Insomnia Media to invest ₹300 crore in films, shows

Insomnia Media and Content Services Ltd, a content studio headed by film producer Vishal Gurnani, known for titles such as Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and Janhit Mein Jaari, will invest ₹250-300 crore in films and OTT projects over the next 18 months, it said while announcing its content pipeline on Thursday.

The slate includes 10 movies and two web series in various stages of development and pre-production. All are expected to be produced and released over the next 18 months, the company said in a statement.

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The company has collaborated with directors and writers, including Raaj Shandilya (director of Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer Dream Girl); Suparn S. Verma (director of OTT shows such as Rana Naidu, The Trial and The Family Man-Season 2); Remo D'Souza (director of A.B.C.D.); Pavan Kirpalani (director of movies such as Ragini MMS and Phobia); Jayprad Desai (director of films such as Kaun Pravin Tambe, Phir Aayi Haseen Dilruba and Mukhbir); and Apoorv Singh Karki (director of Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai).

It has also collaborated with producer Sandeep Singh and writers, including Hussain & Abbas Dalal and Deepak Kingrani, among others, on other projects.

The company has entered into distribution and monetization deals for most of these films and series, and the OTT and studio partnerships will be announced individually for each project, Insomnia said.

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"The core of good content stems from writers and creators. The rollout of these films and series will help catapult Insomnia to the top bracket of the content creation ecosystem,” Gurnani said in a statement.

India’s film industry marked a significant recovery in 2023, with 157.4 million people visiting a theatre at least once, a 29% increase from the previous year and up 8% from the pre-pandemic levels, according to a report by media consulting firm Ormax.

However, despite these impressive numbers and box office revenues exceeding ₹12,000 crore for the first time, footfall growth lagged, indicating that while more people are visiting theatres, they are doing so less frequently than before the pandemic.

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