Harman Baweja Shifts Focus to Production with Baweja Studios, Announces Exciting New Projects

Harman Baweja, who recently gained significant acclaim for his performance in the web series "Scoop," has shifted his primary focus toward his production company, Baweja Studios. While receiving multiple acting offers following the success of his role as ACP Shroff in "Scoop," Baweja revealed that his current emphasis is on growing his production banner.

Baweja made his Bollywood debut in 2008 with Love Story 2050, opposite Priyanka Chopra Jonas, but took a hiatus from acting after his 2014 film Dishkiyaoon failed to perform well at the box office. His return to acting in Hansal Mehta's Scoop marked his first major role in nearly a decade, where his portrayal of a corrupt cop became a standout performance in the Netflix series.

"God has been kind; I will not deny that I’ve been approached," Baweja said in an interview with PTI. "But I haven’t signed anything after ‘Scoop’. As an actor, I'm not doing anything substantial. I did ‘Scoop’ after 10 years, which worked out well, for me, it was a small, but strong part."

Baweja noted that his focus is now largely on Baweja Studios. "The entire focus is on Baweja Studios and everything that we are producing, distributing and creating. I'm enjoying this journey. The choice, in terms of content of what you want to produce, is much wider," he said, hinting at several exciting projects in the works.

Baweja, who made his debut as a producer with Hansal Mehta's 2002 film Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai, has discovered a greater passion for producing and writing than acting. "About 95 to 96 per cent of work will be on production. I don't think I'll be filming as an actor for more than 10 to 15 days in two to three years," he shared. "I loved doing Scoop. I'm grateful and elated with the reactions I got for it. I would love to get an equally befitting reaction to the films I've produced."

He further emphasized the importance of assembling the right team and creating compelling content. "We are in the business of making content. You've got to constantly reinvent, be unique. It's hard to tell a story that's never been told before because we've heard of a derivative of almost every story that exists."

Baweja is particularly excited about distributing the Tamil film Vettaiyan, starring Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan, in North India. Directed by TJ Gnanavel, the film was released on October 11. His upcoming projects also include Maharagni – Queen of Queens, an action thriller featuring Kajol, Prabhu Deva, and Naseeruddin Shah, and Mrs, starring Sanya Malhotra. Maharagni marks the directorial debut of Charan Tej Uppalapati and centers on a gripping narrative set against a royal backdrop.

"Women can kick a** as good as the men. I don't think I've ever looked at it as, 'I need to make a female-led film,' it's just about 'Hey! The story works, we like it,'" Baweja said of Maharagni.

Mrs is the Hindi remake of the 2021 Malayalam hit The Great Indian Kitchen, with Arati Kadav directing and co-writing the film with Anu Singh Chaudhary and Baweja. "Working on Mrs was a 'monumental task' as a writer," Baweja stated. "We've got a film which is already written and we have to work hard because it is a beautiful film. You don't want to lose the soul or essence, and what the film stands for. At the same time, you have the opportunity to do something beautiful and maybe take it up a notch, and that's always a challenge."

Baweja, the son of filmmaker Harry Baweja and producer Pammi Baweja, has always had a passion for cinema. "It's always been about making films, in some way or the other being associated with them. Lucky enough to be producing and writing, and those are my two primary focus areas in the current scenario," he said.

Looking ahead, Baweja has expressed interest in exploring animation. "That space is under-penetrated and under-represented. There's a wide audience for it, we've seen globally," he noted.

Among Baweja Studios' upcoming projects is Boy from Andaman, produced in collaboration with Delhi Crime creator Richie Mehta.