Mumbai: Mumbai-based production and storytelling company Cinerea Films has announced a significant expansion of its leadership structure, with Sumukh Tawde and Rohan Patil joining founder Rohit Mhatre as Co-Founders, marking the company’s transition into a full-stack studio model focused on content creation, production, strategy, and original intellectual property development.
The move comes as Cinerea enters its next phase of growth after nearly a decade in branded content and commercial storytelling. The company plans to extend its capabilities into feature films, streaming originals, and original IP development, while continuing to strengthen its established advertising and production business.
Founded in 2016 by Rohit Mhatre, Cinerea Films has delivered more than 250 brand films across over 60 clients spanning FMCG, automotive, real estate, hospitality, fashion, consumer durables, lifestyle, luxury, and social impact sectors. Its portfolio includes campaigns for brands such as HUL, Honda, Tanishq, Reliance Digital, ITC, Sterling Holidays, Tata Trusts, and Maruti Suzuki.
With the expanded founding team bringing together expertise across production, content development, entertainment, marketing, and business strategy, Cinerea aims to position itself at the intersection of entertainment, branded storytelling, and audience engagement.
The company noted that as India’s content ecosystem evolves through the rise of streaming platforms, changing audience behaviours, creator-led media, and AI-enabled workflows, the distinction between content, marketing, and distribution is becoming increasingly fluid. Cinerea’s integrated studio structure has been designed to address this shift through a unified model that combines storytelling, production, strategic planning, and audience insight.
The new leadership team brings over three decades of combined experience across media and entertainment.
Rohit Mhatre, Co-Founder, Production & Original Media, has spent over a decade building Cinerea’s production business and has also produced Marathi feature films including Punashcha Hari Om, which found audiences across streaming and television platforms.
Speaking about the company’s next phase, Rohit Mhatre said, “Our DNA has always been rooted in powerful visual grammar. We spent a decade mastering it in advertising. Now, with the right team in place, we are ready to bring that same rigour to long-form storytelling.”
Joining him is Sumukh Tawde as Co-Founder, Content & Creative Development. Tawde brings experience across cinema, television, OTT and digital platforms and was part of the founding team behind ZEE5, leading content initiatives across Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu markets.
Commenting on the expansion, Sumukh Tawde, Co-Founder, Content & Creative Development, Cinerea Films said, “Good creative work is never just about aesthetics. It’s about what someone feels when the screen goes dark, and whether that feeling stays with them. That conviction is what drives everything we build at Cinerea.”
Rohan Patil joins as Co-Founder, Strategy & Growth, bringing experience across entertainment marketing, channel launches, sports properties, and audience growth initiatives through previous leadership roles at Zee Entertainment and Viacom18.
Explaining the strategic vision behind the studio’s transformation, Rohan Patil, Co-Founder, Strategy & Growth, Cinerea Films said, “The market no longer separates content from marketing from distribution. It’s all one conversation now. Cinerea is built for that reality, where strategy and storytelling sit together from day one, and every piece of work is designed not just for creative impact, but for real commercial value.”
Going forward, the expanded leadership team will oversee Cinerea Films’ growth initiatives, institutional entertainment partnerships, and an active slate of original content spanning feature films, streaming originals, and branded storytelling across multiple languages and platforms.
The company believes the next phase of growth in India’s media and entertainment industry will be driven by integrated creative ecosystems capable of combining storytelling excellence with measurable business outcomes and scalable audience engagement.
