Sagar Pictures Entertainment, the banner behind the iconic television series ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Shri Krishna’, yesterday announced its foray into the global studio business with an intellectual property (IP)-led strategy focused on developing franchise entertainment across films, gaming, music and immersive experiences.

In a statement, according to a PTI report from Mumbai yesterday, the company said it is expanding beyond traditional film and television production to create original cinematic universes that can extend across multiple platforms, including consumer products, theme parks and emerging media.

Its first project under the new strategy is ‘Shrimad Bhagavatam’, a seven-part live-action feature film franchise based on the ancient Hindu scripture Bhagavata Mahapurana.

Akash Sagar Chopra, CEO of Sagar Pictures Entertainment, said the company aims to present India’s cultural and spiritual stories to global audiences through contemporary filmmaking.

“India is home to some of the world’s most timeless stories, many of which remain underexplored in cinema. These narratives are not only entertaining but also carry profound spiritual and cultural wisdom.

“At Sagar Pictures Entertainment, our vision is to preserve their authenticity while reimagining them through world-class cinematic storytelling for audiences across generations and geographies,” Chopra said.

He said ‘Shrimad Bhagavatam’ reflects the scale of the company’s ambitions.

“Our first step in this journey is ‘Shrimad Bhagavatam’, a project that reflects the scale and ambition with which we want to approach storytelling.

“As we build this and future franchises, our focus is on creating stories that can grow beyond cinema into meaningful experiences across multiple platforms, while staying rooted in the authenticity and values that define India’s cultural heritage,” he added.

Founded in 1954 by filmmaker Ramanand Sagar, the production house is one of India’s oldest film and television banners.

It rose to national prominence with the television adaptations of ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Shri Krishna’, which became landmark shows and continue to enjoy a wide following in India and overseas.

According to the company, ‘Shrimad Bhagavatam’, currently in production, is being developed for premium large-format exhibition and is envisioned as the first live-action feature adaptation of the Bhagavata Mahapurana.

The franchise is expected to form the cornerstone of Sagar Pictures Entertainment’s long-term strategy of building globally scalable entertainment properties rooted in Indian mythology and culture.