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>> 191 Appendix 1 Profiles of Key Bollywood Companies I provide profiles of the following companies because taken together, they represent the range of models and practices prevalent in Bollywood—smallscale family-owned production companies (Dharma Productions), smallscale star-owned companies (Aamir Khan Productions, Shahrukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment), vertically integrated family-owned studios (Yash Raj Films, Rajshri Productions), vertically and horizontally integrated media corporations (UTV, Reliance Entertainment, Studio 18, Eros Entertainment ), and newer corporate entrants (Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, Percept Pictures). Needless to say, there are several other production, distribution , and exhibition companies that could have been featured here. 1. Aamir Khan Productions Private Limited Aamir Khan Productions Pvt. Ltd. is a privately held “star studio” established in 1999 by actor Aamir Khan. A member of a prominent film family (his cousin is director Mansoor Khan, and his uncle is Nasir Hussain, a prominent producer, director, and screenwriter), Khan established himself as a star as the lead in Mansoor Khan’s Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). Beginning as a child actor and later a teen heartthrob, Khan has recently chosen projects that have cultivated his reputation as a serious, “thinking actor,” including Lagaan (2001), Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), and Rang de Basanti (2006). Khan’s production credits reflect his carefully constructed persona as an actor. Aamir Khan Productions’ first film was Lagaan (2001), a film whose script was reportedly passed over by a number of producers and production houses. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, and starring Aamir Khan in a leading role, the film tells the story of a group of villagers suffering under British rule who accept a challenge to play a cricket match against the local British administration. Critically acclaimed, the film also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002. Since Lagaan, Khan has produced only a handful of films, including Taare Zameen Par (2007), Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008), Peepli Live (2010), Dhobighat (2010), and Delhi Belly (2011)—all of which have achieved a measure of critical and commercial success. For example, Taare Zameen Par, Khan’s directorial 192 > 193 dabbled in the Indian distribution of foreign films. To date, Studio 18 has been more active in distribution, syndication, and movie marketing than in production, although this aspect of the company is currently being actively cultivated. 3. Rajshri Productions Pvt. Ltd./Rajshri Group Established initially as a film distribution company in 1947 by Tarachand Barjatya, the Rajshri Group is one of India’s oldest and most successful family -owned media businesses with a carefully cultivated reputation for “family entertainment.” Since 1962 the company’s production house has produced over fifty Hindi films, including Dosti (1964), Uphaar (1971), Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se (1978), Sooraj Barjatya’s directorial debut Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), and Vivah (2006). The company remains a major distributor and has a strong presence in the distribution of regional films with offices in Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore , and other major cities throughout the country. Rajshri has handled distribution for both celebrated producers (Gemini, Prasad Productions, Sippy Films) and entered into distribution arrangements with large corporate film producers as well (Percept, PVR, Reliance, and UTV). However, unlike film distribution ventures launched by corporates like Studio 18, which are focused on the urban multiplex audience, Rajshri does not distribute Hollywood films in India and is not actively courting the international theatrical distribution market. Tarachand Barjatya’s three sons—Kamal Kumar, Raj Kumar, and Ajit Kumar—are the current directors of the Rajshri Group, Tarachand having passed away in 1992. Under the direction of Kamal Kumar’s daughter Kavita Barjatya, Rajshri produces family-oriented television serials and dramas, including Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki (now in its sixth season on Sahara One), and Yahaaan Main Ghar-Ghar Kheli (airing on Zee TV). This recent growth in television production is in keeping with the company’s legacy as one of the earliest Indian producers of television programming with its 1985 series Paying Guest for Doordarshan. In 1997 the company also formed Rajshri Music, a niche label that specializes in non-film music recordings (overseen by Rajjat Barjatya, son of Ajit Kumar). Rajshri Media is the company’s latest effort to blend “modern technology with traditional Indian values.” In 2006, under the leadership of Rajat Barjatya , a third-generation member of the Barjatya film family (he is the son of producer Ajit Kumar Barjatya), the company made its foray into web and 194 > 195...

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