Tips Films forays into web originals

Tips Films, a music record label, film production, promotion and distribution company has announced its foray into web originals with Ajmer Files, a show whose cast and crew is in the process of finalizing. Other than that, the firm has produced Gaslight, a film starring Sara Ali Khan and Vikrant Massey that is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Tips, that wants to split focus between feature films meant for theatrical release and web shows, produced two Punjabi films last year and has three Marathi projects scheduled for 2023. Other than that, it has two Hindi films Merry Christmas starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi and Ishq Vishk Reboot, slated for this year. The company has also bought the rights of a book called Mr and Mrs Jinnah.

“We are known for our brand and have good relationships with streaming platforms. But we prefer to have creative control over our projects,” Kumar Taurani, chairman and managing director, Tips Films told Mint adding that the company is choosing to wrap up shoots of web originals first before pitching them to OTT services.

The call to release a film in theatres or on OTT is taken based on the nature of the project, Taurani said. “A lot of films have been flopping at the box office and actors have become choosy. They need to trust producers more,” Taurani said referring to challenges prevailing in the industry.

Post the pandemic, Tips had released horror comedy Bhoot Police starring Saif Ali Khan and Arjun Kapoor, that had streamed on Disney+ Hotstar. The company is known for a string of hits in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke, Jeet, Raja Hindustani, Soldier, Kachche Dhaage, Kya Kehna, Ishq Vishk and others.