Dharma Productions buys out Cornerstone stake, rebrands talent arm as Dharma Collab Artists Agency

Dharma Productions has acquired Cornerstone’s stake in its talent management joint venture, Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA), consolidating full ownership and relaunching the business as Dharma Collab Artists Agency (DCAA). The move marks a strategic reset for the company’s talent vertical, positioning it as Dharma’s exclusive platform for artist representation across multiple cultural industries.

The rebranded agency will continue to be led by Uday Singh Gauri as CEO and Rajeev Masand as COO, ensuring leadership continuity as the business enters its next growth phase. DCAA will operate across film, music, sports, digital media, live experiences and culture-led collaborations—areas increasingly converging in India’s creator and entertainment economy.

For Dharma Productions, jointly owned by filmmaker Karan Johar and entrepreneur Adar Poonawalla, the acquisition aligns with a longer-term ambition to move beyond film production and build a full-stack cultural enterprise. Dharma Productions was founded by the late Yash Johar in 1976. Serene Productions LLP, backed by Adar Poonawalla, holds a 50% stake in Dharma Productions and Dharmatic Entertainment through a ₹1,000 crore strategic investment. Talent management, brand partnerships, and cross-platform representation are becoming critical levers as studios look to diversify revenue streams and expand influence.

“Talent has always shaped Dharma’s identity, influencing both our creative choices and how we build for the future,” said Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions. “With DCAA, we are creating a structured platform that supports artists across disciplines. This is a deliberate and long-term step toward deepening our role in the creative economy.”

The Indian talent management space has seen rapid professionalisation over the past decade, driven by the explosion of digital platforms, brand-led content, and live formats. Agencies are increasingly expected to function not just as deal negotiators but as long-term career architects—helping talent navigate film, streaming, music, endorsements, global collaborations and entrepreneurial ventures.

That shift is central to DCAA’s new positioning. CEO Uday Singh Gauri, who brings over two decades of experience across talent management, music and live entertainment, said representation today requires “cultural understanding, business instinct, and the ability to move with—and ahead of—the industry.”

“Our focus is on developing long-term careers across multiple formats, while creating meaningful pathways between talent and opportunity,” Gauri said. “This is about scale, but also about care, clarity and collaboration.”

DCAA’s roster includes a mix of established stars and emerging voices shaping India’s entertainment and digital culture. Represented talent includes Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Sara Ali Khan, Disha Patani, Aditya Roy Kapur, Rohit Saraf, Lakshya, Neeti Mohan, Jonita Gandhi, Orry, Sumukhi Suresh, among others.

The consolidation also gives Dharma tighter strategic control over how its talent ecosystem evolves—at a time when studios are increasingly competing with platforms, agencies and global networks for influence over creative capital.

Backed by Dharma Productions, which has produced over 50 films since its founding and holds a strong distribution footprint globally, DCAA is expected to play a key role in shaping the studio’s next chapter—one where cinema, culture, commerce and creators intersect more closely than ever before.