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As Ranveer Singh starrer Dhurandhar crosses the 800-crore gross box office mark globally just 16 days into its release, the numbers are dominating the headlines. But within the industry, the conversation has quickly shifted from box-office tallies to something more than that, the series of decisions that made such a release possible in the first place. At the centre of those decisions was Jyoti Deshpande, President of Jio Studios, whose approach to building filmed entertainment at scale is altering how Indian studios operate.
Jyoti Deshpande Chose To Internalise Distribution For Dhurandhar
The first significant call was structural. Dhurandhar was written and executed as a two-part film, which is a format rarely attempted at this scale in Hindi cinema outside established franchises. The decision was driven by long-term economics. It was a risk of sorts in the current volatile market, as it extended audience engagement and created continuity beyond a single theatrical window. However, the studio positioned the film in such a way that it left people on an enticing cliffhanger. The response validated the strategy. Footfalls remained strong well into the second week, and anticipation for the second instalment scheduled for 2026 has already been built into the market.
Equally consequential was Jio Studios’ decision to distribute the film itself. In an industry where studios often rely on external partners for theatrical rollout, Deshpande chose to internalise distribution for Dhurandhar. The move brought greater control over release strategy, pricing and logistics and also improved margins. To anchor this shift, the studio brought in Deepak Sharma, a long-time PVR executive, to head distribution and the profit centre. The nationwide rollout that followed was one of the most coordinated releases seen this year, signalling that Jio Studios intends to operate across the full value chain going forward.
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Jio Studios Has Emerged As The Most Prolific & Sustained Production House In The Country
Dhurandhar is only the most recent example in what has been a sustained run for the studio. Over the past two years, Jio Studios has emerged as the most prolific and commercially consistent film producer in the country. In 2024, the studio backed diverse films, including Munjya, Stree 2, Article 370, Shaitaan, and Laapataa Ladies. The same continued this year, where Skyforce, Dhurandhar sit next to punchy movies like Mrs and Saali Mohabbat. The range is notable, from large-scale commercial cinema to rooted, character-driven plots, but so is the outcome. Each film found its audience, either through box-office success, critical acclaim, and often both.
Laapataa Ladies stood apart in that lineup. The film travelled internationally, earned widespread critical recognition, and was selected as India’s official entry for the Academy Awards. Its success reinforced an essential point about Deshpande’s leadership: scale and sensitivity are not mutually exclusive. Under her watch, Jio Studios has demonstrated that commercially viable cinema can coexist with films that address social realities and appeal to global audiences.
Jio Studios Had A Fruitful 2025 In Terms Of Major OTT Releases
The same thinking extends to digital platforms. In 2025, Jio Studios released more than 11 direct-to-OTT films across Netflix and ZEE5, including Mrs, Dhoom Dhaam, Bhagwat, Saali Mohabbat and Baramulla. Rather than treating streaming as a secondary plan, the studio has approached it as an equal pillar, with projects designed specifically for the medium, rather than as a spillover from theatrical plans.
Jyoti Deshpande’s Acute Decision Making Shaping Jio Studios’ Clear Vision
What has made Deshpande one of the most widely respected studio heads in the industry is consistency. Filmmakers describe a decision-maker who is accessible, decisive and clear about expectations. Exhibitors point to predictability in execution. Platforms see a partner that understands both content and commerce. In an ecosystem often marked by caution, her willingness to commit to stories, formats and infrastructure has set Jio Studios apart.
As the industry grapples with changing audience behaviour and tightening economics, Jyoti Deshpande’s influence lies less in headline-making statements and more in the systems she is building. With Dhurandhar Part 2 on the horizon and a steady pipeline across theatres and streaming, Jio Studios’ trajectory suggests that this is not a peak moment, but part of a longer arc, for Indian cinema, that may prove to be its most lasting contribution.
More About Jio Studios’ Latest Success – Dhurandhar
Dhurandhar is a high-octane action-thriller written, directed, and produced by Aditya Dhar, and produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar. It features a stellar cast including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sara Arjun. Presented by Jio Studios, a B62 Studios production, the film opened to massive numbers at the box office and is witnessing a successful theatrical run with Dhurandhar Part 2 slated for a 2026 release. An even bigger box-office monster is widely anticipated, making a blockbuster hat-trick for Jio Studios not just possible, but very much on the cards.
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