The flagship enterprise for independent, radical filmmaking, Phantom Films, has dissolved. The founders — Anurag Kashyap, Madhu Mantena, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl — announced that they are dissolving their seven-year-old partnership in Phantom Films, and are going their separate ways.
Phantom Films recently produced the acclaimed Sacred Games for Netflix with Motwane and Kashyap as the showrunners. The series is set to have a second season in 2019. The production house, started in 2011, launched itself with the critically acclaimed Motwane film, Lootera (2013) before going on to produce films like Queen (2014), Masaan (2015), Trapped (2017) and more recently, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018).
Announcing the dissolution of the company on Twitter, Kashyap wrote, 'Phantom was a dream, a glorious one and all dreams come to an end. We did our best and we succeeded and we failed.'
The company had also struck a deal with Stan Lee's POW Entertainment to develop Lee's Chakra The Invincible into a live-action film, directed by Motwane.
The company has been going through some troubles between the partners. The accusations of sexual harassment against Bahl in 2017 led to an unspoken split between the quartet.
In a recent interview, Kashyap admitted as much speaking to Bombay Times, "Vikas works in the company, he is a partner and nothing against him has been proven. But mutually, we have decided that we will work separately, in separate premises. Vikas and I are not on talking terms; everything else is a rumour."
Phantom Films' last production will be Bahl's upcoming, Super 30, starring Hrithik Roshan.