Filmmaker who skipped college to work, earning only Rs 150 as a junior artist, now runs a crore-dollar production company
When Sagar Pictures Entertainment is mentioned, one is reminded of Ramayan and a number of other legendary television programs that Ramanand and Moti Sagar produced. However, it would be unjust, especially to the younger Sagar generation who are leading a new wave of narrative and filmmaking, to confine the Sagar group’s output to that. The CEO of Sagar Pictures Entertainment and grandson of Ramanand Sagar, Akash Sagar, recently discussed his career and the company’s progress with
Growing up, Akash Sagar spent his youth on the sets of his grandfather’s television program Shree Krishna. He remembers that he was always interested in filmmaking and understanding the science behind it. He remembers being exposed to the trade when he was a little boy and playing in makeup rooms and green screen areas. After then, he started helping his father Moti Sagar and grandpa Ramanand Sagar on several performances. “I performed in Shree Krishna as a junior performer, which was my first paid job. I got an ice cream and Rs 150 from my grandpa. That was how my brother and I were introduced to the film industry,” remembers Sagar.
At this time, Sagar Pictures Entertainment began to produce movies, with Amrit Sagar, Akash’s brother, directing the first picture, 1971. Additionally, Akash managed to get connected to the movie. Later, he started to like music, and when he was in his teens, he started a rock band. At the age of sixteen, it served as his springboard for writing title tracks and background soundtracks for television series. Eventually, he used that experience to provide the background score for his brother Amrit’s feature film debut. He laughs as he remembers, “I would skip college to compose the score for that film, and my attendance was way down.”
Once again, Akash took a different path and pursued theater for more than three years, founding a theater company and receiving instruction from industry veterans like Chittaranjan Giri. During this period, he immersed himself in Hindi theater and literature. He asserts, “If you don’t know Hindi language and literature, you can’t work in Hindi films or Hindi entertainment.” “That exposure helped me understand our culture and storytelling.”
In 2008, Akash became involved in the family business as well, leading Sagar Pictures Entertainment, the company’s film production branch. In addition to producing a number of fiction and non-fiction television programs, he also dabbled in acting, making appearances in Mr. Lieutenant Radio and Rabba Main Kya Karoon. However, he adds, “I’ve always felt drawn to investigate nonfiction storytelling.” This resulted in Walking With M, a documentary drama that follows Sri M on his 7500-kilometer trek. “The idea is simple, to tell good stories,” says Akash, characterizing it as the next natural step for Sagar Pictures. If you are telling the narrative honestly, the genre doesn’t matter. You’ll see positive effects from it.
