Drishyam Films
Drishyam Films is a founder-owned Indian independent film studio (Mumbai, est. 2014) producing festival-grade feature and short films for theatrical and global streaming release, with an international co-production arm in Dubai, the Drishyam–Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and a small DTC book and merchandise line.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Drishyam Films does
Drishyam Films is a privately held, founder-owned independent motion picture studio founded in 2014 by Manish Mundra in Mumbai, India, with a second office — Drishyam Films International (D2) — established in Dubai, UAE. The studio produces feature films and short films that target the festival circuit (Cannes, Sundance, Berlin, Tribeca, Hong Kong) before theatrical and streaming distribution on platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV, ZEE5, and Disney+ Hotstar. Its slate includes Masaan, Newton (India's official entry to the 90th Academy Awards), Dhanak, Umrika, Ankhon Dekhi, Siya, Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi, Love Hostel, Kaamyaab, and Kadvi Hawa, many produced in partnership with Jio Studios, Red Chillies Entertainment, Phantom Films, Sikhya Entertainment, Macassar Productions, Arte France Cinema, and Pathé. The company also operates the Drishyam–Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab for Indian screenwriter development, a YouTube channel (Drishyam Play), and a direct-to-consumer storefront selling founder-authored books such as 'Wild Africa: Through My Lens' (Rupa Publications) and merchandise. Revenue is generated through one-time film licensing deals, international co-productions via D2, and modest book/merchandise sales; no external institutional investment, parent company, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the input data.
Drishyam Films firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Drishyam Films
- Legal name
- Drishyam Films
- Website
- https://drishyamfilms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Drishyam Films is a founder-owned Indian independent film studio (Mumbai, est. 2014) producing festival-grade feature and short films for theatrical and global streaming release, with an international co-production arm in Dubai, the Drishyam–Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and a small DTC book and merchandise line.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Drishyam Films is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Drishyam Films business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Film Production & Distribution: Drishyam Films produces feature films and short films that are distributed through theatrical releases and streaming platforms. The company produces internationally recognized, award-winning films including Masaan, Newton, Umrika, and others.
- Book Sales & Merchandise: Sale of books authored by founder Manish Mundra, including 'Wild Africa: Through My Lens' priced at ₹2,995, and merchandise through the company's e-commerce platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Wild Africa: Through My Lens hardcover book |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels3 records
Drishyam Films product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Drishyam Films produces and distributes independent feature films and short films, primarily in Hindi and other Indian languages, with a focus on content-driven cinema that premieres at major international film festivals before securing global distribution through streaming platforms and theatrical releases. The company also sells books authored by its founder and related merchandise through its own e-commerce store, and runs the Drishyam-Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab to develop emerging screenwriting talent.
Product overview
Drishyam Films is a global motion picture studio that operates as a unified content production company offering multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include Feature Films (full-length narrative productions spanning genres like drama, black comedy, and anthology) and Short Films (short-form content). Supporting products include Merchandise (books and items), with Wild Africa: Through My Lens being a published book product. Drishyam Films International (D2) serves as the international co-production arm based in Dubai, while Drishyam Play provides a YouTube distribution channel. The company also maintains a team of content developers and collaborates with streaming platforms for distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Feature Films Full-length narrative films produced by Drishyam Films spanning drama, black comedy, and social drama genres. Titles include Newton, Masaan, Siya, Umrika, Dhanak, Ankhon Dekhi, Waiting, Rukh, Kaamyaab, Tryst With Destiny, Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi, and Love Hostel. Films are sold to global streaming platforms and premiered at major international festivals.
- Short Films Short-form narrative films produced by Drishyam Films with runtimes of 6 to 12 minutes, including titles such as Paroksh, BETE, and The Affair. Targeted at digital audiences and shorter content formats.
- Wild Africa: Through My Lens A 174-page hardcover book by Manish Mundra published by Rupa Publications India, featuring wildlife photography from Africa, sold at INR 2,995 through the Drishyam Films online store.
- Drishyam Films International (D2) - International Co-Productions International film production and co-production services offered through Drishyam Films International (D2), based in Dubai, UAE. Focuses on cross-border co-productions including films like Isola with international cast.
- Merchandise Books and other merchandise offered for direct purchase through the Drishyam Films online store at drishyamfilms.com.
Quantifiable outcome
- Newton selected as India's official entry to the 90th Academy Awards
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Drishyam Films
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Drishyam Films technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Drishyam Films partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sundance InstitutecoreManish Mundra established the Drishyam–Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab for aspiring Indian screenwriters, providing mentorship and development opportunities for emerging talent.
- Jio StudioscoreJio Studios co-produced Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi with Drishyam Films.
- Red Chillies EntertainmentcoreRed Chillies Entertainment co-produced Kaamyaab and Love Hostel with Drishyam Films.
- Macassar ProductionsminorCo-produced Masaan with Drishyam Films.
- Phantom FilmsminorCo-produced Masaan with Drishyam Films.
- Sikhya EntertainmentminorCo-produced Masaan with Drishyam Films.
- Arte France CinemaminorCo-produced Masaan with Drishyam Films.
- Pathe ProductionminorCo-produced Masaan with Drishyam Films.
- Gauri Khan (Red Chillies)coreGauri Khan co-produced Love Hostel with Drishyam Films.
- Elahe HiptoolaminorCo-produced Dhanak with Drishyam Films.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Drishyam Films competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dharma Productions: Major Indian production company producing both theatrical Bollywood hits and streaming-first content for Netflix India. Operates as a broad incumbent spanning commercial and prestige Indian cinema at significantly larger scale.
- Jio Studios: Mumbai-based film production and distribution arm of Reliance, one of the largest in India. Strategic partner of Drishyam (co-produced 'Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi') and represents a much larger incumbent that increasingly produces streaming-first content with bigger budgets.
- Yash Raj Films: Largest and oldest Indian film production and distribution studio. Operates as a broad incumbent in Indian cinema with major theatrical distribution capabilities that Drishyam's festival-first strategy intentionally bypasses; notably the company's Mumbai office is located opposite Yash Raj Films.
- Tips Industries: Long-established Indian production and music company with a diversified catalog spanning Bollywood films and music. Represents a broader incumbent in Indian entertainment with more revenue streams and longer operating history than Drishyam's film-only focus.
- Eros International (ErosSTX Global): Major Indian film production, distribution, and OTT company (Eros Now) with a vast library of Bollywood titles. Much larger scale than Drishyam but operates in the same Indian film production and distribution space across theatrical and streaming.
Direct peers
- Sikhya Entertainment: Indian independent production company founded by Guneet Monga, known for art-house and festival-circuit films including Oscar-winning 'The Elephant Whisperers'. Co-produced 'Masaan' with Drishyam Films and shares the same indie-cinema-first ethos with multiple international festival wins.
- Aamir Khan Productions: Indian production house founded by actor Aamir Khan, known for content-driven, message-oriented films (Lagaan, Dangal, Taare Zameen Par). Shares Drishyam's content-first ethos and festival credibility, though operates at much larger scale and budget.
- RSVP Movies: Indian production house producing a mix of commercial and content-driven films including Netflix originals. Comparable to Drishyam in producing prestige Indian cinema with strong streaming distribution and festival visibility.
- Emmay Entertainment: Indian production company founded by Nikkhil Advani, producing films across commercial and indie genres with international co-production elements. Comparable in producing Indian films for both theatrical and digital release with quality-driven sensibility.
- Vaanar Media: Indian independent production company focused on content-driven films and digital content, with similar approach to producing quality Indian cinema for festival and OTT audiences. Comparable in scale and indie-first positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Drishyam Films social profiles
Digital presenceDrishyam Films financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Drishyam Films leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Drishyam Films subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Drishyam Films funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Drishyam Films M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Drishyam Films
What does Drishyam Films do?
Drishyam Films produces and distributes independent feature films and short films, primarily in Hindi and other Indian languages, with a focus on content-driven cinema that premieres at major international film festivals before securing global distribution through streaming platforms and theatrical releases. The company also sells books authored by its founder and related merchandise through its own e-commerce store, and runs the Drishyam-Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab to develop emerging screenwriting talent.
Is Drishyam Films a public or private company?
Drishyam Films is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Drishyam Films founded?
Drishyam Films was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Drishyam Films based?
Drishyam Films is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Drishyam Films make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Film Production & Distribution is the primary driver. The others are book Sales & Merchandise.
Who are Drishyam Films's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dharma Productions, Jio Studios, Yash Raj Films, Tips Industries and Eros International (ErosSTX Global). Direct peers are Sikhya Entertainment, Aamir Khan Productions, RSVP Movies, Emmay Entertainment and Vaanar Media.
Does Drishyam Films have an API?
No public API is recorded for Drishyam Films.