Mumbai: Universal Music India (UMI), a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced a strategic partnership with Maddock Films, one of India’s most prolific Hindi film production studios, and its newly launched music label, Mad For Mussic, led by founder Dinesh Vijan. Under this alliance, UMI will become Mad For Mussic’s global strategic partner for future film soundtracks as well as other business and product initiatives.
The collaboration strengthens UMI’s artist-focused presence in India and deepens its participation in the country’s film music sector – the largest music category domestically. Leveraging UMG’s global distribution and marketing network, the partnership will also unlock international opportunities for Mad For Mussic’s catalogue.
Over the past two decades, Maddock Films has emerged as a leading production powerhouse in the Hindi film industry. Known for creating genre-defining content, including the “Hor-Com” (Horror-comedy) franchises such as Stree, Bhediya, Munjya and the upcoming Thama, Maddock Films has consistently recognized music as a core pillar of cinematic storytelling. Its recent success with chart-topping hits like Pardesiya from Param Sundari further underscores the studio’s focus on impactful soundtracks.
UMI, with a strong legacy of working on iconic Hindi film soundtracks such as Sholay, Deewar, Dostana, Yaarana, Julie, Saagar, Shaan, Blackmail, Khamoshi, Bombay, Devdas, and Sur, is set to expand its presence in the contemporary soundtrack space through this partnership.
Speaking on the collaboration, Adam Granite, UMG’s CEO Africa, Middle East, and Asia, said, “This landmark partnership with Maddock Films signals a crucial step forward for our India business. Dinesh Vijan is not just a Hindi film industry veteran, he is a first-class story-teller with an unparalleled ear for music. It is a great privilege for UMI to be able to work on the studio’s forthcoming slate of films, and bring even more incredible Hindi music to audiences the world over.”
Dinesh Vijan, Founder of Maddock Films, added, “We live and abide by the ‘Content-first’ approach. Our cinema is the cinema of real India – emanating from the smallest of towns and impacting audiences in the biggest of cities – in India and abroad. Music is – and has always been – one of the central pillars of my films. UMG is a perfect partner for our ambitions, as we step into the next growth phase of Maddock, developing some of the most sought after movie franchises and creating new genres.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, Managing Director, India & South Asia – UMI, said, “Dinesh Vijan has successfully turned Maddock Films into a content powerhouse with a fearless and forward-thinking approach to storytelling. Their ability to weave tales from our rich and diverse culture, keeping music at the centre has captivated audiences of all backgrounds. The strategic alliance between the creative prowess of Maddock Films and the global reach of Universal Music Group will bring the essence of Indian culture and context to a global audience. Movies and their music are the central pillars of the rapidly growing Indian music market. With this move, Universal Music India will be at the forefront of the ever-expanding soundtrack market in India.”
Devraj Sanyal, Chairman & CEO, India SA; SVP Strategy, Africa, Middle East & Asia – UMI, commented, “This is the perfect time and the perfect partner for us to re-enter the Indian film music space. We have enjoyed great success at UMI in making ipop and desi hiphop culturally relevant and globally resonant, and it’s time for us to give that same love and respect to film music. We couldn’t have hoped for a better partner than Dinesh and there is much more to come from us in this space.”
