It's not you, it's my new stakeholder: The story behind the Dharma Cornerstone Agency buyout

Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA) is now Dharma Collab Artists Agency (DCAA), marking a pivot towards the "mothership", Dharma Productions.

Dharma Productions, backed by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, has acquired Cornerstone’s stake in the previously joint venture, now making the talent acquisition firm fall solely under the Dharma umbrella.

While rumours were rife about the acquisition being more of a break-up than a buyout, Uday Singh Gauri, former CEO of DCA and current CEO of DCAA, is setting the record straight: "It was a complete buyout; there's no breakup.”

He further clarifies the internal restructuring: "There is Dharma, the mothership, which obviously is the leading production house for filmmaking. The Dharma advertising production house goes by the name Dharma 2.0. There's also Dharmatics that caters to the streamers.”

"So, I think from that aspect, we fit in pretty well in terms of the talent management agency,” he adds.

Bunty Sajdeh, founder of Cornerstone Agency and former partner at Dharma Cornerstone Agency, has launched CXA (a joint venture between Cornerstone and Armour Entertainment) after the split. CXA has also signed Tiger Shroff as its first major talent. Shroff was previously with Dharma Cornerstone Agency. 

'Not a supply chain for Dharma'

Considering Dharma Productions now owns the talent management agency as well, one of the most pressing questions following the buyout was whether DCAA would form a talent pool exclusive to Dharma Productions. 

Dismissing this notion, Gauri says, "We are not a supply chain created for Dharma. We are a supply chain created for the producers and for this industry."

"The platform that we possess is an agnostic one that ensures that the right talent is pitched to all the producers, and a fair content opportunity can be provided to them."

Janhavi Kapoor, managed by Dharma Collab Artist Agency, was recently announced as India's first brand ambassador for New Balance, the American sneaker company now trending in India.

Competing with friends 

With the exit of Cornerstone from DCA and the formation of CXA, competition seems inevitable. However, Gauri claims to view this as a catalyst for growth rather than a threat. "It's a pretty big space for everybody, and it's a competitive world; it's a good thing," he notes. "For any business, for any industry where there is competition, it's a great thing."

When asked about the agency’s USP, especially for talent not launched by the "Dharma Mothership", Gauri points to the heavyweights leading the charge, including COO Rajeev Masand.

"We are responsible for being the architects and the protectors of talent. So, we take that very seriously," he says. "We have people like Rajeev Masand, who are, in their own way, real stalwarts of the media business."

The creator economy and global footprint

The DCAA roster is notably diverse, featuring traditional movie stars alongside digital disruptors like Orry and Sumukhi Suresh. Gauri identifies this "creator" vertical as the agency’s most potent growth engine. "It's a very successful vertical that we have... and I also think that it's the most scalable vertical that actually exists in the industry."

Looking ahead, the CEO’s sights are set well beyond Bollywood. DCAA is eyeing global expansion and diversification into high-margin sectors.

"Our trajectory is for expansion, for more growth. We also want to take the Indian artist footprint globally," Gauri reveals. "We're looking at growing into different verticals, including fashion, sports, and other verticals as well."

As DCAA embarks on this "Indian movement happening globally", the core philosophy remains unchanged: finding the right mix of grit and strategy. As Gauri puts it, "You can spot talent, but it's very important to have passion. And it's also very important for us to believe and you to trust."