Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, acquired a 50% stake in Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. Scroll down to read the reason.
Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions has been making headlines recently. News broke that Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, through his Serene Productions, acquired a 50% stake in Dharma Productions, causing quite a stir in the film industry. Johar himself confirmed the partnership, describing Poonawalla as a visionary and innovative leader, and expressed optimism that Poonawalla’s involvement would elevate Dharma Productions to new heights.
While Karan Johar maintains that everything at Dharma is running smoothly, and he looks forward to Adar’s contributions, the exact reason for the stake acquisition remains undisclosed. However, an analysis of Dharma Productions’ recent track record hints at possible financial motives. From 2022 to 2024, Dharma Productions released 10 films, with only one major hit. Four films performed averagely, one was below average, two were flops, and two were categorized as disasters.
The one-hit, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, earned Rs 355.61 crore on a budget of Rs160 crore. Among the average performers were Jug Jugg Jeeyo, featuring Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani, which grossed Rs 136.13 crore on a budget of Rs 85 crores; Brahmastra Part 1, with a budget of Rs 410 crores, which grossed Rs 418 crore worldwide; Kill, which earned Rs 47.12 crore on a budget of Rs 40 crore; and Good Newwz, which brought in Rs 115.74 crore on an Rs 80 crore budget.
The two notable flops included Yodha, starring Sidharth Malhotra, which earned Rs 52 crore on a Rs 55 crore budget, and the recent release Jigra, featuring Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina, which made Rs 52.07 crore against a Rs 90 crore budget. Lastly, in the disaster category were Liger, earning only Rs 60.80 crore on a budget of Rs90 crore, and Selfiee, which managed to earn just Rs 23.63 crore on an Rs 100 crore budget.
These performances reportedly resulted in significant financial losses for Dharma Productions, possibly motivating the partnership with Poonawalla.