UTV Motion Pictures
UTV Motion Pictures (also known as Disney-UTV) is the feature film unit of UTV Software Communications. UTV Motion Pictures is one of the leading film studios in India and one of the largest production studios in South Asia. The Studio's activities span creative development, production, marketing, distribution, licensing, merchandising and worldwide syndication of films in Indian territories. It is currently the distribution label of Disney for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures's feature films.
| Type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production, film distribution |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Ronnie Screwvala Zarina Screwvala |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, India |
Key people | Mahesh Samat (Managing director) Amrita Pandey (Vice president) |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Services | Film production, marketing and distribution |
| Parent | UTV Software Communications (The Walt Disney Company India) |
| Website | corporate |
UTV Motion Pictures has a library of domestic regional films and animation productions alongside select international productions. As of 2017, Disney-UTV has suspended producing domestic films, with its latest domestic entry being Jagga Jasoos.[1] The label is overseen by Amrita Pandey who oversees Walt Disney Studios feature films in South Asia.[2]
History
UTV Motion Pictures was founded by Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Screwvala in 1996 as UTV Motion Pictures Plc., the film distribution division of UTV Software Communications. UTV Motion Pictures then moved into film production in Bollywood, and further expanded in Hollywood in partnership with studios such as 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures and Sony Pictures.[3] UTV co-produced two Hollywood movies with Fox Searchlight in 2007, making it the first and only Indian company to have mainline Hollywood film releases – "The Namesake” by Mira Nair and "I Think I Love My Wife" by Chris Rock.
Pioneering the movement of South Asian film production companies producing movies abroad, UTV was the first Indian production house to announce its first independent production to be released internationally in April 2009, with "The Exterminators". During this period, UTV Motion Pictures also had a co-production agreement with actor Will Smith through his production company Overbrook Entertainment and with Sony Pictures Entertainment, for two films to be produced and distributed worldwide.
In 2008–2009, UTV Motion Pictures emerged as one of the largest production houses in India with 10 Hindi film releases, one in Tamil and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" – the first mainstream Hollywood movie co-produced by an Indian movie studio. UTV also distributed Disney's Confessions of a Shopaholic and Bedtime Stories in Indian territories.
Along with production, UTV distributes its movies in more than 45 countries around the world on the same day as their theatrical release in India. UTV Motion Pictures is among the Top 20 Distributors in North America and is the first Indian film studio ever to have crossed the US$5 million revenue mark in the first half of a year.
In the South Asian market, after their successful maiden venture – Kanaamochi Yenada in Tamil, UTV Motion Pictures released Poi Solla Porom, the remake of Khosla Ka Ghosla with Priyadarshan as a co-producer. The movie was a commercial hit, completing 100 days in theatre. UTV Motion Pictures went on to co-produce the remakes of the superhit A Wednesday! – Unnaipol Oruvan (Tamil) and Eenadu (Telugu) with Actor Kamal Haasan.
Filmography[4]
Films produced by UTV Motion Pictures
UTV Spotboy
The following films were produced under the UTV Spotboy banner.
Films only distributed
| Year | Film | Production Company |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Hyderabad Blues 2 | SIC Productions |
| Morning Raga | K. Raghavendra Rao Films | |
| 2005 | Mughal-e-Azam (Colourized version) (US distribution) | Sterling Investment Corporation |
| Parineeta | Vinod Chopra Films | |
| Viruddh... Family Comes First | Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Satyajeet Movies Pvt. Ltd | |
| Shaadi No. 1 | Puja Entertainment | |
| Deewane Huye Paagal | Base Industries Group | |
| Bluffmaster! | Entertainment One | |
| 2006 | Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (international distribution only) | Inderjit Films Combine |
| Taxi No. 9211 | Entertainment One Ramesh Sippy Entertainment | |
| 2007 | Welcome (2007 film) | Base Industries Group |
| 2008 | Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (international distribution only) | Aamir Khan Productions |
| Race | Tips Industries | |
| Kismat Konnection | ||
| 2009 | Wake Up Sid | Dharma Productions |
| Kurbaan | ||
| 2010 | Raajneeti | Prakash Jha Productions Walkwater Media Ltd |
| Phillum City | IBC Motion Pictures | |
| 2011 | Dhobi Ghat | Aamir Khan Productions |
| Zokkomon | Walt Disney Pictures Disney India | |
| Bollywood: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures | |
| 2013 | Race 2 | Tips Industries |
| Ship of Theseus | Recyclewala Films | |
| Rangrezz | Pooja Entertainment | |
| Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Indian distribution only) | Dharma Productions | |
| 2014 | Sholay 3D | Sippy Films Pen India Limited |
| Highway | Window Seat Films Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment | |
| 2 States | Dharma Productions Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment | |
| Heropanti | Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment | |
| Kick | ||
| PK | Vinod Chopra Films Rajkumar Hirani Films | |
| 2015 | Tamasha | Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment |
| Dilwale (international distribution only) | Red Chillies Entertainment Rohit Shetty Productions | |
| 2016 | Baaghi | Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment |
| Kaptaan (international distribution only) | Tips Industries |
Walt Disney Studios films in India
The Walt Disney Company acquired UTV Motion Pictures through UTV Software Communications in 2012[26] since then, UTV Motion Pictures became the exclusive distributor for all Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures releases for South Asian territories from 2013 onward.
- ‡ – indicates a film that was also released in dubbed versions.
Non-Disney international films
| Year | Film | Country | Indian Release Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Unleashed | France United Kingdom |
Gulam Belagam | Released in both Original and Hindi Dubbed versions Indian distribution only |
| 2011 | Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called The Jungle | Japan | Shinchan in Bungle In The Jungle | Animated Film Originally released in 2000 in Japan Hindi Dubbed Version Indian distribution only |
| Doraemon: Nobita and the New Steel Troops—Winged Angels | Doraemon in Nobita and the Steel Troops-The New Age | Animated Film Hindi Dubbed Version Indian distribution only | ||
| 2013 | Doraemon: Nobita and the Island of Miracles—Animal Adventure | Doraemon The Movie Nobita Aur Jadooi Tapu | Animated Film Originally released in 2012 in Japan Hindi Dubbed Version Indian distribution only | |
Unreleased/shelved films
- Hook Ya Crook
- Alibaba Aur 41 Chor
- Peter Gaya Kaam Se
- Shoebite
References
- "Disney India to exit from Hindi film production business". The Economic Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
- http://corporate.disney.in/sites/default/files/Amrita%20Pandey.pdf
- "UTV & Fox in Strategic Tie-up -To co-produce M Night Shyamalan's next movie". India PR Wire.
- "Disney UTV Releases". Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- "52nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
- "53rd National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- "Rang De Basanti gets BAFTA nomination". The Hindu. 12 January 2007. Archived from the original on 6 December 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
- "Rang De Basanti, India's official entry to Oscars". Webindia123.com. 26 September 2006. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
- "54th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- "'I'm Not There' feels the Spirit". Variety. 27 November 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- "56th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
- "57th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- "'Harishchandrachi Factory' India's entry for Oscars," Indian Express, PTI 20 September 2009.
- "5th Asian Film Awards". 20 January 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- Bhushan, Nyay (24 September 2010). "'Peepli Live' is India's Oscar entry". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- "Arjun: The Warrior Prince Nominated for Annecy Cristal Award 2013". Retrieved 26 April 2013.
- "'Barfi!' selected as India's entry at the Oscars in Foreign Language Film category". 22 September 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- "Awards – Film | Film Not in the English Language in 2015". BAFTA 2015.
- "8th AFA Awards". 28 March 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- "62nd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- "9th AFA Awards". 25 March 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
- "64th National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- "59th National Film Awards for the Year 2011 Announced". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- "61st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
- "Disney Acquires Controlling Stake in India's UTV". The Hollywood Reporter. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- "Frozen' to re-release in India". 30 January 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
External links
- UTV Motion Pictures website
- UTV Motion Pictures at IMDb
- UTV Motion Pictures page on Facebook
- UTV Motion Pictures page on Twitter
- UTV Software Communications Ltd.