From Stree to Chhaava: How Dinesh Vijan and Maddock Films Is Building India’s Most Original Studio

Filmmaker and producer Dinesh Vijan, the visionary founder of Maddock Films, has redefined the landscape of Hindi cinema. Vijan has quietly but consistently built one of India’s most exciting content studios, delivering hits that range from grounded family dramas to blockbuster horror comedies and ambitious historicals. From pioneering an entire genre with Stree and its record-breaking sequel Stree 2 (the highest grossing Hindi film domestically), to the 2025 historical epic Chhaava, Vijan’s approach has turned Maddock Films into “a studio on every film professional’s wishlist.” “Ours is a content-first approach. Anyone who has a whacked-out idea comes to us first, which is good. We like making artistic films that resonate with an emerging India,” Vijan says to India Today.

What makes Maddock Films stand out is its ability to champion unconventional stories, often without relying on megastar names, and to back bold ideas with emotional conviction. “Dinesh sees the film and its trailer in the narration. Then, he is able to summarise a film really well. Each point is there and it sounds good. He’s that sharp,” says Amar Kaushik, Director of Stree & Stree 2. “As the industry is thinking, ‘let’s make horror comedy’, Dinesh Vijan is not following the path of success. He is walking on one where there are challenges,” adds director Laxman Utekar (Chhaava, Mimi, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke). Kriti Sanon, who won a National Award for her role in Mimi, adds, “If he believes in a project or you, Dinesh doesn’t care about what others say. It’s easy to get affected by chatter, but he really backs his people and content.” “He is truly focused to find stories from our own culture, land and history. That viewpoint is the magic masala to put Indian cinema on the global map,” shares Vicky Kaushal, actor, Chhaava.

Maddock Films’ evolution has been consistent - from making quiet, relatable stories like Hindi Medium and Mimi, to creating India’s first horror-comedy universe (Stree, Bhediya, Munjya), all rooted in an India that is both emerging and eternal. With eight new titles announced till 2028, the Maddock Films journey is far from over.

For a new-age Indian studio powered by instinct, story, and soul, this is a milestone moment.