In this Industry Spotlight with Creative First, Sarita Patil, Partner at Matchbox Shots, joined Lohita Sujith, Sr. Director, Copyright & Digital Economy, Motion Picture Association, to share insights on independent production, storytelling, and the evolving landscape of the Indian media & entertainment industry. With three decades of experience across large studios and now as an entrepreneur, Sarita has helped Matchbox Shots carve out a distinctive voice with projects such as Monica, O My Darling, Three of Us, All India Rank, IC 814, Scoop, and Trishanku. She credited the company’s uniqueness to the guidance of mentors like Sriram Raghavan and Jaideep Sahni, her long-time partnership with Sanjay Routray, and the freedom of entrepreneurship.

Sarita spoke about balancing creative ambition with audience reach in today’s saturated content market. For her, the key lies in quality over quantity, continuously experimenting with formats, and refining storytelling. She emphasized that Matchbox’s development pipeline is strong, with a slate of theatrical films and long-format projects underway, often nurtured during the pandemic years when the company invested heavily in story development.

Discussing the role of data, she highlighted how industry reports such as the Motion Picture Association’s Economic Contribution Report (ECR) are invaluable for independent producers, offering insights into market dynamics, resource allocation, and future trends. She also underscored the importance of state-level film incentives in India, while pointing out gaps in timelines and policy structures that often delay rebates or conflate infrastructure investment with production benefits. Drawing from her global experience, including a stint with the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, Sarita stressed that rebates and incentives are crucial tools that directly impact producers’ ability to choose filming destinations and manage costs.