Madhu Mantena’s Mad Man Films joins hands with Collective Studios’ Ratpack Stories for two feature films : Bollywood News

Madhu Mantena’s Mad Man Films has entered into a production partnership with Ratpack Stories, a division of Collective Studios, to jointly develop and produce two feature films. The projects will be directed by Nikhil Bhat, whose film Kill received international recognition, and Saket Chaudhry, best known for the commercially successful Hindi Medium.

Madhu Mantena’s Mad Man Films joins hands with Collective Studios’ Ratpack Stories for two feature films

Madhu Mantena’s Mad Man Films joins hands with Collective Studios’ Ratpack Stories for two feature filmsThe collaboration brings together two production banners with a shared focus on director-driven storytelling and strong theatrical potential. Ratpack Stories is led by Kshitij Mehta, while Mad Man Films was founded by producer Madhu Mantena. The partnership is supported by the Collective Artists Network ecosystem and marks a step towards building long-term creative alliances within the film industry.

Both films are currently in the development stage and are expected to explore distinct genres. While details regarding the storylines, casting, and production timelines remain under wraps, the makers have indicated that the emphasis will be on bold narratives and audience-focused storytelling.

Speaking about the partnership, Vijay Subramaniam, Founder and Group CEO of Collective Artists Network, said, “This collaboration reflects Collective’s focus on enabling long-term creative partnerships. Bringing together Mad Man Films and Ratpack Stories allows us to support ambitious producers and filmmakers while building scalable, creator-first content ecosystems.”

Madhu Mantena also shared his thoughts on the association, saying, “Collective, under our founder Vijay’s leadership, is pushing boundaries in ways no Indian media company has before. The true scale of what he’s building will become clear in the coming years, and I’m excited to be part of that journey. After exiting Phantom last year, building a film production company from scratch again has been very intense and at times, lonely. Therefore, I am very excited and happy that over the past few months, Kshitij and I have been collaborating on several films, he’s an outstanding producing partner. I’m confident this partnership will lead to some exceptional work.”

Kshitij Mehta, Partner at Collective Artists Network, added, “We have been collaborating creatively with Mad Man Films over the past few months, and formalising this partnership felt like a natural next step. With filmmakers like Nikhil and Saket, our shared intent is to back bold, distinctive stories that connect strongly with audiences.”

With two filmmakers known for their contrasting yet impactful cinematic voices coming together under this collaboration, the partnership is expected to add momentum to the upcoming slate. Further announcements regarding the projects are expected in the coming months.

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