Digital
Why OpenAI is hiring 100 ex-bankers: Inside the ChatGPT-maker's secret project to automate Wall Street's grunt work
Saregama ties up with Bhansali Productions for exclusive music rights and content collaboration
The deal combines Bhansali Productions’ film and OTT slate with Saregama’s music and live events business, giving the company a steady pipeline of premium film music while scaling back in-house film production.
The deal brings together Bhansali Productions’ film and OTT content capabilities with Saregama’s music and live events business, as the company sharpens its focus on partnerships rather than in-house film production.
Saregama India has entered into a strategic partnership with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bhansali Productions Pvt Ltd, anchored by an equity investment by the music and entertainment company.
The deal brings together Bhansali Productions’ film and OTT content capabilities with Saregama’s music and live events business, as the company sharpens its focus on partnerships rather than in-house film production.
As part of the arrangement, Bhansali Productions will exclusively sell the music rights of all its future films to Saregama under a pre-agreed pricing formula. Saregama said the structure would ensure a steady pipeline of premium film music while eliminating competitive bidding and helping control acquisition costs.
Bhansali Productions will retain ownership of intellectual property for its films and continue to exercise full creative control, while Saregama will provide governance oversight and financial discipline under the partnership framework.
Saregama said it plans to gradually streamline its in-house film production activities over the next one to two years, aligning its content strategy towards strategic collaborations. The investment is expected to be earnings-per-share accretive by FY27 and improve margins across its music and video segments.
Founded in 1996, Bhansali Productions is known for films including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat and Gangubai Kathiawadi, as well as the Netflix series Heeramandi. The studio plans to produce more than 10 feature films over the next three years.
Its near-term slate includes Love and War, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal, and Do Deewane Shehar Mein, directed by Ravi Udyawar and starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Mrunal Thakur.
For FY25, Bhansali Productions reported revenue of ₹304 crore, EBITDA of ₹60 crore and profit after tax of ₹45 crore.
Avarna Jain, vice chairperson at Saregama India, said the partnership aligns with the company’s strategy of working with established creative studios to generate long-term shareholder value.
Bhansali said the partnership was built on shared values around artistic integrity, music and storytelling.
Kotak Investment Banking acted as exclusive financial advisor to Bhansali Productions on the transaction.
Saregama India, part of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, operates across music, digital content, television, artiste management and film production.
SPOTLIGHT
From purpose-driven work and narrative-rich brand films to AI-enabled ideas and creator-led collaborations, the awards reflect the full spectrum of modern creativity.
Read More“Two drunks leaning on a lamppost”: Sir Martin Sorrell on the Omnicom–IPG merger and the turbulence ahead
In a wide-ranging interview with Storyboard18, Sorrell delivers his frankest assessment yet of how the deal will redefine creativity, media, and talent across markets.