Dev Patel’s newly named production company, Minor Realm, has made two key hires.
Lakshmi Iyengar, who most recently served as Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions and Production at Sony Pictures Entertainment, has been hired as EVP, Head of Production and Development.
In her new role, she will be producing and overseeing the company’s film and television development slate. Iyengar was previously at Universal Pictures and Focus Features. At Sony, her credits include The Wedding Guest and Late Night.
Minor Realm has also hired Samarth Sahni as EVP, Production, with a remit of producing film and TV projects. Sahni has production experience on studio pics including Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Dark Knight Rises, Life Of Pi, and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. He has previously worked with Patel on projects including his upcoming directorial debut Monkey Man, which is in post-production and will bow on Netflix, as well as The Wedding Guest.
Iyengar and Sahni will be located in Los Angeles and will report directly to Patel. Minor Realm previously signed a first-look deal with ShivHans Pictures, reports Deadline.
Patel said: “There are so many critical stories and visions from incredibly talented minds that need to be told but there too often is no avenue or opportunity to do so. Our passion at Minor Realm is to foster and advocate for these creatives.
“Both Lakshmi and Samarth have such strong backgrounds in developing a wide range of content and I couldn’t think of two better executives to work hand and hand with,” the actor added.
Shivani Rawat, Founder and CEO of ShivHans Pictures said: “We are thrilled about the expansion of Minor Realm and the opportunity for ShivHans Pictures to continue to partner with such a creative team. Their vision perfectly complements the storytelling we look to produce and we look forward to developing and showcasing important voices and content to audiences.”
