EXCLUSIVE: Dharma Productions is relaunching its talent agency after officially splitting with Cornerstone.
The Karan Johar– and Adar Poonawalla-led Dharma confirmed it has acquired Cornerstone’s stake in Dharma Cornerstone Agency and is relaunching the business as Dharma Collab Artists Agency (DCAA), which will operate across, film, music, sports, digital media and live entertainment.
The news comes after a report late last week in Indian media news site Storyboard18, which pointed to tensions between Johar and Cornerstone’s boss, the Indian mega-agent Bunty Sajdeh. The article cited unnamed sources claiming acrimony had risen after pharmaceuticals magnate and Serene Productions founder Poonawalla bought 50% of Dharma Productions and Dharmatic Entertainment earlier this year, and that a split was imminent.
Johar today posted on Instagram to quell the rumors, paying tribute to Sajdeh and saying they had been “dear friends for many many years.”
He then explained that selling a stake to Poonawalla meant that he needed each of his businesses to “integrate under one large umbrella” and added: “Bunty and I mutually agreed to part ways and yet keep our strong friendship and equation exactly the way it’s always been. I look forward to seeing his new foray in the world of talent management and will always be a brother by his side.”
Following the split, Sajdeh – manager of cricket superstar Virat Kohli – is expected to continue independently, while Mumbai-based DCAA has today revealed a new executive structure to Deadline. Uday Singh Gauri will be CEO, continuing the role he had had Dharma Cornerstone, with Rajeev Masand staying as COO.
Uday has spent two decades in Asian talent management, music, live entertainment and strategic partnerships. Dharma said his focus will be on “expanding DCAA’s reach, building new verticals, unlocking cross-platform opportunities, and shaping the agency into a long-term home for culturally influential talent.”
DCAA’s talent roster includes Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Sara Ali Khan, Disha Patani, Rasha Thadani, Aditya Roy Kapur, Harshvardhan Rane, Lakshya, Rohit Saraf, Neeti Mohan, Jonita Gandhi, Orry, Sumukhi Suresh, Anahita Shroff, Kareema Barry, and Erika Packard.
Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions, said: “Talent has always shaped Dharma’s identity, influencing both our creative choices and how we build for the future. With DCAA, we are creating a structured platform that supports artists across disciplines. This is a deliberate and long-term step toward deepening our role in the creative economy.”
Singh Gauri, CEO of DCAA, added: “With DCAA, we’re building a platform that reflects the way artists work, express, and grow today. Representation now goes far beyond negotiation and visibility. It requires cultural understanding, business instinct, and the ability to move with — and ahead of — the industry. Our focus is on developing long-term careers across multiple formats, while creating meaningful pathways between talent and opportunity. This is about scale, yes, but it’s also about care, clarity, and collaboration.”
Dharma Productions was founded in 1976 by led the late Sri Yash Johar, father of TV host and producer Karan, who is now one of India‘s most bankable stories. Since Karan took over the business, its films have included his directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and another 50-plus features such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, My Name is Khan, The Lunchbox, Baahubali, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and the Academy-award nominated Homebound. Dharmatic Entertainment is known for streaming shows such as The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, Call Me Bae, The Tribe, Show Time, and Love Storiyaan, and has deals in place with Netflix and Prime Video.
Serene owns 50% of both businesses through a ₹1,000 crore investment.
