Pratik Shelar
Founder, Chairman
About Indian Movie Friend
Indian Movie Friend
Built from a student observation in Coventry into a brand for Indian entertainment and digital movie access.
What is Indian Movie Friend?
Indian Movie Friend (IMF) is a UK-based digital entertainment platform connecting global audiences with Indian films, live events, theatre productions and cultural experiences.
Founded in London in 2014 under MoviEmsee Limited, IMF was one of the first dedicated ticketing platforms in the United Kingdom focused exclusively on Indian movies, South Asian live events, concerts and theatre productions.
Between 2014 and 2017, IMF successfully organised, distributed, promoted and partnered on numerous Indian cultural events, theatrical productions and live entertainment shows across the United Kingdom, working with leading artists, performers, production houses and community organisations. During this period, IMF also built strong relationships with the Marathi diaspora through the theatrical distribution of acclaimed Marathi films and collaborations with Maharashtra Mandals across the UK.
Recognising the limited international distribution opportunities available for Marathi cinema, IMF pioneered one of the earliest Digital Theatre concepts for Marathi films in 2017, enabling overseas audiences to legally watch selected Marathi films online when theatrical releases outside India were often unavailable.
While IMF continues to offer ticketing services for selected Indian films, live events, concerts and theatre productions, its primary strategic focus today is the international distribution and streaming of Marathi cinema, providing filmmakers with a dedicated platform to reach global audiences and enabling Marathi-speaking communities worldwide to legally access quality Marathi entertainment.
Operating through MoviEmsee Limited, a company registered in England & Wales, Indian Movie Friend's long-term vision is to become the world's leading international platform dedicated to Indian cinema while continuing to support and promote Indian entertainment globally.
Our Story
Indian Movie Friend (IMF) was born from a simple observation made by its founder, Pratik Shelar, while studying for his MBA in Marketing at Coventry University, United Kingdom, in 2012/13.
A passionate movie enthusiast, Pratik regularly visited cinemas to watch newly released Indian films. He soon realised that despite the growing Indian diaspora in the UK, there was no single dedicated platform where audiences could easily discover Indian movie releases, book cinema tickets or stay informed about Indian entertainment events. Information was scattered across multiple cinema websites and social media pages, making it difficult for audiences to find and access Indian content.
Recognising this gap in the market, Pratik founded Indian Movie Friend (IMF) under MoviEmsee Limited in London in 2014, with a vision to make Indian entertainment more accessible to audiences across the United Kingdom. IMF became one of the UK's first dedicated ticketing platforms for Indian movies, South Asian live events, concerts and theatre productions, providing a single destination for discovering, promoting and booking Indian entertainment.
In 2015, Swapnil Kulkarni joined Pratik as a partner in building Indian Movie Friend. Together, they expanded the platform, strengthened relationships with distributors, producers and community organisations, and established IMF as a recognised brand within the Indian entertainment industry in the UK.
Between 2014 and 2017, IMF successfully organised, distributed, promoted and partnered on numerous Indian cultural events, theatrical productions and live entertainment shows across the United Kingdom. During this period, IMF collaborated closely with Maharashtra Mandals and community organisations while promoting and distributing acclaimed Marathi films, including Katyar Kaljat Ghusali and Natsamrat, helping strengthen Marathi cinema's presence among international audiences. IMF also supported and promoted several high-profile events featuring leading Indian artists and personalities, further establishing its reputation within the UK entertainment industry.
As the business evolved, Pratik identified another significant challenge. Many quality Marathi films never secured theatrical releases outside India because of limited commercial viability. As a result, overseas audiences had no legal way to watch these films.
To address this, IMF pioneered one of the earliest Digital Theatre concepts for Marathi cinema in 2017, enabling international audiences to legally watch selected Marathi films online. The initiative proved there was genuine demand for digital distribution of regional Indian cinema. However, the streaming ecosystem at that time was still developing. Smart TV adoption was limited, digital payments were less mature, streaming technology was evolving and producers were not yet fully prepared to license content digitally. These challenges made it difficult to scale the platform commercially, and IMF temporarily paused its streaming operations while continuing to pursue its broader vision.
Building upon the experience, network and industry relationships developed through Indian Movie Friend, Pratik founded GoViddo Limited in 2018, a UK-based film investment platform connecting investors with mainstream British film and entertainment projects. Through his ventures and professional network, he has helped facilitate and raise more than USD $3 million for film and business projects.
Under GoViddo, Pratik became associated with internationally recognised productions including Midas Man, based on the life of Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles, and Mrs Churchill's War, a feature film backed by Academy Award-winning director Bruce Beresford, renowned for directing the Oscar-winning classic Driving Miss Daisy. In addition, Pratik has served as a producer on independent British feature films, further strengthening his experience across international film development, production and finance.
In 2025, Pratik founded The Pratik Shelar Film Company Limited, a UK-based production studio dedicated to creating globally recognised intellectual properties inspired by authentic Indian stories. The company's mission is to produce world-class films and entertainment franchises that bridge Indian storytelling with international audiences while promoting greater equality, diversity and representation within the British and global film industries.
Today, Indian Movie Friend represents the culmination of more than a decade of experience across film distribution, theatrical exhibition, ticketing, live entertainment, digital distribution, film finance and international production.
While continuing to provide ticketing services for Indian movies, concerts, theatre productions and live events, IMF is now primarily focused on becoming the world's leading international streaming platform dedicated to Marathi cinema. The platform aims to connect filmmakers, distributors, brands and Marathi-speaking audiences across the globe while creating new commercial opportunities for regional Indian content.
Supported by the wider ecosystem of MoviEmsee Limited, GoViddo Limited and The Pratik Shelar Film Company Limited, Indian Movie Friend is committed to transforming how Marathi cinema reaches international audiences and to building a sustainable global platform that benefits filmmakers, distribution partners, advertisers and the worldwide Marathi community.
The team
Registered office and contact
MovieEmsee Ltd
109-117 Middlesex Street
London E1 7JF
Pratik Shelar
Pratik@IndianMovieFriend.com
Pratik@IndianMovieFriend.com
