Media Entertainment

Why Bollywood is now selling equity instead of dreams

Sohini Mitter

January 28, 2026 | 8 Min Read

As box-office volatility rises and traditional safety nets disappear, Bollywood producers are turning to corporate capital for stability. From equity dilution to music-led deals, IP ownership and recurring revenues are fast replacing star power as the industry’s core risk hedge.

For decades, Hindi cinema prided itself on being instinct-led, star-driven, and strictly informal in how it financed itself. Banks stayed away, balance sheets were thin, and risk was quietly outsourced—first to individual film financiers (who even funded projects based on interpersonal relationships at times), then to satellite television, and later to streaming platforms.

That model is now breaking as the market is correcting.

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