SCRIPTED IN INDIA

The founder of Maddock Films on looking inwards at India-centric stories, not relying too much on the horror comedy universe, and being a systems-driven company

- Lata Jha

Dinesh Vijan refers to music as therapy. On a 16-hour flight, the producer of hits such as Stree 2 and Chhaava would rather listen to songs than stay glued to a screen. It could explain the consistent track record he's had with music in his films. In fact, his family, including his nearly four-year-old twins, was the first to listen to tracks like Aayi Nahi (Stree 2) and Tum Se (Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya), composed for movies then under production. They picked up the tunes instantly, giving him a sense that they might catch on with listeners too.

Chartbuster soundtracks aren't the only reason why Vijan stands apart in the Hindi film business today. Even as the theatre ecosystem finds its feet after a long, dry spell following the covid-19 pandemic and big-star films end cinema runs with negligible earnings, Vijan's company Maddock Films, formed in 2005, has clocked big hits in succession.

His period drama Chhaava, released this February, made over ₹600 crore in domestic box-office collections, accounting for 75% of the total Hindi film box-office earnings in the January-March quarter, according to trade experts. Last year's horror comedy Stree 2 also crossed the ₹600-crore mark, following which the studio introduced Munjya (2024) to its horror comedy universe. Munjya, which did not feature stars or even familiar faces, made more than ₹100 crore. His latest, the romcom Param Sundari, despite garnering mixed reviews, made a little over ₹128 crore over the opening weekend of 29 August.

Maddock, which releases five-eight films a year, reported a revenue of ₹381 crore in the financial year ended 31 March 2024, according to market research and data platform Tracxn. Nepean Capital, a Mumbai-based fund management firm that invests in private and public markets, acquired a 50% stake in Maddock Films in February 2022.