Music label major Saregama India, owned by RP Sanjiv Goenka, is reportedly in talks to acquire a majority stake in producer Karan Johar’s company, Dharma Productions, Livemint reported on Monday. Sources cited in the report suggested that the deal may not occur and has not reached the final stages.
This development comes at a time when box office volatility and rising star fees are making it tougher for production companies to operate independently, a challenge Dharma Productions is also facing. The report added that Dharma Productions has been seeking investments for some time. Recent projects from Dharma Productions include Kill, Bad Newz, Yodha, and Mr & Mrs Mahi. The Alia Bhatt-starrer Jigra is set to hit theatres this week. Recently, Johar has commented publicly on the “unprecedented” compensation demands of movie stars. On September 24, he revealed in an interview that some leading actors had demanded Rs 40 crore in fees for Kill, which surprised him since that was the entire budget of the film.
