Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla join forces, beginning new era for Dharma Productions

The CEO of the Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla, has defeated Saregama and Reliance to win a significant share in the production company of Karan Johar, Dharma Productions.

According to a statement made by the Bollywood production company, Serene Entertainment, owned by Poonawalla, has paid ₹1000 crore to acquire a 50% share in Dharma. The remaining 50% of the business will be owned by Karan Johar.

Poonawalla's Serene Entertainment and Karan Johar's Dharma jointly released a statement on Oct 21, stating, "Adar Poonawalla-led Serene Productions today announced that it has entered into a binding agreement to invest ₹1,000 crore into Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and Dharmatic Entertainment (collectively, "Dharma"), India's leading production house."

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to partner with one of the most iconic production houses in our nation, along with my friend Karan Johar. In the upcoming years, we intend to establish and expand Dharma and reach even higher altitudes," said Poonawalla.

Executive Chairman of Dharma, Karan Johar, commented on the collaboration, saying, "From its inception, Dharma Productions has been synonymous with heartfelt storytelling that captures the essence of Indian culture. My father dreamed of creating films that would leave a lasting impact, and I've dedicated my career to expanding that vision.”

“Today, as we join forces with Adar, a close friend and an exceptional visionary and innovator, we're poised to elevate Dharma's legacy to new heights. This partnership represents a perfect blend of our emotional storytelling prowess and forward-thinking business strategies,” added Johar.

He continued, “It's about honoring our roots while embracing the future of global entertainment. Dharma's journey has been remarkable, and this collaboration opens up a world of possibilities for creating content that will resonate across borders and generations."

CEO of Dharma, Apoorva Mehta, said, "Over the years, I've witnessed Dharma's transformation into a multi-faceted content powerhouse. This partnership with Adar realizes our vision and marks a new era where cinema, streaming, and global content converge.

“It enables us to explore new avenues in content creation and distribution, elevating the Indian entertainment ecosystem. More importantly, this investment allows us to take bigger creative steps,” he added.

One of the top cinema production and distribution firms in India, Dharma Productions was started in 1976 by Yash Johar and is currently led by Karan Johar. Dharma Productions has been at the forefront of the Indian cinema industry for more than 40 years.