold easily and ensure a clear margin if the budgeting is right.
“The idea is to keep the inventory flowing and not hold on to films, especially since we have an in-house satellite and digital platform," said Patel, whose company released Salman Khan’s Radhe-Your Most Wanted Bhai on its pay-per-view service ZeePlex as well as limited domestic and overseas cinemas in May. The film is now also on OTT platform ZEE5.
Starting with Valimai, which is scheduled for release as early as the Pongal weekend this month, Zee has lined up titles like Telugu supernatural drama Bangarraju starring Akkineni Nagarjuna and Naga Chaitanya; director Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files; Rani Mukerji-starrer Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway; action thriller Om: The Battle Within featuring Aditya Roy Kapur and the sequel to its 2001 blockbuster, Gadar, besides a bunch of Marathi films including Frame, Mrigtrishna, Vaalavi and Ghar, Bandook, Biryani.
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