Balaji Telefilms, Sikhya Entertainment, director Umesh Bist come together for three-film deal

The banners Balaji Telefilms, Sikhya Entertainment and director Umesh Bist have joined forces, with the filmmaker signing on for a three-film deal.

Balaji Telefilms, led by Ekta Kapoor, and Sikhya Entertainment, led by Guneet Monga, came together for the first time to co-produce Pagglait (2021) which starred Sanya Malhotra. The family drama, written and directed by Bist, also starred Ashutosh Rana and Sayani Gupta.

The Netflix film also marked singer Arijit Singh’s debut as a composer and lyricist Neelesh Misra’s return to film songs.

Speaking about the upcoming deal, Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, creative producer and executive vice-president at Balaji Telefilms, stated, “Pagglait resonated with Indian audiences in unimaginable ways. Everyone found a connection with the story and that is Umesh’s biggest strength.  Furthermore, the film established equity between Balaji and Sikhya and we’re thrilled to come together to tell stories that are both emotional and entertaining, stories that find their way to the hearts of the audience.”

Monga recalled, “I still remember the day I met Umesh sir. His vision for his stories is unmatched and it is inspiring to see his faith and commitment to a project. Team Balaji has been a delight to work with and we at Sikhya are looking forward to this collaboration. We went through so many amazing experiences together that it feels quite natural to continue this partnership.”

Bist said he was excited to continue his journey with the production houses, stating, “It all started when I first met Guneet in 2018 and there's no looking back since then. As a filmmaker, all you want is a collaborative ecosystem where the team puts all their might into doing the best for the movie and I am glad I found this in Sikhya and Balaji. The trust they put in a director is rare. As partners, they add on to each other's strong points.”

The makers have already started working on their first film and an announcement in this regard is expected to be made very soon.