MUMBAI:  Hemant Kundnani has been promoted to senior general manager - communications at Yash Raj Films (YRF), one of India's most prestigious film production companies. The promotion comes after three years of service at the Hindi cinema  powerhouse, where he previously held the position of general manager - communications.

Kundnani brings industry experience to his elevated role, having previously served as head of marketing at Pooja Entertainment from March 2020 to August 2021. During his tenure there, he oversaw marketing for Bellbottom, notably one of the first film projects globally to complete production during the coronavirus pandemic.

Before joining Pooja Entertainment, Kundnani spent nearly six years at The Walt Disney Co in increasingly senior positions. He served as senior manager for digital strategy, analytics and alliances at Fox Star Studios (a Disney subsidiary) from December 2016 to March 2020, where he focused on understanding cinema audiences and building data analytics capabilities to optimise marketing expenditure.

His Disney career began in the interactive division, where as manager of products, marketing and alliances, he spearheaded a global strategic alliance with the International Cricket Council to develop the official game of the 2015 Cricket World Cup. The game achieved the number one position in sports app rankings across India, UK and Australia, garnering one million downloads within three days of release.

Kundnani's entertainment industry credentials also include a three-year stint at UTV, where he worked as senior associate marketing for UTV Stars movie channels. During this period, he contributed to the Walk of the Stars  project, described as "a tribute to the big stars of Hindi cinema" and the first attraction of its kind in India.