We are thrilled to have media pioneer Mahendra Soni, co-founder of SVF, on this special episode of The Music Podcast with Tarsame Mittal! A visionary in the Bengali film and music industry, Mahendra ji has played a pivotal role in shaping regional entertainment—from launching blockbuster films to pioneering the digital revolution with Hoichoi.
In this candid conversation, Mahendra ji opens up about his early days—how Sri Venkatesh Films (SVF) started with a small dream and went on to become one of the biggest film production houses in India. He shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories, including the 98’ Bengali film that flopped, the 2002 gamble of making a film with no star, and the challenges of satellite rights negotiations before launching Jalsa Movies.
We also discuss: 🎬 The rise of Sangeet Bangla & why Uday Shankar warned them against it 🎵 Why regional music struggles despite a massive audience & what needs to change 💡 How Hoichoi was built & the vision behind digital transformation ⚖️ The fairness gap in the industry & why Bengali artists deserve their ‘fair share’ 🤔 How he makes bold decisions—using the 'Aag' example 🎤 The nostalgia factor in music & why Hindi is undersold 💰 The real success parameters in entertainment & the biggest failures along the way
Mahendra ji also shares insights on how budding entrepreneurs can break into the industry, why A&R has been his lifelong passion, and why it’s time to #IncreaseThePie for regional entertainment.
This episode is packed with wisdom, humor, and unfiltered perspectives from a media leader who has seen it all. If you’re passionate about the future of Indian entertainment, you don’t want to miss this conversation!
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Precap & Disclaimer
01:24 - Introduction
03:16 - His Journey with SVF Entertainment
33:45 - Size of the Bengali Film Market
48:02 - Balancing Creativity with Commerce
56:13 - How does he make Bold Decisions?
01:03:44 - Biggest Failure in Life
01:07:47 - Opportunities in Bengali Film & Music Industry
01:13:31 - Scope of Growth in SVF
01:31:39 - Steps towards National Recognition for Bengali Content
01:41:20 - Government on Building India’s Soft Power
01:43:43 - Topics that nobody addresses!
01:50:53 - Outro!
📺 Watch the full episode and listen to the audio version on all major streaming platforms! Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more insightful conversations on The Music Podcast! 🎙🎵
💬 Let us know your thoughts in the comments and suggest future guests or topics. Connect with us at themusicpodcast01@gmail.com and be part of our growing community!
Follow Mahendra Soni & SVF: 🔹 Instagram – [https://www.instagram.com/iammony/] 🔹 X – [https://x.com/iammony] 🔹 LinkedIn – [https://in.linkedin.com/in/mahendra-soni-019ba314]
Host: Tarsame Mittal
Guest: Mahendra Soni
Audio Credits:
🎧 Dialogue Editor, Mix & Master by Nikhil Bhagwat
🎧 Producer - Vinita Sabberwal
🎧 Business Head - Dimple Mehta
The Crew:
🎬 Content Team - Abhineet Mandal, Janice Fernandes
🎬 Head of Production – Sahil Choubey
🎬 Post Production - Srinivas Rao, Ashutosh Surendra Kharunkar, Piyush Rajpoot
🎬 Content Researcher – Princy Surana