For the Name’s Sake

In an industry that’s primarily star driven,what’s attractive about a production house’s name? For starters,a significance,a deeper meaning,the future,and something that connects these production houses to their work and the names behind it.

When RK Films made a dramatic appearance on the silver screen,people knew it was another masterpiece from the Kapoors. Nasir Hussain Films was known for its big bang entry with a famous Urdu couplet. While Guru Dutt Movies Pvt Ltd needs no introduction,Navketan Films was Vijay Anand’s legacy. If Manmohan Desai’s MKD Films spelt entertainment,Yash Raj Films was all about love and Vishesh Films is Bhatts’ intellectual property.

While Aamir Khan Productions sticks to the family name,other directors ,both in the world of television and films,are coming up with rather amusing and equally entertaining names for their production houses. Take actor-turned-director Parveen Dabbas,whose directorial debut,Sahi Dhandhe,Galat Bande,is being produced under his own production house,and there is something ‘very fishy’ about it. Stepping out of the box,Dabbas took inspiration from deep waters and went hook,line and sinker for a title like Very Very Fishy Films. “It stands for my love for water and scuba diving,and the fact that I didn’t want to get into the ego space of naming the production house after my name,” says Dabbas,who adds that how with this name,he is “testing the waters and making films his way”. Exactly the same thing that Ekta Kapoor is doing with her alter ego,Alt Entertainment Ltd. A division of Balaji Films,Kapoor wanted to break away from the usual fare that she was dishing out under Balaji,and instead experiment with new genres of filmmaking. ‘Alt Entertainment is a platform for new directors,writers,actors,ideas and everything new and different,” says Kapoor.

Then there is Abhay Deol’s Forbidden Films,which mirrors the experimental actor’s contemporary,dark and edgy approach. As for Saif Ali Khan’s Illuminati Films,it leaps out of a Dan Brown novel. In an ode to Sholay and the heroine in the wet white sari,Lara Dutta has christened her production house Bheegi Basanti,while hubby Mahesh Bhupathi goes by Big Daddy Productions.

As the business of naming production houses turns into a grossing and engrossing matter,Mukul Deora jumps in with Watchtower Entertainment Pvt Ltd,a line picked from a Bob Dylan song,All Along the Watchtower. “It is not about the name as much as it is about the meaning behind it,the imagery it conjures in your sub-conscious,and that’s the impact I wanted through the name,” says Deora,who recently produced Bheja Fry 2 under his banner. Then there are Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan,who have chosen to call their production house Born Free Entertainment. “We wanted to break free from the usual rigmarole of taking established stars and directors. Our philosophy and aim was to do something new,creative and with newcomers. Hence,this name,a platform for talent that has potential,” says Mirza.

A year into his productions,actor Shabbir Alhuwalia has mythological reasons for calling his production house Flying Turtle. “The turtle is considered Lord Vishnu’s avtar,and also,the slow,steady and wise turtle wins the race,” says Ahluwalia,who with this name,is getting into a whole metaphorical space of creativity. Gurpreet Singh of Chandigarh-based Kisaan Productions owes this title to Sohail Khan. “He gave our team a break when we managed production for their film Kisaan. Ever since,my production house is called Kisaan Productions,” says Singh. Now that’s a name call.