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Pen Studios

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Popular Entertainment Network (PEN) India Ltd
Company typePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
Founded31 March 1987
(37 years ago) (1987-03-31)
FounderJayantilal Gada
Headquarters
Mumbai, Maharashtra
,
India
Key people
Jayantilal Gada
Dhaval Jayantilal Gada
Aksshay Jayantilal Gada
Kushal Kantilal Gada
ProductsFilms, music
ServicesFilm production
Film distribution
OwnerJayantilal Gada
Websitepenstudios.in

Pen Studios (formerly Popular Entertainment Network) is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Dr. Jayantilal Gada on 31 March 1987. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. In 1992, the business was restructured under the name Popular Entertainment Network, and began to acquire video rights for movies to be distributed over various media such as video cassettes, satellites, terrestrial platforms, etc. The company subsequently forayed into theatrical and distribution rights of movies.

In the past few years, Pen Studios has produced films such as Kahaani and Shivaay, with many A-listers, that have been a huge success at the box office. The company, now, is also expanding by focusing on producing good regional content.

Pen India Limited launched a new Television Channel named WOW. WOW's content library is full of various old and new Hindi film musics and movies to latest Gujarati, Hindi dubbed (Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada) films, and TV series such as Mahabharat.[1][2][3][4][5]

Initial years

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Dr. Jayantilal Gada started as a small-time entrepreneur with a video library called Popular Video Cassette Co in 1984. Later, he went into trading of video rights and distribution of VHS tapes across India by establishing Asia's biggest video shop, "Popular Video", at Lamington Road, Mumbai.[6]

Brief history

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Restructured and formed Popular Entertainment Network Limited (with brand name 'PEN') in 1992 and started dealing in copyrights of Hindi feature films viz. video, satellite and Doordarshan (DD).[6]

(L-R)Dhaval Gada, Ravi Kishan, Shahrukh Khan and Jayantilal Gada during the premiere of Issaq (2013).

PEN was the largest content provider of Hindi feature films to channels. In 1995, PEN created another landmark by telecasting Sholay 20 years after its theatrical release on Doordarshan and creating a record with the highest ever Television viewing ratings (76 TRPs) with about 7.5 crore revenues.[6]

In 1996, Sony TV telecast Sholay to celebrate its first anniversary and gained the number-one position among satellite channels, beating Zee TV for the first time.

Daughter Bhavita Jayantilal Gada also joined PEN in 2006 and started an animation division with mega projects like Mahabharat.[7]

Nephew Kushal Kantilal Gada joined the group in 2007 after graduating in management studies.

In 2009, son Dhaval Gada, after completing his course at Whistling Woods International Institute, joined PEN to streamline production activities.[6][8]

Film history

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In 2012, PEN's maiden production Kahaani with Sujoy Ghosh proves successful at the box office.[7]

In 2013, PEN released three projects: Issaq, released all over India in 900 theatres. Singh Saab the Great on 1970 screens in India. Mahabharat 3D animation feature film also released in 300 theatres.[9]

In 2014, PEN completed and finally released Sholay 3D in 780 theatres in India. PEN also co-produces and distributes Nagesh Kukunoor's Art House film Lakshmii on 82 screens, Entertainment in 3,200 screens worldwide. PEN also distributed and released Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami on 490 screens and Ketan Mehta's Rang Rasiya on 890 screens.[9]

PEN has been associated in the past with films such as Sauda (1995), Kohram (1999), Lal Baadshah (1999), Kitne Door Kitne Paas (2002), Shararat (2002), and Yeh Mera India (2009) as rights=holders and not as a production.

TV Channels

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  • BFlix Movies (Nitestv.online Movies)[10]
  • All Time Movies (Hindi Movies)
  • ILove (Gujarati Movies)

Filmography

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Production

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The following is a list of notable films in which Jayantilal Gada's Pen India Ltd has been involved.

Year Film Cast
2008 Yeh Mera India Anupam Kher, Purab Kohli
2010 Kaalo Swini Khara
2011 Chatur Singh Two Star Sanjay Dutt, Ameesha Patel
2012 Kahaani Vidya Balan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
2013 Issaq Prateik Babbar, Amyra Dastur, Ravi Kishan
Mahabharat Ajay Devgan, Anil Kapoor
Singh Saab The Great Sunny Deol, Urvashi Rautela, Prakash Raj
2014 Lakshmi Nagesh Kukunoor, Monali Thakur
Sholay 3D Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan
Rang Rasiya Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen
Entertainment Akshay Kumar, Tamannaah
Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami Anupam Kher, Neha Dhupia
2015 P Se PM Tak Meenakshi Dixit
Singh Is Bliing Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Lara Dutta
2016 Rajini Murugan Sivakarthikeyan, Keerthy Suresh, Rajkiran, Soori, Samuthirakani
Mastizaade Sunny Leone, Tusshar Kapoor
Do Lafzon Ki Kahani Randeep Hooda, Kajal Aggarwal
Wah Taj Shreyas Talpade, Manjari Phadnis
Shivaay Ajay Devgn, Sayyeshaa Saigal
Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal
Nagarahavu Vishnuvardhan
2017 Commando 2: The Black Money Trail Vidyut Jamwal, Adah Sharma Esha Gupta
Machine Mustafa Burmawala, Kiara Advani, Ronit Roy
Haseena Parkar Shraddha Kapoor, Siddhanth Kapoor, Ankur Bhatia, Rajesh Tailang
2018 Aiyaary Siddharth Malhotra, Manoj Bajpai, Rakul Preet Singh
GujjuBhai - Most Wanted Siddharth Randeria, Jimit Trivedi
Mercury Prabhu Deva
Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Kriti Kharbanda
Helicopter Eela Kajol, Riddhi Sen, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Neha Dhupia
Namaste England Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra
Sandakozhi 2 Vishal, Rajkiran, Keerthy Suresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
2019 The Accidental Prime Minister Anupam Kher, Akshaye Khanna
Total Dhamaal Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey
Mere Pyare Prime Minister Anjali Patil, Om Kanojiya, Makrand Deshpande, Rasika Agashe
Yeh Saali Aashiqui Vardhan Puri, Shivaleeka Oberoi
2020 Gul Makai Reem Shaikh, Atul Kulkarni, Divya Dutta, Mukesh Rishi, Pankaj Tripathi
2021 The Power Vidyut Jammwal, Shruti Haasan
Kya Meri Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai? Jassie Gill, Surbhi Jyoti
Bhavai Pratik Gandhi, Aindrita Ray
2022 Khiladi Ravi Teja, Arjun Sarja, Unni Mukundan, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Dimple Hayathi
Gangubai Kathiawadi Alia Bhatt
Attack John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Rakul Preet Singh
Chup: Revenge of the Artist Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Pooja Bhatt
2023 Pathu Thala Silambarasan, Gautham Karthik
Chatrapathi Bellamkonda Sreenivas, Nushrratt Bharuccha

Distribution – Pen Marudhar Cine Entertainment

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Pen Marudhar, incorporated in 2018, is known for distributing the best content from Bollywood & Hollywood strategically. It has strategically partnered with top production houses like Bhansali Productions, Red Chillies Ent., T-Series, Balaji Motion Pictures, Pooja Entertainment, Jio Studios & others.

It distributed the most commercially successful as well as critically acclaimed films back-to-back, with the biggest stars of Bollywood such as ‘Badla’ with Amitabh Bachchan, ‘Dreamgirl’ with Ayushmann Khurrana, and ‘Marjaavaan’ with Siddharth Malhotra, followed by the Saif-Tabu starrer ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’, Kartik-Sara starrer ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and Irrfan Khan’s last outing ‘Angrezi Medium. ’ It has a record like no one else of contributing upto 1000 crores to the industry in 2022 just after Pandemic. It successfully released Gangubai Kathiawadi, RRR, Attack & Jersey. Further it went on to release a host of big films in the same year such as Vikram, PS-1, Vikram Vedha, Sita Ramam, Chup, Bhedia and Cirkus among others.In 2023 Pen Marudhar released PS-2, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Satyaprem Ki Katha, Gumraah, Ghoomer and the recent blockbusters Jawan and Dream Girl-2. Its upcoming project is the most awaited film of 2023 ‘Dunki’

PM’s success isn’t limited to just Bollywood, Pen Marudhar distributes successful films down South such as ‘Sarileru and Neekevaru’ with the mega star Mahesh Babu, and made the right noise in Hollywood by associating with ‘Bombshell’ that was nominated in Oscars. Apart from this their Hollywood list includes ‘Annabelle-comes home’ and ‘Knives Out’. Further it distributed Korean Dramas ‘Decibel & 6/45’ and the French film ‘Three Musketers – D’Artaganan in 2023

References

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  1. ^ "A new TV channel that will wow viewers". The Times of India.
  2. ^ "Pen expands its digital presence, Launches New Channel 'WOW' in Delhi!". 18 July 2018.
  3. ^ [1][permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Jayantilal Gada's Pen India to launch four channels in April 2018 - TelevisionPost". Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  5. ^ "Jayantilal Gada's Pen India launched new channel 'WOW'". 19 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Jayantilal Gada: I feel proud that today I am making films with the same stars whose video cassettes I sold at one time". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Watch: Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Vidya Balan in animated 'Mahabharat'". Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Dhaval Gada Of PEN India : I'll Keep My Father Jayantilal Gada's Head Held High With Pride". Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Pen India Limited". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  10. ^ "BFlix". Nites TV (Nitestv.online).
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