SINGAPORE — Beach House Pictures, a Blue Ant Media production company based in Singapore, announced today it has partnered with Raghav Khanna (above), former head of Netflix’s documentary productions in the Asia-Pacific region, to launch Riverland Entertainment in Mumbai as part of its continued expansion in Asia.
“The newly formed production company will partner with local Indian talent to create content for global and Indian audiences, while leveraging Beach House Pictures’ international expertise and reach, with access to its post-production facility, Space Lion Studios,” reads a press release.
Riverland Entertainment co-founder Khanna will serve as managing director of the new production company, working closely with Beach House Pictures founders Donovan Chan and Jocelyn Little, the release says.
Khanna “is tasked with developing a slate of compelling unscripted series and documentaries from India for streamers and broadcasters,” the release adds.
“Indian storytellers have been important players in the global film industry for decades and we believe India will continue to grow more prominent as it becomes a vital market for international and regional streamers,” said Chan, who is also creative director of Beach House Pictures, in the release.
“We want to work with the country’s amazing creators and platforms to produce a range of new and unique premium stories that will shine a spotlight on its most fascinating characters and celebrate its rich history and culture in diverse ways,” Chan added.
“Partnering with Raghav and entering India is critical to Beach House Pictures as we expand across Asia, but it’s also crucial that we work with the country’s most exciting storytellers to ensure our projects are truly authentic to the region and its communities,” said Little, who serves as managing director of Beach House Pictures.
“We have worked with Raghav for many years and have grown to admire his excellent leadership, experience and expertise. By joining forces with him, together with Blue Ant Media’s distribution network, we have an incredible opportunity to find a wider audience for our projects.”
Khanna is “a multifaceted creative professional with over 12 years of experience in the non-fiction genre,” the release says.
Prior to co-founding Riverland Entertainment, Khanna led production of documentaries for Netflix in Asia Pacific. He is the writer and creative director of the acclaimed food series Raja Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan (available on Netflix).
“He has been an Executive Producer with Fox and National Geographic for their flagship series such as Masters of Taste with Gary Mehigan and Mega Icons. Raghav has also worked with various Indian celebrities and talent agencies to bring top tier talent to non-fiction shows,” the release says.
“It is an unprecedented time to be a creator as local stories told with authenticity are transcending regional and linguistic boundaries. We want to partner with the Indian creative community, and tap into Beach House Pictures’ genre expertise, to tell stories that are true to their milieu for Indian and international audiences,” Khanna said.
Riverland Entertainment “will also focus on providing line-production services to incoming international productions and help them unlock access to local talent, crews, permits and tax incentives in a region now booming with global productions,” according to the release.
“India’s geographical diversity, robust entertainment industry and recently announced filming tax incentives make for an attractive destination for incoming international productions,” Khanna added.
Beach House Pictures’ continued expansion in Asia includes its acquisitions of a majority stake in Singapore-based scripted producer Momo Film Co. in November 2021 and Tokyo-based production company Vesuvius Pictures in January 2021.
Photo provided by Blue Ant Media.
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