Leadership Lessons from the Movie Industry By Professor Kandaswamy Bharathan
The IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association – Coimbatore Chapter, in collaboration with the Coimbatore Management Association (CMA), hosted an engaging leadership session at the Cosmopolitan Club, Coimbatore, on 7 February 2026. Titled “Leadership Lessons from the Movie Industry,” the event brought together over 50 participants, including senior industry leaders, IIMA alumni, and MBA students from across the city.
The session was led by Professor Kandaswamy Bharathan, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus (1976–78) and veteran of the Indian film industry with over three decades of experience at Kavithalayaa Productions Pvt Ltd. A visiting faculty member at IIMA (since 2008) and ISB (since 2013), he pioneered Film and Entertainment Business, uniquely bridging the worlds of cinema and management.
Over the past decade, learning from industry stalwarts across geographies and even through phenomenal cinema, one idea has consistently stood out: how directors translate vision into reality, much like CEOs who hold both the creative and operational forte of an entire production. Drawing on his extensive experience, Prof. Bharathan illustrated how film production closely mirrors corporate project management, with movie directors balancing creativity alongside constraints of time, cost, and resources while coordinating diverse teams toward a shared creative vision.
A key highlight of this session was the Professor’s description of the Movie Director as FIRST AMONG EQUALS, emphasising that while the Movie Director is the leader of the specified film project, he has to manage a highly talented and experienced team of artists and technicians. The focus is not on hierarchy, but mutual trust. Another key highlight of the session was his early implementation of project management tools, such as PERT (Project Evaluation and Review Technique), in film production, where structured planning and systematic processes helped reduce production costs by nearly 20%—an approach that later became an industry norm. He further connected leadership lessons across decades and geographies, citing examples from the 1990s through the 2020s, and from both Bollywood and Hollywood, with films ranging from Baahubali to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, to demonstrate timeless principles such as vision setting, leading by example, stakeholder alignment, high-performance teamwork, crisis management, adaptive innovation, and others.
What resonated most was the importance of stakeholder dynamics and their influence on outcomes. From junior artists to the most senior actors, every layer is guided—at times by junior or new directors—under a shared vision, bringing out the best in people by providing just the right level of context that the situation calls for. The real-life examples were especially insightful. Understanding how Kavithalayaa Productions and other Production studios navigated complex situations, how certain directors leaned on adaptability frameworks, and how others prioritised precision and sustained practice to craft masterpieces offered powerful parallels for leadership across sectors.
The interactive discussion that followed enabled participants to reflect on how these insights could be applied across industries, enriching the learning experience for both students and seasoned professionals. The event concluded with a high tea and networking session, fostering meaningful conversations and connections among attendees.
Overall, the evening stood out as a thoughtful blend of management theory, best practices, practical leadership insights, and cinematic storytelling – reinforcing the idea that Great Leadership transcends Industries.
Audience Reflection:
Sharing this as a personal reflection on the session, and as a token of gratitude to the IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association, Coimbatore Chapter. Not often do we get the opportunity to hear directly from leaders about the inner workings of a production house and what it truly takes behind the scenes to bring phenomenal stories to life through exceptional artists. At the center of it all are directors who orchestrate vision, talent, and execution with quiet authority.
Professor Kandaswamy Bharathan’s session on “Leadership Lessons from the Movie Industry” was a masterfully curated and deeply enriching two hours, offering a rare window into the discipline, foresight, and leadership required to shape enduring cinema.
In all its grandeur, the film industry presents powerful parallels to corporate project management. It is a space where creativity is balanced with constraints, diverse stakeholders are aligned with intent, and teams are guided toward a shared outcome with clarity and purpose.
My sincere appreciation to the IIM Ahmedabad Alumni Association, Coimbatore Chapter, for convening such a high-caliber learning experience for the city’s professional community.
Equally thought-provoking was learning about the MBA course on Film and Entertainment Business that Professor Bharathan teaches at IIM Ahmedabad. Programs like these, anchored in real-world playbooks from industry stalwarts, signal a promising shift in how the next generation of leaders will learn to integrate art, business, and leadership.
I look forward to many more such thoughtfully curated sessions.
- Archana Prasad | Impact Consultant and Entrepreneur
