Pritish Nandy Communications
Encyclopedia
Pritish Nandy Communications, often abbreviated to PNC, is an entertainment, news and media content corporation, and a maker of Indian movies, based in Mumbai
, India
. It was one of the first Indian media and entertainment companies to be publicly listed on a stock exchange. The company went public in 2000, when it listed on the BSE and the NSE. PNC produced 26 films in its first nine years of film production.
, a writer, journalist, TV presenter and former Member of the Indian Parliament. The Pritish Nandy Show, India’s first signature chat show, was the company's first output, followed by a variety of news and entertainment productions. Since then, it has covered the parliamentary elections and the most extensive exit poll, in association with The Times of India. PNC’s election production have included India 98 : The Choice and Face Off. Moreover, it has produced environmental chat-shows such as Maneka's Ark, and Heads & Tails a show exploring animal rights and Fiscal Fitness, a corporate and business chat-show. The company has also produced fictional programming such as Mr Gaayab, a comedy serial based on the Invisible Man
and Raj Kahani a lavish costume drama and Yudh a daily soap opera.
, a large-scale movie, was shot entirely in Hollywood, and Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi
was made with the support of renowned French technicians, courtesy of Fond Sud. The Mystic Masseur
, Nobel Prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul's first work to be filmed, was a PNC co-production with Merchant Ivory. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi was described as ‘The most important film to come out of India in a long time’ by Shekhar Kapur
, as ‘Indian Cinema’s first great political epic’ by Ashutosh Gowarikar and as ‘A masterpiece’ by Vanessa Redgrave
.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences acquired the script of Shabd
, a PNC film, for their Margaret Herrick collection. In 2005, PNC’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi was in the running for India’s entry to the Oscars.
PNC's current content library has been valued at Rs 3 billion. Movies, television shows, news footage, televised events and staged shows, are a part of this growing library.
PNC movies are aimed at young, urban audiences with a progressive outlook. The media calls this the "multiplex movie". Over the past 9 years, PNC has made the most number of multiplex movies with new, untried talent.
From Kaante, a movie that broke box office records, to crossover movies like Bollywood Calling and Jhankaar Beats, with which 20th Century Fox made its distribution debut in India to Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Pyaar Ke Side Effects
which have travelled the film festival circuit world over to Meerabai Not Out
, a boutique sports film that was distributed globally by Hollywood major Sony Pictures
. PNC was named Producer of the Year at the Bollywood Movie Awards, 2003 in Atlantic City and won the Hottest Film trophy for Kaante at the Stardust Awards, 2003. It has also received awards for producing the Most Stylish Film, Kaante at the Bollywood Fashion Awards, 2003, New York and in 2005, PNC was the first movie company to win the Golden Peacock Global Award for Corporate Governance at the World Congress for Corporate Governance, London. the 4th Indira Award, 2005 for Brand and Marketing Excellence in Pune, 2005 and the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Cinema at the Star Screen Awards, 2006.
PNC won the International Business Excellence Award from the Institute of Economic Studies, Bangkok in 2008 and the International Quality Star Award in the Gold Category at the World Quality Convention in Geneva, 2008.
The Company won the Golden Peacock Award 2004 for Innovation in Media from the Institute of Directors. The award was for pioneering the multiplex movie, product promotion and strategic brand innovation. Pritish Nandy
received the Top CEO trophy from the Institute of Marketing and Management in 2005.
The PNC movie brand has been valued by Brand Finance
, UK in 2006 at Rs 2653 million.
globally in 2008.
In a 100 million dollar deal, Pritish Nandy and Sascha Vijay Sippy, Chairman of Sholay Media and Entertainment, official right holders of the Sholay franchise, have decided to work together to develop the Sholay franchise. This will include the official remake, prequel and sequel of Sholay and an animated version of the original movie.
PNC has also signed an exclusive contract with writer and director Rajat Kapoor, who produced 2007’s successful comedy, Bheja Fry. The first of these films is Raat Gayi Baat Gayi which released in 2009. Raat Gayi Baat Gayi won The Best Film Award at HBO’s New York South Asian International Film Festival before going on to secure lead nominations for its actors, Neha Dhupia and Vinay Pathak, at The Star Screen Awards 2010 in Mumbai.
PNC has recently launched a new movie initiative, PNC Guerrilla Flicks. Under this banner, PNC will put out multiple smart budget features that will meet usual commercial objectives and will further the cause of new cinema among young, emerging Indian audiences as well as showcase the other face of Indian cinema to global viewers.
PNC has signed a 5 film animation agreement with Florida-based Motion Pixel Corporation to co-produce, market and distribute worldwide, animated versions of cult PNC films. EKEH v2.0, an animated version of PNC’s original con caper Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, will be the first animated feature to release by virtue of this collaboration.
PNC also has a 6 film deal with DQ Entertainment Ltd, an animation and vfx house, to co-produce live action and animated features. DQE earlier partnered PNC on its live action film, Meerabai Not Out.
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was one of the first Indian media and entertainment companies to be publicly listed on a stock exchange. The company went public in 2000, when it listed on the BSE and the NSE. PNC produced 26 films in its first nine years of film production.
History
Pritish Nandy Communications was founded in September 1993 by Pritish NandyPritish Nandy
Pritish Nandy is a Indian poet, painter, journalist, politician, media and television personality, animal activist and film producer. He is Bengali by ethnicity. He was member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament representing Maharashtra based party Shiv Sena...
, a writer, journalist, TV presenter and former Member of the Indian Parliament. The Pritish Nandy Show, India’s first signature chat show, was the company's first output, followed by a variety of news and entertainment productions. Since then, it has covered the parliamentary elections and the most extensive exit poll, in association with The Times of India. PNC’s election production have included India 98 : The Choice and Face Off. Moreover, it has produced environmental chat-shows such as Maneka's Ark, and Heads & Tails a show exploring animal rights and Fiscal Fitness, a corporate and business chat-show. The company has also produced fictional programming such as Mr Gaayab, a comedy serial based on the Invisible Man
Invisible Man
Invisible Man is a novel written by Ralph Ellison, and the only one that he published during his lifetime . It won him the National Book Award in 1953...
and Raj Kahani a lavish costume drama and Yudh a daily soap opera.
Product
The company has produced a wide range of material for television, including news, general entertainment shows, soap operas, chat shows and live events coverage. Its film output ranges from small-scale movies for the domestic market through to large international productions. It was one of the first Indian studios to make global co-productions and use international crew. KaanteKaante
Kaante is a 2002 Bollywood action film directed by Sanjay Gupta and starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Lucky Ali, Kumar Gaurav, Namrata Singh Gujral, Rati Agnihotri, Malaika Arora and Isha Koppikar in the lead roles. The film's plot is based on Quentin...
, a large-scale movie, was shot entirely in Hollywood, and Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, is an Indian movie made by director Sudhir Mishra in 2003, but released in 2005. Set against the backdrop of the Indian Emergency, the movie tells the story of three youngsters in the 70s, when India was undergoing massive social and political changes...
was made with the support of renowned French technicians, courtesy of Fond Sud. The Mystic Masseur
The Mystic Masseur
The Mystic Masseur is a Merchant Ivory film based on the novel of the same title by V. S. Naipaul.It is one of relatively few films directed by Ismail Merchant who is better known as the producer in the Merchant Ivory partnership....
, Nobel Prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul's first work to be filmed, was a PNC co-production with Merchant Ivory. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi was described as ‘The most important film to come out of India in a long time’ by Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur is an Indian film director and producer. A critically acclaimed director, he rose to popularity with the movie Bandit Queen...
, as ‘Indian Cinema’s first great political epic’ by Ashutosh Gowarikar and as ‘A masterpiece’ by Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences acquired the script of Shabd
Shabd (film)
Shabd is a 2005 Bollywood movie produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, and directed by Leena Yadav. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai and Zayed Khan. The film got good reviews but failed at the Box Office...
, a PNC film, for their Margaret Herrick collection. In 2005, PNC’s Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi was in the running for India’s entry to the Oscars.
PNC's current content library has been valued at Rs 3 billion. Movies, television shows, news footage, televised events and staged shows, are a part of this growing library.
PNC movies are aimed at young, urban audiences with a progressive outlook. The media calls this the "multiplex movie". Over the past 9 years, PNC has made the most number of multiplex movies with new, untried talent.
Achievements
In 2003, the company was featured in Deloitte Touche’s Fast500, ranking it among the 500 fastest growing companies in the technology, media and telecom sector in the Asia Pacific.From Kaante, a movie that broke box office records, to crossover movies like Bollywood Calling and Jhankaar Beats, with which 20th Century Fox made its distribution debut in India to Chameli, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Pyaar Ke Side Effects
Pyaar Ke Side Effects
Pyaar Ke Side Effects is a Bollywood movie released in September 2006. It was produced under the banner of Pritish Nandy communications and was written and directed by first time director Saket Chaudhary. Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat played the lead cast. The film is a romantic comedy, and...
which have travelled the film festival circuit world over to Meerabai Not Out
Meerabai Not Out
Meerabai Not Out, based on cricket, is a 2008 Hindi Bollywood film that stars Mahesh Manjrekar, Mandira Bedi, Eijaz Khan and Anupam Kher. It is a Pritish Nandy Communications presented movie, directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni....
, a boutique sports film that was distributed globally by Hollywood major Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
. PNC was named Producer of the Year at the Bollywood Movie Awards, 2003 in Atlantic City and won the Hottest Film trophy for Kaante at the Stardust Awards, 2003. It has also received awards for producing the Most Stylish Film, Kaante at the Bollywood Fashion Awards, 2003, New York and in 2005, PNC was the first movie company to win the Golden Peacock Global Award for Corporate Governance at the World Congress for Corporate Governance, London. the 4th Indira Award, 2005 for Brand and Marketing Excellence in Pune, 2005 and the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Cinema at the Star Screen Awards, 2006.
PNC won the International Business Excellence Award from the Institute of Economic Studies, Bangkok in 2008 and the International Quality Star Award in the Gold Category at the World Quality Convention in Geneva, 2008.
The Company won the Golden Peacock Award 2004 for Innovation in Media from the Institute of Directors. The award was for pioneering the multiplex movie, product promotion and strategic brand innovation. Pritish Nandy
Pritish Nandy
Pritish Nandy is a Indian poet, painter, journalist, politician, media and television personality, animal activist and film producer. He is Bengali by ethnicity. He was member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament representing Maharashtra based party Shiv Sena...
received the Top CEO trophy from the Institute of Marketing and Management in 2005.
The PNC movie brand has been valued by Brand Finance
Brand Finance
Brand Finance is an independent intangible asset valuation consultancy. It advises strongly branded organisations, or those with valuable intangible assets, on how to maximise their value through effective management of their brand and other intangible assets...
, UK in 2006 at Rs 2653 million.
Recent developments
The Company has inked a 3 film co-production deal with Hollywood major Sony Pictures who distributed PNC’s Meerabai Not OutMeerabai Not Out
Meerabai Not Out, based on cricket, is a 2008 Hindi Bollywood film that stars Mahesh Manjrekar, Mandira Bedi, Eijaz Khan and Anupam Kher. It is a Pritish Nandy Communications presented movie, directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni....
globally in 2008.
In a 100 million dollar deal, Pritish Nandy and Sascha Vijay Sippy, Chairman of Sholay Media and Entertainment, official right holders of the Sholay franchise, have decided to work together to develop the Sholay franchise. This will include the official remake, prequel and sequel of Sholay and an animated version of the original movie.
PNC has also signed an exclusive contract with writer and director Rajat Kapoor, who produced 2007’s successful comedy, Bheja Fry. The first of these films is Raat Gayi Baat Gayi which released in 2009. Raat Gayi Baat Gayi won The Best Film Award at HBO’s New York South Asian International Film Festival before going on to secure lead nominations for its actors, Neha Dhupia and Vinay Pathak, at The Star Screen Awards 2010 in Mumbai.
PNC has recently launched a new movie initiative, PNC Guerrilla Flicks. Under this banner, PNC will put out multiple smart budget features that will meet usual commercial objectives and will further the cause of new cinema among young, emerging Indian audiences as well as showcase the other face of Indian cinema to global viewers.
PNC has signed a 5 film animation agreement with Florida-based Motion Pixel Corporation to co-produce, market and distribute worldwide, animated versions of cult PNC films. EKEH v2.0, an animated version of PNC’s original con caper Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena, will be the first animated feature to release by virtue of this collaboration.
PNC also has a 6 film deal with DQ Entertainment Ltd, an animation and vfx house, to co-produce live action and animated features. DQE earlier partnered PNC on its live action film, Meerabai Not Out.