Ronnie Screwvala

Ronnie Screwvala
Born 1 April 1951 (age 67)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation Founder UTV Group (Now Walt Disney India), Founder Trustee of Swades Foundation, Founder of Unilazer Ventures, Board of Advisor AIESEC India
Years active 1981- Present
Spouse(s) Zarina Mehta[1]
Children Trishya Screwvala

Rohinton Soli "Ronnie" Screwvala is a first generation Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist.

He has been named on Esquire's List of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century[2] and ranked 78 among the 100 most influential people in the world on the Time 100 (compiled by Time Magazine, 2009).[3] He was also listed amongst 25 Asia’s Most Powerful people by Fortune Magazine.[4] and titled the Jack Warner of India by Newsweek.[5]

Based in Mumbai, India, Ronnie pioneered Cable Television, built a Media and Entertainment conglomerate (UTV Software Communications) that partnered with News Corp, 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company and Bloomberg and later in 2012 he divested the company to Disney for an enterprise value of US$1.4 billion.[6]

From 2013 onwards he and his wife scaled their Non Profit The Swades Foundation whose goal is to work with a million people in rural India, empower them and move them out of poverty every 6–7 years and then move to another geography.[7] Has co-founded UpGrad which is into Online Education in the higher education and specialization sector,[8] built a Sports company (U Sports) spanning Football / E Sports and Kabaddi,[9] re-entered the media content space to build a creative content company in Movies and Digital Content (RSVP),[10] authored a Book titled Dream with Your Eyes Open[11] and through his investment company Unilazer Ventures he has been a significant private equity investor in Indian start ups with early stage investment and significant minority stakes.[12]

Early life and education

Screwvala was born in Mumbai into a Parsi family. His father was an executive at the British firm J L Morrison and Smith & Nephew. Screwvala schooled and colleged in Mumbai at Cathedral and John Connon School and Sydenham College.[6] Screwvala had a keen interest in theatre while in school and acted in professional plays with Bombay theatre as a hobby. He played notable roles in Shakespeare’s Othello and Death of a Salesman.[13]

Personal life

Screwvala is married to Zarina Mehta, his second marriage. Zarina has been a co-founder in the media company UTV they founded, and now is the co-Trustee of their Philanthropic foundation; The Swades Foundation.[14] They live in Breach Candy, South Mumbai.[15] His first wife, Manjula Nanavati and Screwvala have one daughter, Trishya Screwvala, who runs her own Not For Profit, The Lighthouse Project,[16] and who is married to Sports Commentator Suhail Chandhok.[17]

Early days

Opportunistic in the early days of his entrepreneurship, Screwvala founded a toothbrush manufacturing company.[14] Screwvala’s is also credited with pioneering Cable TV in India (1981) at a time when there was a single terrestrial channel (Doordarshan) and grew that to multiple cities and most of the hotel chains in India.[6]

United Television (UTV) 1990-2012

Screwvala founded UTV and over the period grew it into a media conglomerate spanning a leading movie studio, a Games Studio and creative content company[18] that went public and listed on stock exchanges in 2005[14] and into which Disney gradually took a substantial stake until he divested the whole company to them in 2012.[6]

2013 onwards

The Swades Foundation

Along with his wife Zarina, Ronnie has founded The Swades Foundation whose goal is to lift a million people out of poverty.

Presently, Swades is active in Raigad district in the state of Maharashtra in two thousand villages and involving half a million people. It is working on Water, Sanitation, Health, Education and the main focus is on Livelihood opportunities.[7]

UpGrad

Screwvala co-founded UpGrad, which is one of the largest Online Education companies in India - focused on the higher Education and Specialization sector.[8]

USports

Screwvala co-founded U Sports with a focus on three sports, Kabaddi a popular sport in India and around Asia (his team U Mumba is one of the top teams in the 12 team ProKabaddi League), E Sports and in Football where under the brand U Dreams the focus is to train and manage talent under various years of age for a sustained duration, and then manage their careers for the long term to play professionally in India and globally.[19]

RSVP

RSVP is Screwvala’s re-entry into the media and entertainment industry. This time is focussed on developing its own scripts and screenplays and working with directors that share the common vision of storytelling.[10]

Unilazer

Unilazer was incorporated by Screwvala as a private equity company that has made investments in the Indian new economy companies and start-ups, with early stage investments with significant minority stake as also bringing with him his entrepreneurial experience to the founders. The sectors in which Unilazer has invested range from e commerce to a leading online eyewear company in India, and from AI and Bots to Agriculture to Microhousing Finance.[20][21]

Filmography

Films

The following is a list of films produced/ co-produced by Screwvala[22]

YearTitle
1998Such a Long Journey
1997Dil Ke Jharoke Main
2000Fiza
2004Lakshya
2004Swades
2005D
2005Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh
2005The Blue Umbrella
2006Rang De Basanti
2006Chup Chup Ke
2006The Namesake
2006Khosla Ka Ghosla
2007I Think I Love My Wife
2007Hattrick
2007Life in a Metro
2007Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
2008Phir Kabhi
2008Jodhaa Akbar
2008Aamir
2008The Happening
2008A Wednesday
2008Poi Solla Porom
2008Welcome to Sajjanpur
2008Fashion
2008Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
2009Dev D
2009Delhi-6
2009Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge
2009ExTerminators
2009Harishchandrachi Factory
2009Agyaat: The Unknown
2009Kaminey: The Scoundrels
2009Aagey Se Right
2009What's Your Raashee?
2009Main Aurr Mrs Khanna
2010Chance Pe Dance
2010Peepli Live
2010Udaan
2010I Hate Luv Storys
2010Phillum City
2010Paan Singh Tomar
2010Guzaarish
2010Tees Maar Khan
2011No One Killed Jessica
20117 Khoon Maaf
2011Thank You
2011Delhi Belly
2011Chillar Party
2011Deiva Thirumagal
2011Muran
2011My Friend Pinto
2012Vazhakku Enn 18/9
2012Grandmaster
2012Arjun: The Warrior Prince
2012Rowdy Rathore
2012Mugamoodi
2012Barfi!
2012Heroine
2012Husbands in Goa
2012Thaandavam
2013ABCD (Any Body Can Dance)
2013Kai Po Che!
2013Himmatwala
2013Settai
2013Ghanchakkar
2013Chennai Express
2013Satyagraha
2014Naan Sigappu Manithan
2014Sigaram Thodu
2014Peter Gaya Kaam Se
2015Yatchan
2018Love per Square Foot
2018Lust Stories
2018Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota
2019The Sky Is Pink

Television

YearTitleNotes
1994–1998Shanti
1997–1998Sea Hawks
1998Saaya
1998–2001Hip Hip Hurray
2000–2004Shaka Laka Boom Boom
2000For Better or For Worse executive producer
2001–2003Sarhadein
2002–2008Bhabhi
2002–2005Kehta Hai Dil
2002–2004Khichdiexecutive producer
2003Salanam
2003Toad Patrol Miscellaneous crew
2003–2007Shararat
2004–2006Meher
2004Rooh
2004–2005Special Squad
2005Bombay Talking
2005–2007Hero - Bhakti Hi Shakti Hai
2005–2006Sanyaexecutive producer
2006Kabhie To Nazar Milao

Awards

YearAwardCategoryFilm
2007National Film AwardsBest Popular Film Providing Wholesome EntertainmentRang De Basanti
2007Filmfare AwardsBest Film
2009Jodhaa Akbar
2013Barfi!
2007IIFA AwardsBest FilmRang De Basanti
2009Jodhaa Akbar
2013Barfi

References

  1. ↑ Humaira Ansari (27 September 2010). "This Parsi cook's secret lies in her grandma's recipes". DNA India. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  2. ↑ "Tata, Ambani, Mittal among most influential of 21st century". The Economic Times. 18 September 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  3. ↑ "Moot world's most influential; Sonia, Tata in top 100: Report". The Economic Times. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  4. ↑ Lall, Pawan (5 May 2011). "Bollywood's disruptor". Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  5. ↑ "Bollywood takes on Hollywood: Newsweek". Hindustan Times. 5 September 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Subramanian, Anusha (8 December 2011). "Behind Ronnie Screwvala's Rs 2,000-cr Walt Disney deal". Business Today. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  7. 1 2 Garfinkel, Perry (30 December 2016). "After Building a Media Empire, What's Next? Lifting One Million From Poverty". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  8. 1 2 Bansal, Varsha (4 July 2017). "Ronnie Screwvala to infuse Rs 100 crore in UpGrad's B2B segment". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Pal, Shubhodeep (12 January 2018). "How eSports got screen time in India". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  10. 1 2 Laghate, Gaurav (1 December 2017). "Former UTV boss, Ronnie Screwvala back in action with new film studio RSVP, keen to build creative team in-house". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Screwvala, Ronnie (29 March 2015). "Excerpt: Dream With Your Eyes Open: An Entrepreneurial Journey". Livemint. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Kazmin, Amy (20 October 2017). "India's tycoons and a new breed of family office". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  13. ↑ Bhatia, Rahul (1 June 2012). "The Interpreter". Caravan Magazine. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 James Crabtree (28 June 2013). "At home: Ronnie Screwvala". Financial Times. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  15. ↑ Shirin Kumaana-Wadia (25 June 2008). "Ronnie Screwvala: Bollywood to Hollywood". Parsi Khabar. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  16. ↑ VENKATRAMAN, ARUN (26 April 2015). "Lighthouse full of hope". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  17. ↑ "Trishya Screwvala to tie the knot with beau Suhail Chandok - Times of India". The Times of India. 29 January 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  18. ↑ Gopal, Sangita (2012). Conjugations: Marriage and Form in New Bollywood Cinema. University of Chicago Press. p. 75. ISBN 9780226304274.
  19. ↑ Sikdar, Shubhomoy (3 September 2015). "15 boys fulfil dream, to train with German football clubs". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  20. ↑ "Ronnie Screwvala's Unilazer Ventures hikes stake in online insurance comparison platform Easypolicy". The Financial Express. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  21. ↑ Vignesh, J. (20 May 2016). "Ratan Tata, Ronnie Screwvala invest in artificial intelligence startup Niki". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  22. ↑ Ronnie Screwvala imdb
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