Madhu Mantena is starting afresh.
According to the recent reports, the filmmaker has established a new production house, titled Mad Man for now. Mantena also heads the Phantom Studios, which has been reestablished from the now defunct Phantom Films.
Madhu Mantena was involved into film business since the early 2000s. He struck gold when he co-produced Ghajini with Allu Aravind. Mantena went on to promote Rann and Rakht Charitra, before he founded Phantom Films with Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl.
The first film produced under the banner was the Vikramaditya Motwane directed Lootera, which was based on O Henry’s iconic short story, The Last Leaf. Starring Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead roles, the movie was an average grosser, but later turned out to be a cult classic. Phantom Films took off with the next two movies, i.e. Hasee to Phasee, which turned out to be surprise hits.
Phantom Films churned out two more commercial hits in quick succession with NH 10 and Hunterr. However, their most awaited venture, Bombay Velvet, based on Gyan Prakash’s novel Mumbai Diaries, crashed at the box office, and the company disbanded a few years later.