'We don't make films for profit and that's exactly why it follows'

The hit-machine. That is the moniker for Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films.

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In a market where filmmakers are fumbling to understand audiences, the makers of Chhaava, Stree 2, Munjya etc seem to be getting it right consistently. In 2022, Nepean Capital, a private equity fund, acquired half of the firm at an undisclosed valuation. With a net profit of ₹80 crore on revenues of ₹380 crore in the financial year ending 2024, Maddock is clearly on a roll. Vanita Kohli-Khandekar met the elusive Vijan (45) at his office in Mumbai for a chat on his approach to the business. Edited excerpts:

How did you go from banking to films?

■ After my MBA, I got into investment banking. But they wanted me to sign a three-year bond, and I didn't want to make that kind of commitment at that point. I had done my summers with JM Morgan Stanley (now Morgan Stanley), and the person I worked with had joined ING Bank. So I transitioned into private banking. On the family front, we had a successful family logistics business that my dad hoped I'd join. But I kept coming back to the idea of making films. I ended up producing Being Cyrus (2005), which got a lot of acclaim. Saif (Ali Khan, the lead actor) and I hit it off, and we co-founded Illuminati Films in 2009. Love Aaj Kal (2009) really gave us a foothold. Later, I started Maddock Films, and we've made films like Badlapur (2015), Hindi Medium (2017), Mimi (2021), Stree (1 and 2) and Chhaava (2025).

What were the big takeaways?