UTV Motion Pictures

UTV Motion Pictures
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryFilm production, film distribution
Founded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
FounderRonnie Screwvala
Zarina Screwvala
Defunct2017; 7 years ago (2017)
FateAbsorbed into Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
HeadquartersMumbai, India
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Mahesh Samat
    (Managing director)
  • Amrita Pandey
    (Vice-president)
ProductsMotion pictures
ServicesFilm production, marketing and distribution
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company India
Websitecorporate.disney.in/disney-companies/studios

UTV Motion Pictures (also known as Disney UTV from 2012–13) was the feature film unit of UTV Software Communications founded by Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Screwvala in 1996 as UTV Motion Pictures Plc., the film distribution division of UTV Software Communications. It was one of the leading film studios in India and one of the largest production studios in South Asia. The studio's activities spanned creative development, production, marketing, distribution, licensing, merchandising, and worldwide syndication of films in Indian territories. It was also a distribution label of Disney for feature films produced by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in India.

UTV Motion Pictures had a library of domestic regional films and animation productions alongside select international productions with the studio moving into film production in Bollywood, and further expanding in Hollywood in partnership with studios such as 20th Century Studios, Walt Disney Pictures and Sony Pictures.[1] In July 2017, Disney shut down UTV Motion Pictures, shortly after the release of the film Jagga Jasoos, and planned to focus on its Hollywood films distribution and television and licensing and merchandising businesses through the banner, effectively pulling the plug on its Hindi film production.[2]

  1. ^ "UTV & Fox in Strategic Tie-up -To co-produce M Night Shyamalan's next movie". India PR Wire. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Disney India to exit from Hindi film production business". The Economic Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.