Essel Vision forays into Bollywood movie production

The company has entered into a multi-film deal with White Feather Films and the first production will go on floor in January 2015, directed by Sanjay Gupta

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | December 12, 2014

(L-R) Nittin Keni, Sanjay Gupta and Akash Chawla

Essel Vision Productions (EVPL), the creative and production studio of Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEE), has announced a multi-film deal to make its foray into mainstream commercial Hindi films with renowned Writer, Director & Producer, Sanjay Gupta's White Feather Films. The first film, to go on floor in January 2015, is directed by Sanjay Gupta. Titled 'Jazbaa', it will be actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's comeback film as the dynamic lead protagonist and will also star Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher.

Essel Vision has, in a short span of three years, emerged as a full-fledged, state-of-the-art-studio that is a one-stop destination for all in filmmaking, promotions, advertising, distribution and revenue generating streams. It has built a dynamic portfolio of regional cinema (Marathi and Bengali), top-rated television shows, and is now venturing into Hindi cinema. Wholly owned by ZEE, Essel Vision is backed by the conglomerate's vast network of channels including its music company Zee Music.

After being a trendsetter in Marathi and Bangla cinema and associations with the biggest names in regional language cinema, this announcement is a first from amongst a slate of films being made by Essel Vision.

Acclaimed filmmaker Nittin Keni is Essel Vision's CEO, and has produced commercial and critical blockbusters like 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha'. On this multi-film deal, Keni said, “We are delighted to associate with Sanjay Gupta. The first offering, 'Jazbaa', is a brilliant script that is full of emotional texture and develops beautifully into a human story for global audiences. The partnership is a perfect fit for both companies and I am confident that together we will be in a better position to deliver compelling, profitable, entertaining content to global audiences. Besides the films which we have already locked, we are in talks with several prolific content makers and will soon announce other projects in the pipeline.”

Gupta is known for his fast-paced action thrillers which include 'Kaante', 'Musafir', 'Zinda', 'Shootout at Lokhandwala' and the recent 'Shootout At Wadala', amongst others. Commenting on their association, he said, “It's a pleasure to associate with Essel Vision on their foray into mainstream Hindi film production after the successes they have had in regional cinema. Having the largest Indian television conglomerate ZEE backing us is a 'dream come true' for any production house. We, at White Feather Films, could not be happier. Also, for me, from doing fast-paced action, I'm looking forward to 'Jazbaa' as it's a gripping, touching and terrifying drama. We have a stellar team, and a great dramatic conundrum that audiences should enjoy.”

After creating an unprecedented record at the recently held 45^th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, with four films produced by EVPL selected officially to be screened at the festival, the studio identifies and acquires powerful fresh and intellectual property based ideas and matches them with strong filmmakers to turn them into blockbusters.

Essel Vision's Business Head, Akash Chawla, said, “This is our first announcement and many more announcements can be expected from Essel Vision in the Hindi film space. ZEE is here to make quality and commercially viable films and Essel Vision, as the creative and production arm, will lead the foray. We will be involved in all aspects right from film production, processing, distribution, exhibition and revenue streams of these films.”

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