TIL Desk Lucknow:
In a time when content is constantly chasing trends, writer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur Dr. Vishal Chaturvedi is taking a bold step in the opposite direction with SwamBhu, a new media network launched in Lucknow, focused on one clear mission: returning to the roots.
SwamBhu is not just a company. It’s a resolution to tell authentic, homegrown stories from Uttar Pradesh, using the voices, faces, and talents of the land itself. It’s about shifting the spotlight from metros to the heart of India, where stories still breathe in raw soil, native tongues, and real emotions.
The network’s first offering is already a significant one: a film trilogy on Neem Karoli Baba, the mystic who inspired global minds like Steve Jobs, Julia Roberts, and Mark Zuckerberg. Inspired by Vishal’s book, Divine Detour: That Changed My Life, published by truth and social publication.
“We’re not just making a film, we’re starting a spiritual and cultural journey,” Vishal said. “Telling Baba’s story, with honesty and humility, from where it truly belongs here in Uttar Pradesh.” SwamBhu will work with local actors, writers, musicians, and technicians across UP, producing content in Hindi, Awadhi, Brij, Bhojpuri, and Bundelkhandi, for a global audience. These aren’t stories made to fit a trend. They’re built with heart, made to last. Local dialect Haryanvi, Rajasthani and Bhojpuri dominant OTT platform Stage is a strategic partner, aligned to the vision of taking local stories global together.
STAGE is delighted to serve as the Digital and OTT partner for SwamBhu’s inaugural venture, the film trilogy about Neem Karoli Baba in Bhojpuri, Brij and Awadhi. This partnership highlights our dedication to delivering genuine, locally-rooted stories to a global audience.” ~Parveen Singhal ( Co founder & CCO STAGE).
“After years in Mumbai, working across films, OTT, and digital platforms, I realised: the most powerful stories are the ones closest to home,” said Vishal. “SwamBhu is my way of giving back. Of building something real, right here.”
With past collaborations with names like Anubhav Sinha and Vivek Agnihotri, and projects like Fauji 2 (currently airing on Doordarshan), Vishal brings deep creative and production experience to this new chapter.
SwamBhu also plans to break the mould in content distribution, moving beyond traditional theatres and exploring direct-to-phone and hyperlocal community screenings, making content more personal and more accessible.
This isn’t just about launching a new company. It’s about shifting the centre of storytelling. Because the future of Indian cinema might just begin from where we started, from the roots.
