In this episode of Industry Spotlight by Creative First, film producer Shobu Yarlagadda, CEO and co-founder of Arka Mediaworks, joined Lohita Sujith, Sr. Director, Copyright & Digital Economy, Motion Picture Association, to discuss the milestones that shaped his two-decade journey. He identified Baahubali as the defining turning point for the studio, an ambitious gamble that reoriented Indian cinema’s sense of scale and possibility. Revisiting the project’s early days, he noted that realizing S.S. Rajamouli’s vision required assembling one of the most skilled creative and technical teams in the country, and sustaining the work through trust, transparency, and constant communication.

Shobu discussed how the success of Baahubali rippled far beyond the box office, creating thousands of jobs during production and transforming the ecosystem for visual effects in India. By pushing the boundaries of VFX, the film opened new avenues for studios and artists nationwide. He also reflected on technology’s growing role, describing AI as an advanced, intuitive tool that can enable creators to work faster and more efficiently. Turning to Telugu cinema’s global rise, he traced a shift in ambition sparked by Baahubali and furthered by RRR, which invited Western audiences to embrace large-scale commercial Indian films on their own terms.

Looking ahead, he emphasized the need for investment across all 24 crafts, from VFX to AI to producer training, to sustain industry growth. He spoke candidly about balancing creative ambition with financial viability, especially when mounting large-scale films, and stressed the importance of identifying early whether a project is meant for theatrical release or streaming. Concluding, Shobu expressed confidence that Indian stories are poised for greater global resonance in the coming decade. With production technologies becoming more accessible, he sees this as a transformative moment—and aims to position Arka Mediaworks at the forefront of India’s expanding cinematic presence worldwide.