MUMBAI: Film exhibition and distribution company Shringar Cinemas is now planning to foray into film production.

The company, which recently changed its name to Fame India, has multiplexes under the Fame brand name. While the film production and exhibition business will operate under the Fame India brand name, the distribution business will continue under the Fame umbrella as Shringar Films.

When contacted by Businessofcinema.com, Shringar Cinemas managing director Shravan Shroff says, “Movie production is a logical progression for us because we are already into movie distribution and also have multiplexes, which gives us control over the screens.”

“Currently it is a little premature to share details as there are no concrete plans but we will surely start movie production in the year 2008,” he adds.

Speaking about the production business being housed under Fame India, Shroff says, “We think Shringar as a name was restrictive for the film production business.”

The current logo of Shringar, which has been in use since inception, already carries a tag line of ‘Production Distribution and Exhibition’, but it is only now that the company is finally venturing into the production space. In the 50’s the Shringar Group financed Bollywood films like Howrah Bridge, Do Raaste, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Guide and An Evening in Paris amongst others.