Actor Dev Patel, who was last seen in The Green Knight, has launched his own production company, Minor Realm, ANI reported. Along with the company’s launch, Patel has also made two major hires; Sony Pictures’ Lakshmi Iyengar and producer Samarth Sahni, who will both report directly to Patel.
Iyengar most recently served as Sony Pictures’ vice president of worldwide acquisitions and production, working on films including Ammonite, Late Night, and The Wedding Guest, in which Patel starred. She has also worked at Universal Pictures and Focus Features. Iyengar is also the Co-Artistic Director and lead dancer for the Rangoli Dance Company. In her new role, she will be producing and overseeing the company’s film and television development slate.
On the other hand, Sahni will join as EVP, production, producing film and television projects in Minor Realm. He has previously worked on major studio releases including The Dark Knight Rises, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Life of Pi. Sahni is also a producer on Patel’s directorial debut, Monkey Man. He was also a producer on The Wedding Guest and Patel’s directorial short film Home Shopper.
“There are so many critical stories and visions from incredibly talented minds that need to be told but there too often is no avenue or opportunity to do so,” Patel said in a statement. “Our passion at Minor Realm is to foster and advocate for these creatives. Both Lakshmi and Samarth have such strong backgrounds in developing a wide range of content and I couldn’t think of two better executives to work hand and hand with.”
Recommended
Patel already has a first-look deal to produce, develop and create projects with Shivani Rawat’s production and finance venture, ShivHans Pictures.
“We are thrilled about the expansion of Minor Realm and the opportunity for ShivHans Pictures to continue to partner with such a creative team. Their vision perfectly complements the storytelling we look to produce and we look forward to developing and showcasing important voices and content to audiences,” said Shivani Rawat, Founder and CEO of ShivHans Pictures in a press release.
Patel and ShivHans Pictures previously collaborated on Hotel Mumbai.