Mumbai: Sony Pictures Entertainment Films India has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Pritish Nandy Communications’ forthcoming comedy Meerabai Not Out.
The announcement was made by Sony Pictures International Motion Picture Production Group president Deborah Schindler.
DQ Entertainment has acquired a 50 per cent stake in the film, which is being readied for a summer release. This is DQ Entertainment’s foray into the live action Bollywood market. DQE will add value to this project by bringing its expertise in animation and gaming.
Directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni from a screenplay by Soumik Senbasedon, an idea by Raj Kaushal, Meerabai Not Out stars Mandira Bedi as a brilliant math teacher obsessed with cricket.
Anil Kumble plays himself in his first starring role. Television star Eijaz Khan makes his Bollywood debut in the film, which also stars Anupam Kher and Mahesh Manjrekar.
Meerabai Not Out has music by Sandesh Shandilya.
"We could not be more excited to partner with Pritish Nandy Communications and DQ Entertainment on this enchanting romantic comedy. This acquisition is precisely the kind of strong material that is the cornerstone of our local language initiative. When we find motion pictures as wonderful and engaging as this, we will aggressively pursue it," said Schindler.
"This is a breakthrough production and we are delighted to take it global through SPE Films India and DQ Entertainment, our partners for this charming romantic comedy cast against the backdrop of cricket, our national passion," said PNC chairman Pritish Nandy.
DQ Entertainment chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti added, "Meerabai Not Out is a film we are delighted to partner with PNC and feel so good that SPE will take this beautiful romancing with cricket Global. DQE will add further value of bringing its expertise in animation, gaming and other spinn-offs as and when the partners will desire so."
"This is the first of several movies that we hope to do with PNC and we are confident that Meerabai Not Out will be a hit with cricket lovers all over. Sony has several established platforms in India—in television, theatrical distribution, music and home videos—and our global reach is well known. We intend to put all these behind the film and make it one of this summer’s biggest attractions," added Sony Pictures India chief Uday Singh.
Pritish Nandy Communications and DQ Entertainment recently announced that the two companies would jointly pool their skills sets and creative expertise to make a slate of animation and live action movies for global audiences.
