Rohit Khattar
- Producer
- Executive
Rohit Khattar is a creative entrepreneur with interests in Hospitality and Entertainment.
Rohit is Founder Chairman of Cinestaan Film Company (CFC), a boutique studio co-promoted with Anand Mahindra. Committed to championing stories that resonate with global audiences, Cinestaan has the ability to develop, produce, and distribute films across the world. Rohit has produced 5 films and was Executive Producer on two ('Cold War', nominated for 3 Academy Awards and 'The Tempest' nominated for 1 Academy Award). He was Producer on 'Bombay Rose', which was the opening film at Critics Week at the Venice International Film Festival. He has also produced 'The Torch', a film on guitar legend Buddy Guy.
Rohit is Chairman of Cinestaan AA Distributors (CAAD), a joint venture between AA Films and Cinestaan Film Company. CAAD is the leading overseas distributor of Indian films. Some of the films distributed by Cinestaan AA Distributors include Baahubali 2, Badhaai Ho, Thappad, Bharat & Gully Boy.
Rohit's passion for cinema made him spearhead the chronicling of the history of Indian cinema. This has led to the birth of another company promoted by him and Anand Mahindra called Cinestaan Digital Pvt. Ltd. (CDPL), which has built a comprehensive destination for Indian cinema on the Internet.
Rohit had forged a partnership with the Sundance Institute founded by Robert Redford which gave birth to the Mumbai Mantra, Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India and the Sundance Institute Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award. These initiatives catalyzed the mentoring of 24 Screenwriters and awards to 16 filmmakers and then pivoted into the Cinestaan India's Storytellers Script Contest. With a jury consisting of Aamir Khan, Anjum Rajabali, Rajkumar Hirani and Juhi Chaturvedi, 10 filmmakers were awarded cash prizes.
Rohit is Founder Chairman of Old World Hospitality Private Limited (O.W.H.) and started the company in 1990 with his first restaurant Chor Bizarre. His restaurant Indian Accent, New Delhi is the only restaurant from India on the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list - where it has been since 2015 and was part of Time Magazine's 100 Great Destinations in the World in 2018. Indian Accent has an equally successful outpost in New York.
Rohit is credited with several firsts in the hospitality and entertainment sector - the first public private partnership in the arts (Habitat World), India's first theme restaurant (Chor Bizarre), India's first Food Court (Eatopia) and many more.
Rohit was featured amongst "The Big 10 of the F&B industry" and amongst "The 99 superstars who changed our lives across India" by Time Out. He (along with Vir Sanghvi) was honoured with the "IFCA Award of Excellence" by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations "in appreciation of his outstanding contribution to the development of the culinary profession and society." He was named "Restaurateur of the Year" at the BBC Good Food, FoodFood Awards 2019. Rohit was conferred with the Joon S. Moon Distinguished International Alumni Award 2021 by Michigan State University from where he graduated in Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management in 1985.
Rohit is Founder Chairman of Cinestaan Film Company (CFC), a boutique studio co-promoted with Anand Mahindra. Committed to championing stories that resonate with global audiences, Cinestaan has the ability to develop, produce, and distribute films across the world. Rohit has produced 5 films and was Executive Producer on two ('Cold War', nominated for 3 Academy Awards and 'The Tempest' nominated for 1 Academy Award). He was Producer on 'Bombay Rose', which was the opening film at Critics Week at the Venice International Film Festival. He has also produced 'The Torch', a film on guitar legend Buddy Guy.
Rohit is Chairman of Cinestaan AA Distributors (CAAD), a joint venture between AA Films and Cinestaan Film Company. CAAD is the leading overseas distributor of Indian films. Some of the films distributed by Cinestaan AA Distributors include Baahubali 2, Badhaai Ho, Thappad, Bharat & Gully Boy.
Rohit's passion for cinema made him spearhead the chronicling of the history of Indian cinema. This has led to the birth of another company promoted by him and Anand Mahindra called Cinestaan Digital Pvt. Ltd. (CDPL), which has built a comprehensive destination for Indian cinema on the Internet.
Rohit had forged a partnership with the Sundance Institute founded by Robert Redford which gave birth to the Mumbai Mantra, Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India and the Sundance Institute Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award. These initiatives catalyzed the mentoring of 24 Screenwriters and awards to 16 filmmakers and then pivoted into the Cinestaan India's Storytellers Script Contest. With a jury consisting of Aamir Khan, Anjum Rajabali, Rajkumar Hirani and Juhi Chaturvedi, 10 filmmakers were awarded cash prizes.
Rohit is Founder Chairman of Old World Hospitality Private Limited (O.W.H.) and started the company in 1990 with his first restaurant Chor Bizarre. His restaurant Indian Accent, New Delhi is the only restaurant from India on the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list - where it has been since 2015 and was part of Time Magazine's 100 Great Destinations in the World in 2018. Indian Accent has an equally successful outpost in New York.
Rohit is credited with several firsts in the hospitality and entertainment sector - the first public private partnership in the arts (Habitat World), India's first theme restaurant (Chor Bizarre), India's first Food Court (Eatopia) and many more.
Rohit was featured amongst "The Big 10 of the F&B industry" and amongst "The 99 superstars who changed our lives across India" by Time Out. He (along with Vir Sanghvi) was honoured with the "IFCA Award of Excellence" by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations "in appreciation of his outstanding contribution to the development of the culinary profession and society." He was named "Restaurateur of the Year" at the BBC Good Food, FoodFood Awards 2019. Rohit was conferred with the Joon S. Moon Distinguished International Alumni Award 2021 by Michigan State University from where he graduated in Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management in 1985.
