Saurabh Varma, filmmaker and former chief marketing officer of Jio Studios, and Utpal Acharya, former executive of Cinépolis Gulf and Sony Pictures, have joined hands to set up a production house, Content Engineers.
The duo is investing $50 million in the new banner which will make films, web-series, documentaries and docu-dramas.
Speaking of the kind of projects one can expect from the banner, a statement from Content Engineers said, 'Content Engineers intends to bring a methodical approach of IP [intellectual property] creation for creative and commerce to fulfil the growing demand for grass-rooted (sic) original Indian content. The content will focus on Indian stories with Indian values. The vision is to create films based on new-age, heart-warming Indian stories that will connect with audiences across the world.'
Apart from Jio Studios, Varma has worked with Inox Cinemas, PVR Cinemas and Reliance Entertainment. He has also directed Hindi films like Mickey Virus (2013), Solid Patels (2015) and 7 Hours To Go (2016) and the Marathi movie Vicky Velingkar (2019). On the other hand, Acharya has worked with UTV, Studio 18 and Reliance Entertainment.
In a statement, Varma said, “Good stories can survive the toughest of times and well-engineered content has the power to put ideas into the world today. The recent growth in demand for content due to the rise of so many OTT platforms has opened a world of opportunities to explore disruptive content.
"In today’s world, where language is no longer a barrier, we intend to create grass-rooted content that is Indian and yet global in its appeal. Content Engineers intends to invest in people, emotions, stories and seamlessly link these elements to create impactful and meaningful content.”
Acharya added, “Apart from creating relevant IPs and disruptive content, Content Engineers aims to build a wholesome system that will nurture the chosen projects from scripting till it reaches audiences worldwide. At times, a good narrative fails to get the right audience due to the lack of proper strategy and initiatives. Content Engineers aims to fill that void by forming a fine balance between creative and commerce thinking in the media-tech business.”