Adar Poonawalla acquires 50% stake in Karan Johar's Dharma Productions for Rs 1000 Cr
Mumbai: Adar Poonawalla, billionaire CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), has acquired a 50% stake in Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, one of the country's leading film production houses. The deal, valued at Rs 1000 crore, will see Poonawalla's Serene Production acquire a 50 percent stake in the production house, with Johar retaining the remaining 50 percent.
Talking about the partnership, Adar Poonawalla said, "I am delighted to have the opportunity to partner with one of the most iconic production houses in our nation, along with my friend Karan Johar. We hope to build and grow Dharma and scale even greater heights in the years to come."
Karan Johar, Executive Chairman of Dharma, emphasised that Dharma Productions has been synonymous with heartfelt storytelling that captures the essence of Indian culture. “My father dreamed of creating films that would leave a lasting impact, and I've dedicated my career to expanding that vision. Today, as we join forces with Adar, a close friend and an exceptional visionary and innovator, we're poised to elevate Dharma's legacy to new heights. This partnership represents a perfect blend of our emotional storytelling prowess and forward-thinking business strategies,” he said.
The prominent Bollywood producer and filmmaker also mentioned that this collaboration opens up new possibilities for creating content that resonates across borders and generations. Karan Johar will continue to serve as Executive Chairman and creative head, while Apoorva Mehta remains the CEO of Dharma Productions.
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Sonam Wangchuk breaks fast; home ministry to resume talks with Ladakh groups on December 3
New Delhi, Oct 21: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday ended his fast along with others, after the home ministry assured them that the talks on Ladakh's demands will be resumed in December.
Join Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Prashant Lokhande met the activists, who were sitting on an indefinite fast at Delhi's Ladakh Bhawan since October 6, and handed them a letter from the home ministry.
The letter said the high-powered committee of the ministry, which was holding talks with representatives from Ladakh, will meet them next on December 3.
Following this, Wangchuk and his supporters decided to break their fast and called off the sit-in.
"On the 16th day of our fast, I am happy to say that our main appeal has been resolved. Just now, the joint secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, came here at the Ladakh Bhawan and handed me this letter, which says the talks going on between the apex body of Leh and the KDA in Kargil with the central government will be resumed very soon, by December," Wangchuk said.
He hoped that the outcome of the talks between the ministry and the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, the two socio-political organisations from the two regions of Ladakh, will be positive.
"The talks will be carried out by these bodies and I hope that very good outcomes will come, not just for Ladakh but for the whole nation.
"I just hope that I do not ever again have to do another anshan (fast) for this reason and it will result in a very happy ending. I want to, on this occasion, thank everybody who supported us in this effort," Wangchuk said.
Chering Dorjay Lakruk, the president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), thanked Wangchuk and others who took out a march for resumption of the talks that were stalled.
"The talks will be resumed now. We have not achieved anything yet. We hope that the talks on our four-point demands will be meaningful," he said.
Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa also hoped that the talks will have a meaningful outcome.
"We had to go back to protest because the talks were not resumed even after (the Lok Sabha) election. We are happy that the talks are being resumed and hope that they will continue till a solution is found.
"We hope that the government will take these talks seriously and our issues will be resolved," Haneefa said.
Wangchuk, along with his supporters, marched to Delhi from Leh demanding Ladakh's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. They reached the national capital on September 30 after walking for a month.
They were detained at the capital's Singhu border by the Delhi Police and released on the night of October 2.
Wangchuk sat on the fast on October 6 to press for the demand for Ladakh's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule and meet the top leadership of the government to raise the issue.
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution includes provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in the northeast. It establishes autonomous councils that have legislative, judicial, executive and financial powers to independently govern these areas.
The protesters are also demanding statehood, a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.
The march to Delhi was organised by the Leh Apex Body, which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance, has been spearheading the agitation.
