In Memory of

Manu Savani

•   18 Feb 2026   /  02:48 AM   -   02:50 PM

Manu Savani, a leading international film  distributor, known for bringing Indian cinema to the United States, passed away on  February 18, 2026. He was 83 years old. 

Since moving to the United States 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 United States, 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. This set the  precedence for many others to follow and made Bollywood accessible to an emerging  generation of Indian immigrants.  

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. The  book has been recognized as a rare and invaluable record of a pioneering era in Indian  diaspora and film history.  

Savani was dedicated to inspiring the new era of film buffs, and among his many  contributions to the entertainment community, he 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.