Abundantia Entertainment’s Vikram Malhotra on Expanding Slate and International Growth: ‘There’s No Reason Why India Can’t Have the Next ‘Squid Game’ or ‘Parasite’ (EXCLUSIVE)

by

In spite of the initial monsoon downpours causing delays in production timetables and a difficult global situation, CEO Vikram Malhotra of Abundantia Entertainment continues to be optimistic about India’s entertainment industry and his company’s bold growth strategies.

Discussing his upcoming movie “Ma Behan,” featuring Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri, which is being filmed amidst unusually heavy downpours, Malhotra lays out a bold expansion plan. This strategy encompasses venturing into international markets, creating diverse content offerings, and launching a strategic investment drive to finance our business blueprint over the next three years.

In spite of a tough exterior situation, we’re managing to stick to our path. We’re not only maintaining our progress, but I might add, even making strides towards refining and boosting the strategy we initially devised,” Malhotra explains to EbMaster.

Or,

“Regardless of the difficult circumstances surrounding us, we’re keeping our focus. Not only are we following the plan, but I should mention that we might even be making it better along the way,” Malhotra says to EbMaster.

The surge in momentum follows a robust display by “Chhorii 2,” the follow-up to Abundantia’s 2021 thriller, which Malhotra claims surpassed its goals on Prime Video in terms of both viewer engagement and platform success. This achievement has sparked the company’s aspirations to expand their franchise, with Malhotra currently considering the potential for “Chhorii 3” under the direction of Vishal Furia.

Abundantia Productions offers a wide variety of productions across various platforms and formats. One of their upcoming releases, “Subedaar,” an action-drama starring Anil Kapoor as a former soldier safeguarding his family, is slated for release on Amazon Prime Video later this year along with Radhikka Madan, Saurabh Shukla, and Aditya Rawal. Another exciting series, “Daldal,” a thriller featuring Bhumi Pednekar as Mumbai DCP Rita Ferreira investigating a ruthless murderer, is also making its way to Prime Video. Additionally, Abundantia has announced their first set of Netflix projects, which will be released in the first half of 2026.

New projects underway feature upcoming works from esteemed directors such as Randeep Jha (“Kohrra”), Mayank Sharma (“Breathe”), Hansal Mehta (“Scam 1992”), Bhav Dhulia (“The Freelancer”), Palash Vaswani (“Gullak”), and Sandeep Modi (“The Night Manager”). The lineup also includes “Daring,” a youthful action-drama directed by Madhumita S. featuring Arjun Das. The production company is focusing on content aimed at younger audiences, as well as genres like horror and the paranormal, with two productions for young viewers scheduled to start in Q3 and Q4 of this year.

I’m thrilled to share that we’re working on a biographical film about Nirav Modi, based on Pavan C. Lall’s book “Flawed.” This intriguing tale revolves around the elusive diamond merchant who found himself embroiled in financial misconduct allegations and had to leave India. We’ve got a captivating script ready, and at present, we’re in the process of casting for this fascinating project. Our narrative style will be engaging yet mainstream, while maintaining an appropriate level of fiction.

Malhotra’s strategic outlook encompasses moving past conventional long-form content, delving into the rapidly growing market of vertical storytelling in short, vertically filmed dramas designed for viewing on mobile devices. He points to China’s $7 billion vertical content market and India’s mobile-centric consumption habits, with 82% of Indian consumers being mobile-first according to PwC data, as indicators of vast, untouched opportunities in this area.

According to Malhotra, the market for vertical storytelling has a unique environment. It’s not just about short pieces of content; it also involves low-involvement, low-engagement materials. This means that the criteria for accessing this content and experiencing satisfaction, joy, or excitement are significantly different compared to other formats.

The company is working on creating an internal system that can produce a large volume of content in various genres such as romance, romantic drama, soft erotica, and soap operas, at an affordable cost and quickly. Malhotra highlights that these successful vertical content categories are contrary to the trends we’re seeing in streaming on-demand services.

Despite the gloomy predictions often found in discussions about Bollywood cinema, Malhotra expresses a positive perspective on live stage performances. He highlights the recent triumphs of films like “Raid 2” and “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” as proof that public interest in going to the theater remains robust.

Or:

Contrary to what’s commonly said about Bollywood’s future, Malhotra is hopeful about theatrical performances, using the successes of “Raid 2” and “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2” as examples showing that people are still eager to attend the movies.

He’s been consistent in his belief that the enthusiasm for going to cinemas to watch films remains strong, if not more so than ever. What has shifted and transformed is simply the type of content being watched in theaters, he explains. There’s no limit to how poorly a film can bomb or how successfully it can thrive at the box office.

According to Malhotra, the main change is that viewers are now looking for either a captivating movie experience where they know they’re getting something enjoyable on the big screen or a social outing with their loved ones. This change has influenced which film genres succeed in cinemas, as genres like dramas, thrillers, and mysteries – which don’t necessarily need to be watched communally – are moving towards streaming services instead.

Ambitiously speaking, Abundantia is readying itself for global growth by developing content that appeals to audiences worldwide, not just the Indian diaspora. Malhotra dreams of setting up operations in Western regions to tap into international talent and craft stories with universal appeal.

He stated that it’s important for India to shift from buying content to creating and selling it. He suggested that India could produce the next global sensation like ‘Squid Game’, ‘Parasite’, ‘Narcos’, or ‘Money Heist’.

Abundantia is actively seeking funding for its growth strategy, considering both potential strategic industry partners and financial investors. The company’s projected portfolio totals between INR5-6 billion ($58-70 million) from 2025 to 2027, with the majority of projects either sold or partnered with platform providers.

Luckily, Abundantia is currently at a size that allows routine operations to run smoothly due to the characteristics of our work and qualifications,” Malhotra points out. The funding will be used primarily for expanding domestically, international growth, and exploring novel formats as well as blending different types of media.

In an ever-changing entertainment world, Malhotra’s approach of balancing creativity with expansion into diverse formats and regions keeps Abundantia poised for ongoing success amid industry challenges. Armed with a wealth of projects, strategic alliances, and global aspirations, this production company is wagering on content that transcends boundaries — from short vertical content for mobile devices to widely acclaimed productions across borders.

Read More

2025-06-04 11:47