Zee Studios to explore possibility of producing films that could travel globally

Cannes: Reaping the benefits of a new strategy, Zee Studios, the producers of Anurag Kashyap's Cannes 2023 Midnight Screenings title "Kennedy", is looking to build on the breakthroughs it has made of late in the off-mainstream cinema space.

The Mumbai-based production company began the year with selections at the international festivals at Rotterdam and Berlin.

Devashish Makhija's "Joram", starring Manoj Bajpayee, had its world premiere at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam.

At the 73rd Berlin Film Festival, Zee Studios world premiered Ashish Avinash Bende's Marathi film "Aatmapamphlet" in the Generation sidebar.

It also had a neo-noir series, "Brown", directed by Abhinay Deo and starring Karisma Kapoor, in the Berlinale Series Market.

Talking to PTI after the screening of "Kennedy" at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, Zee Studios CEO Shariq Patel said: "This is the first time that we have adopted this strategy because it is important for us as a studio to do different things." While the studio is gearing up for the release of mainstream Hindi films like "Maidaan" and "Gadar 2", it has lined up several titles for international film festivals. "The idea is to explore the possibility of doing films that could travel globally," said Patel.

He was, however, quick to add that "we will have to wait and watch how this strategy pans out".

Among the films with which Zee Studios is seeking to up its festival game is Kishor Pandurang Belekar's "Gandhi Talks", starring Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami and Aditi Rao Hydari.

Also in the studio's pipeline is the Aparshakti Khurana-starrer "Berlin", helmed by Atul Sabharwal.

"We released 31 movies in 2021 and 30 in 2022," revealed Patel. "We back any film that we think is marketable." How much freedom does a filmmaker like Anurag Kashyap get when he works with Zee Studios? "If I am doing something off the beaten path, I have to trust the director. If I second guess everything he does, it simply won't work," said Patel.

He also pointed out that the studio believes in being with an under-production all the way through. "We are not just a producing studio. We serve as a creative partner and work on a project from beginning to end," he added.