Veteran Overseas distributor Manu Savani passed away peacefully on 18th February in Los Angeles. He was 83 years old. He is survived by his wife, three children and their families.
Manubhai, as he was respectfully called, had distributed a number of films in the Overseas circuit. Son of late Mohanlal ‘Samji Kala’ Savani, Manubhai and his brothers inherited the distribution business from their father. Manubhai could be referred to as the pioneer of the Indian film distribution business in the United States as it was he who brought Indian cinema to the US.
Since moving to the United States in 1968, Manubhai transformed the landscape of Indian film distribution through his company, Gala Global. He was one of the first to import Indian films into North America on a regular basis, laying the foundation for today’s robust market where hundreds of Indian feature films are released annually across cinemas, television and digital platforms.
Manubhai also introduced the North American audience to South Asian performing arts. In 1969, he organised leading Bollywood actress Vyjayanthimala’s Bharatanatyam performance at the United Nations in New York, followed by a landmark North American concert tour.
In the 1970s, when there were no Indian programmes on TV in the US, he launched and executive-produced a weekly talk show, Cinema Cinema, which was aired on cable TV across the United States.
He not only distributed Indian films abroad but also saw great success as a distributor of independent Hollywood films for various African countries, Fiji, and the Far East, working with studios like 20th Century Fox.
Manubhai was always fully charged and raring to go. In spite of the age factor, he was interested in knowing the latest about the films released and their business. It would not be wrong to say that he used to eat, sleep and breathe films. Among his many contributions to the entertainment communtiy, Manubhai served on the board of the International Emmy Awards and was also a member of the International Advisory Board of the Belize International Film Festival. He was also an advisor to the American Film Marketing Association (now known as Independent Film & Television Alliance).