Ashok Amritraj

The recent success of Slumdog Millionaire familiarized American audiences to Indian-based cinema, but South Asians have made their presence felt in Hollywood for many years before Danny Boyle’s film took moviegoers by storm with its underdog story. In recognizing the work of South Asians in Hollywood, Korn/Ferry International, the world’s largest executive search firm, announced this week the U.S. listing of its 25 Most Influential South Asian Executives in the Entertainment and Media Industry.

Among those honored on the list are senior executives with roots to the Indian subcontinent who excelled in various roles in the business of Hollywood, including leaders in music, film, production and the media.

“We have all heard of the magnitude of the Indian entertainment sector, phenomenal success of Indian-themed content with a main-stream audience, and expansion of Indian companies into Hollywood,” Bill Simon, Senior Client Partner and Managing Director of Korn/Ferry International’s Global Media & Entertainment Practice, said in a released statement. “What we are celebrating with this list, however, is the remarkable story of talented business executives who have moved through the ranks and now occupy the top rungs of the corporations that control the entertainment sector.”

Simon played a major role in choosing the 25 individuals on the list and worked with both Indian and international companies in securing senior corporate talent. Each member on the list will be honored at an award show during this month’s Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Among those honored on the list are:

Ramu Yalamanchi

- Producer Ashok Amritraj, Chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment

- Attorney Bobby Sharma, President and General Counsel of the NBA Development League

- Ramu Yalamanchi, Founder and CEO of hi5 Networks, Inc.

- Noel DeSouza, Studio Liaison, Hollywood Foreign Press Association

- Nusrat Durrani, Senior Vice President and General Manager, MTV World

- Superna Kalle, Senior Vice President, Sony Pictures Television International

- Attorney Arnold Peter, Partner with Raskin, Peter, Rubin and Simon, LLP and RPRS Media Partners, LLC

Amritraj, who has produced more than 100 films, including Antitrust and Bringing Down the House, will deliver the keynote address at the award ceremony.

“I am humbled to be on a list with such distinguished business leaders,” Peter, one of the leading South Asian attorneys in Los Angeles, told Buzzine. “As an attorney, it is especially gratifying that my clients and colleagues think of me not simply as a lawyer but as a strategic business advisor.”

Rounding out the Top 25 list are: Bedi A. Singh (President, Finance/Administration and CFO of MGM); Salil Mehta (President, Business Operations, Strategy and Development of NBC Universal); Roma Khanna (President, Global Networks and Digital Initiatives of NBC Universal International); Krishan Bhatia (Senior Vice President, Strategy & Development of Comcast Interactive); Bhavesh Patel (Vice President, Interactive Media of Fox Cable Networks); Salil Dalvi (Senior Vice President, Digital Distribution of NBC Universal); Rajan Samtani (Director, Business Development for Digimarc Corporation); Kumar Mahadeva (Founder of Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation); Rohan Oza (Senior Vice President of Marketing for Glaceau); Fareed Zakaria (Editor, Newsweek International); Aparna Pande (Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Consumer Magazines for Disney Publishing Worldwide); Manish Jha (President and CEO of envIO’s); Chris D’Rozario (Executive Creative Director of JWT); Latha Sundaram (Senior Vice President and Global Account Director, Starcom Worldwide); Deepak Masand (Senior Vice President and Global Head, Innovation and Commercial Marketing, Visa International); Rohit Bhargava (Senior Vice President of Ogilvy 360 Digital); Deborah Tellis (Senior Vice President, International Distribution for Summit Entertainment); and Syed Ahmed (Vice President of Deluxe Laboratories, North America).

Nusrat Durrani

“We are delighted to be able to put the spotlight on executives of South Asian origin who now manage and influence broad areas of the traditional entertainment business,” said Christina Marouda, Executive Director of IFFLA, adding this past year was quite significant for South Asians in Hollywood due to the Oscar success of Slumdog Millionaire and the recent business dealings between entertainment companies in India and the United States, such as the acquisition of Dreamworks by Mumbai-based Reliance Entertainment.

For more information about the IFFLA and the list, please visit www.kornferry.com or www.indianfilmfestival.org.