The filmmaker's newly launched production house will enter into strategic partnerships to tell a wide variety of stories across genres. And while he will be creatively involved with this venture, he insists he won't cease being an independent director
Hansal Mehta, Filmmaker, director and producer
Image: Bajirao Pawar for Forbes India
Hansal Mehta is known to stick his neck out and do what he believes in. Way back in 1993, for instance, when the makers of Khana Khazana, a television show that he directed, wanted a housewife to host it since it was related to cooking, he insisted that a chef, Sanjeev Kapoor, presents the series. It is such conventional mindsets that Mehta hopes to challenge with True Story Films, his newly launched production house in association with Sahil Saigal, who produced the filmmaker’s 2022 directorial Faraaz. The venture is backed by film industry veterans Vinod Bhanushali and Parag Sanghvi.
Known for hard-hitting films such as Shahid (2013) and Aligarh (2015), and popular web series like Scam 1992 (2020) and Scoop (2023), Mehta reveals that True Story Films will have content across genres, especially those that he has not attempted so far—love stories and big-ticket thrillers, for example. The National Award-winning filmmaker is also keen on making Gujarati films as a commitment to his roots. He says he has invested in writers who are working round-the-clock and that the banner should have its first few releases in 2026.
In a conversation with Forbes India at True Story Films’ cosy office in Bandra, Mumbai, Mehta, 56, talks about what compelled him to start a production house after a three-decade stint in the entertainment world, his creative and commercial vision, the reason he won’t cease to be an independent director, and why long-form storytelling excites him. Edited excerpts:
Q. How did the idea of starting a production house come about?