Manu Savani, Distributor Who Bridged Bollywood And US, Dies at 83
India-West News Desk
LOS ANGELES, CA — Manu Savani, a leading international film distributor, known for bringing Indian cinema to the United States, passed away on February 18. He was 83 years old.
Since moving to the US in 1968, Savani transformed the landscape of Indian film distribution through his company, Gala Global. He was among the first to import Indian films into North America on a large scale, laying the foundation for today’s robust market where hundreds of Indian features are released annually across theaters, television, and digital platforms.
Beyond film distribution, Savani introduced North American audiences to South Asian performing arts. In 1969, he organized Indian dance icon Vyjayanthimala’s Bharatanatyam performance at the United Nations in New York, followed by a landmark North American concert tour.
In the 1970’s there were no Indian television programs in the US, and Savani seized the opportunity to launch and executive produce a weekly talk show called “Cinema Cinema” which was shown on cable TV across the United States.
As the years went on, he was not only a leading distributor of Indian films, but also saw great success as a distributor of independent Hollywood films for various African countries, Fiji, and the Far East, working with large-scale production companies such as 20th Century Fox.
Savani was born in 1942 in Mombasa, Kenya, into a family whose name is inseparable from the early international history of Indian cinema. His father, legendary international film pioneer, Mohanlal Kala Savani, began importing Indian films across Africa in the 1920s, using a hand‐cranked projector to screen silent films for Indian and African audiences. His work laid the foundation for one of the earliest and most influential overseas distribution networks for Indian cinema.
In 2022, Savani authored ‘Jambo, Samji Kala,’ a deeply researched and personal chronicle of his father’s life and the early history of Indian cinema in East Africa
Savani served on the board of The International Emmy Awards, a member of the International Advisory Board of the Belize International Film Festival, and as an adviser to the American Film Marketing Association (now known as Independent Film & Television Alliance).
In retirement, Savani cherished time with his wife, Varsha; their three children, Vishal, Akhil, and Binoli; and six grandchildren. He continued to find joy in the classic films that had shaped both his life and career.
