Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions has been making headlines recently for several intriguing developments. Just last week, trade insiders and cinema enthusiasts were taken aback by reports suggesting that Saregama India, part of the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, was in discussions to acquire a majority stake in Johar’s production company. However, the report clearly stated that the negotiations had not reached a conclusive stage. Fast forward to today, October 14, and the Economic Times has revealed that Karan Johar is now in talks with another major player in the industry.
According to the article, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is exploring the possibility of acquiring a stake in Dharma Productions. While the specifics regarding the size of the stake remain unclear, sources have indicated that Johar has been contemplating selling a portion of his stake in Dharma for quite some time. However, he has faced challenges in finalizing past deals, primarily due to disagreements over valuation.
The Economic Times report further disclosed that Dharma Productions is predominantly owned by Karan Johar, who holds 90.7% of the shares, while his mother, Hiroo Johar, owns 9.24%.Should the deal between Dharma Productions and Reliance Industries Limited come to fruition, it would significantly bolster RIL’s presence in the entertainment sector. Currently, RIL supports notable entities such as Jio Studios, Viacom18 Studios, and Colosceum Media. Also, Mukesh Ambani’s RIL holds a 25% minority stake in Balaji Telefilms, owned by Ektaa R Kapoor. Previously, Bollywood Hungama reported that Karan Johar was also in discussions with Gautam Adani regarding the sale of a 30% stake in Dharma Productions.
On the production front, Dharma Productions recently released Jigra, featuring Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina. Johar is also the owner of Dharmatic Entertainment, which produces content for OTT platforms. Last month, they launched Call Me Bae, starring Ananya Panday, on Amazon Prime Video. Looking ahead, they are set to release the third season of Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives on Netflix on October 18, with the new season intriguingly titled Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives.
