While big daddy studios worldwide are crumbling at the heat they’re facing from streaming giants, Jio Studios (a Reliance group company) silently conquered the bridge between movie production and streaming networks. All thanks to one tough Stree the Jio Studios’ Dhurandhar (braveheart) lady boss, Jyoti Deshpande.
The mega blockbuster ‘Dhurandhar’, that Jio has produced in tandem with Lokesh and Aditya Dhar’s B62 Studios Production simply underlined her choice of film slate. It showed a solid business backbone and a keen eye for audience bait that she (and B62) took the decision to release ‘Dhurandhar’ in two parts. A two-part cinematic event, a model aligned with global franchise-building practices, reflects a calculated mix of creative ambition and business foresight. Beyond optimizing production investments, the model built sustained audience engagement, ensuring long-term loyalty, and amplified star-driven anticipation well beyond a single release cycle. That’s a bold masterstroke by a leader.
Also significant is Jio Studios’ debut foray into film distribution with ‘Dhurandhar’. Under Jyoti Deshpande’s leadership, the studio made the strategic call to venture into film distribution, and it paid off! This monumental (but not surprising) decision of entering film distribution territory; eliminating third-party dependencies, and enhancing both logistical efficiency and profitability. The studio also hit a masterstroke by bringing in PVR veteran Deepak Sharma to head the profit centre for Jio Studios. The outcome validated the bold move, delivering one of Jio Studios’ broadest and most coordinated national rollouts to date. Dhurandhar served a record-breaking collection on Day 12 of its release, earning an impressive Rs.428.50 crore.
Modestly, Jyoti, an experienced leader in the filmed entertainment space, says, “It was a logical extension of the entertainment business to be part of the third important pillar in the filmed business, after Creative and Production Distribution. We at Jio Studios took that leap of faith and it has paid off with ‘Dhurandhar’. In one production stint we have two films and a bubbling anticipation.”
With a slate as diverse as that of Jio Studios – Jyoti has managed a fine balance of niche, masala and intense, all at varying budgets. ‘Stree 2’, ‘Article 370’, ‘Shaitaan’ and ‘Laapataa Ladies’ being a case in point. ‘Laapataa Ladies’ received critical acclaim from the critics as well as opinion makers worldwide. It got selected as India's official entry for the Oscars 2025, and was also recognized as the most loved film of 2024. Also emerging as the favourite of the awards season, ‘Laapataa Ladies’ bagged prestigious honours across multiple categories including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and many more.
In 2025, Jio Studios dominated the OTT space with 11+ releases. The studios’ digital releases display a range of genres and styles of storytelling with notable titles including 'Mrs.' (Zee5), 'Dhoom Dhaam' (Netflix), 'Bhagwat: Chapter One - Raakshas' (Zee5), 'Saali Mohabbat' (Zee5), 'Baramulla' (Netflix) and several more - all spearheaded by the iron lady, Jyoti Deshpande.
They’ve ventured into OTT film production with ‘Baramulla’ once again with B62 Studios Production. Showing confidence in a production partner; the sign of an assured leader. After establishing Jio Studios as the biggest studio of 2024, Jyoti Deshpande continued the streak this year with its biggest release, Dhurandhar. Considering that the film’s second part is scheduled to release in 2026, it promises an ever bigger box office monster in the hands of Jio Studios - and the streak is very much on cards!
“With ‘Dhurandhar’ we tried something new a hard-hitting film in Aditya Dhar’s inimitable realism style borrowing from national narrative and telling a punchy story. Of course the scale here is massive. Given the all-star roster with Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna and R. Madhavan. It was a bold canvas and audiences have embraced it. Success is designed and not a chanced coincidence, it’s not a one trick pony, but consistent. We hope part 2 next year gets as much love.”
Following on the heels of the gender sensitive cult of ‘Stree’, a muscle film is just the surprise Jyoti Deshpande is capable of. And this time it’s with all the punches possible. Her fearless range continues to challenge stereotypes about both leadership and content. In doing so, she has emerged not merely as an industry executive but as a central architect shaping how mainstream Indian cinema evolves with confidence, inclusivity, and unapologetic scale.
Dhurandhar is a high-octane action-thriller written, directed, and produced by Aditya Dhar, and produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar. It features a stellar cast including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R. Madhavan, Arjun Rampal and Sara Arjun. Presented by Jio Studios, a B62 Studios, the film opened to massive numbers at the box office and is witnessing a successful theatrical run.
