Aha and People Media Factory's SIFF celebrate regional cinema excellence
Aha, promoted by Ramu Rao of TV9 and the My Home Group, along with Allu Aravind, founder of Geetha Arts, is seeking strategic partnerships, including potential buyouts, to expand its subscriber base and content across more South Indian languages
Hyderabad: Aha and People Media Factory’s South India Film Festival (SIFF) kicked off its inaugural edition with a lamp-lighting ceremony attended by notable figures such as Minister of Cinematography and R&B, Komatreddy Venkatreddy, Mr Allu Arvind (Co-Founder of Aha), Megahana Jupally (Director of Myhome Constructions and Meru Schools), TG Vishwa Prasad (People Media Factory), Ajit Thakur, Ravikant Sabnavis (CEO of Aha), and Director Vamsi Paidipally. The festival aimed to celebrate regional storytelling and cinematic excellence.
Throughout the day, there were discussions on various topics such as Telugu cinema with Mayank Shekhar and Allu Aravind, a GenZ perspective panel with Santosh Shoban, Anand Devarakonda, and Sri Gouri Priya, and a conversation on cinema success formula with Suparn Verma and producer Anil Thadani. A fireside chat led by Indian Film Critic Taran Adarsh with Swapna Dutt discussed the journey of 'Kalki', creating anticipation for the film.
The evening progressed into a glamorous red-carpet event with stars from the South Indian film industry, including Padma Vibhushan Megastar Chiranjeevi, who was honoured during the event. Other attendees included Murali Mohan, director Bobby, Tanikella Bharani, Manchu Lakshmi, Annaya Nagalla, and Viraj.
Allu Arvind, Co-Founder of Aha, expressed the festival's commitment to nurturing new talent in the industry and celebrating diversity in South Indian cinema. TG Vishwa Prasad of People Media Factory highlighted SIFF as a platform for collaboration and innovation in the regional film landscape. Mr. Ravikant Sabnavis, CEO of Aha, emphasized SIFF's role in promoting cultural heritage and supporting emerging filmmakers.
In FY23, Aha, owned by Arha Media & Broadcasting Pvt Ltd, reported a revenue of Rs 122.08 crore, marking a 61 per cent increase from the previous fiscal year. However, losses also rose by 31 per cent to Rs 120.94 crore, as per company filings with the registrar of companies.
About three weeks ago, major news channels reported that Aha planned to bring on a strategic investor to support its growth. The platform has appointed KPMG Corporate Finance as its strategic advisor. Sources also suggest Aha aimed for a valuation of around Rs 2,000 crore.
Aha, promoted by Ramu Rao from the promoter family of TV9 and the My Home Group, along with Allu Aravind, founder of Geetha Arts, is seeking strategic partnerships, including potential buyouts, to expand its subscriber base and content across more South Indian languages. Aha, since its launch in 2020, has become a popular platform for Telugu and Tamil audiences, boasting a library of over 900 movies, series, reality shows, and originals. It currently serves over 7 million monthly active users and as a leading regional OTT player in South India.
The platform's growth strategy includes expanding into tier 2 and 3 markets, rural areas, and international territories in Telugu and Tamil. Additionally, it plans to venture into more regional languages such as Malayalam and Kannada while aiming to increase the average revenue per user (ARPU).
According to a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) report the South Indian streaming and digital media market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 25 per cent, representing a significant opportunity in the Indian media and entertainment industry.
