Guneet Monga has always been a disrupter. In Bollywood, where the power centers of celebrity actors, cinema distributors and agents dominate everything, Monga has been pushing for a new future for a long time.
When Period. End of Sentence, a Netflix film co-produced by Monga, won an Oscar earlier this year, it was more than just a coveted trophy.
“It proves the new future, shows hope,” she tells me.
India has become a fascinating battlefield for the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and several others looking to engage with the next generation of consumers. The intersection of high data speeds, the world’s second-biggest smartphone user base, and the quenchless hunger for entertainment is driving the market into a new tizzy.
Monga, the producer behind some of the other popular movies, including Gangs of Wasseypur and The Lunchbox, shares her journey building her company Sikhya into the next-generation powerhouse that produces movies for the digital platforms.
Her journey has many lessons for anyone looking to carve out a new future in a market ruled by the incumbents.
And yes, there’s an amazing backstory to the Oscar-winning movie Period. End of Sentence.
Please do listen in.