How a video rental shop became an Indian cinematic powerhouse
In short: Before it was a titan of film production, Pen Studios began with a humble inventory of VHS tapes. By mastering the mechanics of distribution and media rights, Dr. Jayantilal Gada transformed a local retail concept into one of India's most significant entertainment empires.
In 1983, Dr. Jayantilal Gada established what would become Pen Studios in Mumbai. His journey began as a small-time entrepreneur in 1984 with Popular Video Cassette Co. By establishing 'Popular Video' on Lamington Road, he created Asia's largest video shop, laying the groundwork for a massive expansion into trading and distributing VHS tapes across India. The initial business focused on a small-scale video library. This venture eventually evolved into trading rights for various media formats.
The company’s strategic pivot occurred in 1992 when it restructured as Popular Entertainment Network (PEN). This shift allowed the firm to move beyond retail into the high-stakes world of copyrights. They began acquiring rights for Hindi feature films across multiple platforms, including video cassettes, satellites, and terrestrial television like Doordarshan. This restructuring allowed the firm to manage copyrights for several Hindi feature films. They also began handling distribution rights for theatrical releases.
A defining moment arrived in 1995 when PEN telecast 'Sholay' twenty years after its theatrical debut. The broadcast shattered records with a peak of 76 TRPs and generated approximately 7.5 crore in revenue. This success paved the way for their transition into full-scale production, beginning with the successful box office release of 'Kahaani' in 2012. The company also released three distinct projects in 2013 across various screen counts. This included a 3D animation feature and the film Singh Saab the Great.
Today, the family-led enterprise continues to diversify. While Dr. Gada laid the foundation, his children joined to lead new frontiers: Bhavita Jayantilal Gada launched an animation division in 2006—producing projects like 'Mahabharat'—and Dhaval Gada joined in 2009 to streamline production activities. The company now balances major Hindi hits with a growing portfolio of regional content. The studio currently produces content in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam languages as well. They also operate a television channel called WOW which features music and TV series.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Pen Studios
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