Bollywood Hungama

Vikram Malhotra on Abundantia Entertainments focus on women-first stories and AI: Were entering an era of disruptive storytelling where every convention weve accepted over last 100 years will be challenged

For Vikram Malhotra, Founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment, the studios focus on women-first storytelling over the past 12 years has been more than a creative choice. He describes it as a deliberate business strategy aimed at addressing a significant gap in the Indian entertainment market. Abundantia Entertainments filmography includes titles such as Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Jalsa, Chhorii, Daldal and the recently released Maa Behen. While stories led by women were once often viewed as niche, Malhotra believes they represent a much larger audience opportunity. This was never an ad hoc creative choice for us. It was a strategic decision and one of the defining pillars of our business. I dont believe stories are women-led or men-led; great stories are simply great stories. But when you look at the changing dynamics of audiences and consumer aspirations, one reality becomes impossible to ignore. India has an addressable audience of nearly 70 crore women across age groups, yet for decades, mainstream cinema was disproportionately serving only one half of the market. That represented one of the largest white spaces in Indian entertainment. We built Abundantia around addressing that gap, and today, that strategic clarity has become one of our strongest competitive advantages. Malhotra also rejects the idea that such films are intended exclusively for female audiences. According to him, the focus is on creating stronger and more relatable characters. Ive always disliked the term female-centric because it immediately suggests these stories are somehow meant only for women. Thats simply not true. What audiences respond to are compelling characters. For years, the archetype of the Indian mother or female protagonist was someone defined by sacrifice, silence or submission. Then you have Rekha in Maa Behen, played by Madhuri Dixit, who arrives like a force of nature and shatters every one of those conventions. She chooses herself. She lives life unapologetically on her own terms. Thats what makes her universal. He points out that Abundantias audience data also reflects this approach, with men continuing to form a substantial part of the audience across age groups. Looking ahead, Malhotra sees technology, particularly artificial intelligence, playing an important role in the evolution of storytelling. Abundantias AI-focused creative division, aiON, is developing multiple AI-driven films, alongside the studios work in psychological horror and science fiction. AI isnt replacing creativityit is amplifying it. Our philosophy is simple: human first, AI empowered. The storyteller will always remain at the centre. AI simply gives that storyteller a far bigger canvas, allowing ideas that were previously impossible, impractical or prohibitively expensive to become reality. Malhotra believes these changes will also raise audience expectations, with originality becoming increasingly important. Were entering an era of disruptive storytelling where almost every convention weve accepted over the last hundred years will be challenged. The audiences benchmark for originality will become dramatically higher. Over the next decade, I dont believe there will be much middle ground left. Whether its a theatrical film or a streaming series, audiences will either deeply embrace what you create or reject it completely. The premium on originality, conviction and bold storytelling has never been higher. For Abundantia Entertainment, the approach represents the next stage of its strategy: combining differentiated storytelling with technology while continuing to invest in areas it believes have significant audience potential. Also Read : Abundantia Entertainment CEO Vikram Malhotra says audiences want rooted stories and unique characters: Indians want stories that reflect the world they live in