Pritish Nandy Communications

History

Pritish Nandy Communications was founded in September 1993 by Pritish Nandy, a writer, journalist, TV presenter and former Member of the Indian Parliament. The Pritish Nandy Show, India’s first signature chat show, was the company's first output, followed by a variety of news and entertainment productions. Since then, it has covered the parliamentary elections and the most extensive exit poll, in association with The Times of India. PNC’s election production have included India 98 : The Choice and Face Off. Moreover, it has produced environmental chat-shows such as Maneka's Ark, and Heads & Tails a show exploring animal rights and Fiscal Fitness, a corporate and business chat-show. The company has also produced fictional programming such as Mr Gaayab, a comedy serial based on the Invisible Man and Raj Kahani a lavish costume drama and Yudh a daily soap opera.

Product

The company has produced a wide range of material for television, including news, general entertainment shows, soap operas, chat shows and live events coverage. Its film output ranges from small-scale movies for the domestic market through to large international productions. It was one of the first Indian studios to make global co-productions and use international crew. Kaante, a large-scale movie, was shot entirely in Hollywood, and Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi was made with the support of renowned French technicians, courtesy of Fond Sud. The Mystic Masseur, Nobel Prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul's first work to be filmed, was a PNC co-production with Merchant Ivory. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi was described as ‘The most important film to come out of India in a long time’ by Shekhar Kapur, as ‘Indian Cinema’s first great political epic’ by Ashutosh Gowarikar and as ‘A masterpiece’ by Vanessa Redgrave.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences acquired the script of Shabd, a PNC film, for their Margaret Herrick collection. In 2005, PNC’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi was in the running for India’s entry to the Oscars.

PNC's current content library has been valued at Rs 3 billion. Movies, television shows, news footage, televised events and staged shows, are a part of this growing library.

PNC movies are aimed at young, urban audiences with a progressive outlook. The media calls this the "multiplex movie". Over the past 9 years, PNC has made the most number of multiplex movies with new, untried talent.

Achievements

In 2003, the company was featured in Deloitte Touche’s Fast500, ranking it among the 500 fastest growing companies in the technology, media and telecom sector in the Asia Pacific.

From Kaante, a movie that broke box office records, to crossover movies like Bollywood Calling and Jhankaar Beats, with which 20th Century Fox made its distribution debut in India to Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Pyaar Ke Side Effects which have travelled the film festival circuit world over to Meerabai Not Out, a boutique sports film that was distributed globally by Hollywood major Sony Pictures. PNC was named Producer of the Year at the Bollywood Movie Awards, 2003 in Atlantic City and won the Hottest Film trophy for Kaante at the Stardust Awards, 2003. It has also received awards for producing the Most Stylish Film, Kaante at the Bollywood Fashion Awards, 2003, New York and in 2005, PNC was the first movie company to win the Golden Peacock Global Award for Corporate Governance at the World Congress for Corporate Governance, London. the 4th Indira Award, 2005 for Brand and Marketing Excellence in Pune, 2005 and the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Cinema at the Star Screen Awards, 2006.

PNC won the International Business Excellence Award from the Institute of Economic Studies, Bangkok in 2008 and the International Quality Star Award in the Gold Category at the World Quality Convention in Geneva, 2008.

The Company won the Golden Peacock Award 2004 for Innovation in Media from the Institute of Directors. The award was for pioneering the multiplex movie, product promotion and strategic brand innovation. Pritish Nandy received the Top CEO trophy from the Institute of Marketing and Management in 2005. The PNC movie brand has been valued by Brand Finance, UK in 2006 at Rs 2653 million.

Recent developments

The Company has inked a 3 film co-production deal with Hollywood major Sony Pictures who distributed PNC’s Meerabai Not Out globally in 2008.

In a 100 million dollar deal, Pritish Nandy and Sascha Vijay Sippy, Chairman of Sholay Media and Entertainment, official right holders of the Sholay franchise, have decided to work together to develop the Sholay franchise. This will include the official remake, prequel and sequel of Sholay and an animated version of the original movie.

PNC has also signed an exclusive contract with writer and director Rajat Kapoor, who produced 2007’s successful comedy, Bheja Fry. The first of these films is Raat Gayi Baat Gayi which released in 2009. Raat Gayi Baat Gayi won The Best Film Award at HBO’s New York South Asian International Film Festival before going on to secure lead nominations for its actors, Neha Dhupia and Vinay Pathak, at The Star Screen Awards 2010 in Mumbai.

PNC has recently launched a new movie initiative, PNC Guerrilla Flicks. Under this banner, PNC will put out multiple smart budget features that will meet usual commercial objectives and will further the cause of new cinema among young, emerging Indian audiences as well as showcase the other face of Indian cinema to global viewers.

PNC has signed a 5 film animation agreement with Florida-based Motion Pixel Corporation to co-produce, market and distribute worldwide, animated versions of cult PNC films. EKEH v2.0, an animated version of PNC’s original con caper Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, will be the first animated feature to release by virtue of this collaboration.

PNC also has a 6 film deal with DQ Entertainment Ltd, an animation and vfx house, to co-produce live action and animated features. DQE earlier partnered PNC on its live action film, Meerabai Not Out.

PNC has launched World Compassion Day. It is a day for global icons to share their ideologies, values and principles on how to make the Gandhian ideals of Ahimsa and Compassion relevant to our times. The 1st World Compassion Day was launched by His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama in Mumbai on 28 November 2012.

Other PNC operations

PNC has created two theme centres. The Bowling Company is an indoor sporting complex with tournament quality 20 lane bowling. This was followed by Moksh, The Wellness Place, a holistic, one-stop wellness destination in Breach Candy, downtown Mumbai. Based on the four traditional rasas, Moksh has a Cybex gym, Nirvana the Spa, Kaaya the beauty salon, and Group X, a multi-activity studio where members attend courses ranging from Yoga and Bollywood Dancing to Aerobics and Salsa. Moksh Zip, an express outfit of Moksh launched in September 2011, operates out of Breach Candy, South Mumbai.