Jio Studios to line up Rs 5,000 cr over 3 yrs for content push despite BO slowdown

Jio Studios plans to invest Rs 4,000-5,000 crore in films and non-film content over the next three years, 30-40% more than in the previous three years, the studio’s president Jyoti Deshpande said in an exclusive interview with ET, even as a prolonged box-office slowdown prompts several established and family-owned studios to scale back

Fresh after the success of the Dhurandhar franchise films co-produced by the Reliance Industries unit, Deshpande exudes a different kind of energy which is both singularly infectious and inspiring. In a tone which is an exquisite combination of self-assuredness and practical knowledge, she underlined a vital piece of information: "Remember a thing. 98% of our content is being released on ‘other’ platforms." These platforms include Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The confidence that backs this fact shows she is acutely conscious of the mammoth success stories Jio Studios has earned in the past eight years of its establishment since 2018.

Such optimism emerges from Jio Studios’ distinguished performance. Most long-established and family-owned studios have been struggling to maintain their prestige due to frequent failures. But Jio Studios has constructed a balanced portfolio of films. On the one hand, it has backed four highly successful money-spinners (more than Rs 500 crore collection each) such as Stree 2, Chhavaa, and the Dhurandhar franchise films in recent years. On the other, it has also provided the much-needed support to films which deserve expression and space: Laapataa Ladies, Baramulla, and Mrs.


And the large credit of this unique success story goes to Jyoti Deshpande. Deshpande’s business acumen and wisdom is complemented by her sensitive and unsentimental understanding of creativity. “Build scale. Keep an eye on the bottom line. And reach as many Indians as possible. This is my strategy,’ she said. "I am more focused on looking into the eye of a filmmaker and gauge his or her conviction. This is vital for me in backing a film. And then other variables follow," she added.

In a thin attention-span economy, Deshpande is a staunch champion of long-form storytelling, especially theatrical films. "Audiences have been used to long-form and immersive storytelling thanks to streamers after the pandemic. In this backdrop, I was confident that the Dhurandhar franchise films will work. The films broke conventional forms of storytelling thanks to its chapterised, immersive storytelling. It showed that a film’s content and not its length works more effectively," she said.

The Dhurandhar franchise films have garnered over Rs 3,000 crore worldwide on a budget less than Rs 500 crore, shared trade analysts.

Deshpande is unperturbed about streamers functioning as studios by releasing films theatrically. "I think consolidation is good. It will expand the market," she said. "We also want our regional films to be watched by more Indians first and then global. This is how we select regional films."

In all, Jio Studios plans to release 10-12 films across languages in 2026. Of these, prominent films are Peddi, Cocktail 2 and Khashaba. “We want to focus more on quality than quantity. High-concept ideas, rather than film budgets, are our priority,” Deshpande said. “Our dream is to unlock the 360-degree value of our IPs. For us, the story and ownership of its IP are essential. Only then will we become a successful vertically integrated studio.”