Mahendra Soni

Mahendra Soni is an Indian film producer, media executive and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and director of SVF Entertainment Private Limited, a Kolkata-based media and entertainment company associated with Bengali cinema, television, music, film distribution, cinema exhibition and streaming. He is also a co-founder of Hoichoi, a Bengali-language video streaming platform launched by SVF in 2017.

Career

SVF Entertainment

Soni co-founded Shree Venkatesh Films, later known as SVF Entertainment, with Cousin brother Shrikant Mohta in the 1990s.

SVF's first film production was Bhai Amar Bhai, released in 1995 according to The Economic Times and discussed by later coverage as part of the company's early production history.

Cinema exhibition and distribution

SVF has also been involved in cinema exhibition and distribution in West Bengal. In 2025, Business Standard reported that Soni and SVF were working to revive cinema screens in West Bengal, where the number of screens had declined from 400 in 2000 to 140 in 2015. The report stated that SVF had mapped districts in the state and had begun building, managing or acquiring cinema screens in towns including Bolpur, Purulia, Krishnanagar, Narendrapur, Baruipur and Jalpaiguri. a Bengali-language streaming platform launched by SVF in September 2017.

In 2021, Mint identified Soni as co-founder and director of SVF and co-founder of Hoichoi while reporting on SVF's partnership with the short-video platform Josh to make Bengali music content available to creators.

Variety has also covered Hoichoi and SVF's content slate. In 2021, it reported on Hoichoi's plans for a 30-title slate and expansion across Bangladesh, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In 2025, Variety covered SVF and Hoichoi's 2025–26 content slate and identified Soni as co-founder and director of SVF.

Music and television

Soni has also been associated with SVF Music. In 2022, Music Plus interviewed him as co-founder and director of SVF Music about the Bengali music industry, streaming platforms and SVF Music's content initiatives. The publication described SVF Music as a Bengali music label producing film music, non-film original music, concerts and content for OTT and web platforms.

Indiantelevision.com reported that Soni discussed SVF's Bengali television business, including the company's television content production and work with major Bengali broadcasters.

Expansion outside India

In 2023, SVF announced projects in Bangladesh in collaboration with Alpha-i Studios and Chorki. Financial Express reported that Soni, described as co-founder and director of SVF Entertainment and Hoichoi, said the company was taking steps to deepen its relationship with the entertainment industry of Bangladesh through local film production. ET BrandEquity also reported on SVF's move into the Bangladeshi film market and described Soni as co-founder-director of SVF Entertainment and Hoichoi.

Public profile

In 2021, The Telegraph published an interview with Soni on SVF completing 25 years, describing him as co-founder and director of SVF and discussing the company's role in Bengali cinema, film production, distribution and the changing movie business.