Roy Kapur: Last News

Naman Ramachandran The teams behind upcoming sci-fi epic “Kalki 2898 AD,” hit Disney+ Hotstar series “Aarya” and prolific producer Siddharth Roy Kapur spoke with Variety on what has been an eventful 2023 for the Indian entertainment landscape. 2023, the first full year of business since the pandemic, saw Indian audiences return in droves to cinemas.

Naman Ramachandran Indian film and television veteran Siddharth Roy Kapur points to increasingly polarized theatrical results and a period of strategic recalibration in streaming as key trends that shaped Indian entertainment in 2024, characterizing it as a “hiatus year” dominated by business-to-business developments rather than consumer-facing initiatives. “People are getting much more particular about which films they will watch in a movie theater,” says Roy Kapur, founder of Roy Kapur Films and former Disney India head in his yearly analysis of the Indian entertainment business for Variety.

Naman Ramachandran As the Indian film industry reaches the midpoint of 2024, Malayalam-language cinema from the southern state of Kerala has emerged as the breakout success story, while traditional powerhouse Bollywood recalibrates after an uneven start to the year. “This year has been the year of Malayalam cinema,” says former Disney India head and veteran producer Siddharth Roy Kapur in his half-yearly analysis of the Indian entertainment business for Variety.

Naman Ramachandran Bollywood war epic “Pippa” will get a direct-to-streaming release on Prime Video. “Pippa” is based on the book “The Burning Chaffees,” written by Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta and the screenplay is by Ravinder Randhawa, Tanmay Mohan and Menon. Ishaan plays Captain Mehta of the 45th Cavalry tank squadron who fought on India’s eastern front during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Naman Ramachandran Former Disney India head and leading producer Siddharth Roy Kapur has warned of some practices that could arise in making films for streamers. Delivering the keynote address at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival‘s Industry Connect Symposium on Monday, Kapur, who is currently basking in the success of International Emmy nominated series “Rocket Boys” for streamer SonyLIV, lauded the positives brought to the industry by the platforms but also pointed out the pitfalls.

Naman Ramachandran Former Disney India head and producer of Sony LIV hit “Rocket Boys,” Siddharth Roy Kapur has hailed the reinvigorated Indian box office and robust streaming space. Nevertheless, he sees challenges ahead.

SonyLIV’s Rocket Boys, about Indian scientists Dr. Homi J. Bhabha and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, was one of the most popular and critically acclaimed web series in India last year, winning multiple awards for its performances, writing and direction. 

Naman Ramachandran Series “Rocket Boys” was a hit for SonyLIV when it began streaming in 2022 and the streamer is expecting to replicate its success with season 2, which streams from March 16. The series is created by Nikkhil Advani and directed by Abhay Pannu, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani for Roy Kapur Films and Emmay Entertainment. It is a fictionalized version of the story of Dr. Homi J. Bhabha (Jim Sarbh), who engineered India’s nuclear program and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai (Ishwak Singh), who established the Indian space program. Set during the 1940s-1970s, key players in the series also include Mrinalini Sarabhai (Regina Cassandra), a pillar in Dr. Sarabhai’s life, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (Arjun Radhakrishnan), who pioneered modern Indian aerospace and nuclear technology, and would go on to become the President of India, and the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (Rajit Kapur) who supported the scientists.

Naman Ramachandran “Last Film Show” (“Chhello Show”) India’s contender in the Oscars international feature category, will release across India on Oct. 14. Cashing in on the fact that it is in contention at the 95th Oscars, the distributors – Roy Kapur Films in partnership with PVR – are pricing previews on Oct. 13 across 95 Indian cinemas at INR95 ($1.16). The partly autobiographical drama takes director Pan Nalin back to his roots in Saurashtra, Gujarat, western India, where “Last Film Show” was filmed. The story is set against the backdrop of Indian cinemas witnessing a massive transition from celluloid to digital where hundreds of single-screen cinemas are either in ruins or have disappeared altogether.

Naman Ramachandran On the occasion of India’s 75th Independence Day on Aug. 15, the first teaser of Bollywood war epic “Pippa” has been revealed and Dec. 2 has been set as the release date.