Essel Vision forays into commercial Hindi cinema

The company has signed a multi-film deal with Sanjay Gupta's White Feather Films. Their first movie 'Jazbaa' to release in January 2015.

Essel Vision Productions, the creative and production studio of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, has announced a multi-film deal to make its foray into mainstream commercial Hindi films with writer, director and producer, Sanjay Gupta's White Feather Films.

The first film is slated to go on floors in January 2015. Titled Jazbaa, it is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's comeback film as a lead protagonist and also stars Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher.

Essel Vision has built a portfolio of regional cinema in Marathi and Bengali, 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.

Nittin Keni, CEO, Essel Vision says, "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."

Keni added Essel Vision is also in talks with several prolific content makers and will soon announce other projects in the pipeline.

Gupta who known for his action thrillers which include Kaante, Musafir, Zinda, Shootout at Lokhandwala and Shootout At Wadala comments, "Having the largest Indian television conglomerate ZEEL 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."

Akash Chawla, business head, Essel Vision says, "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 of Zee, will lead the foray. We will be involved in all aspects right from film production, processing, distribution, exhibition and revenue streams of these films."