In an industry where star earnings often rise and fall with box-office success, Jackie and Ayesha Shroff’s early bet on television proved to be a defining financial decision. Their timely investment in Sony Entertainment Television’s Indian launch two decades ago turned into their most profitable venture, as reported by Economic Times.Ayesha Shroff, who co-founded Jackie Shroff Entertainment Limited, said in a discussion with Zero1 Hustle by Zerodha that the Sony investment was her first exposure to corporate operations and remains the couple’s best financial decision. “It was much more than that, and if you apply that concept to the deal, it was like Rs 1 lakh to Rs 100 crore back then,” she said.The couple and their seven-member team spent nearly a year negotiating with Sony, combining Jackie Shroff’s celebrity brand with commercial and technical expertise from other partners. A breakthrough came after sustained engagement, eventually leading to Sony’s entry into the Indian television market. The Shroffs retained their stake for 15 years before divesting.“The experience was very exciting, the going back and forth on the deal, the due diligence, the paperwork,” Ayesha recalled. She explained that the association with Sony not only provided strong financial returns but also gave her deep insights into corporate dealmaking.The Shroffs later channelled part of their resources into film production, most notably Boom (2002). However, widespread piracy prior to release led to major financial losses. “We made Boom. Not with all of that (Sony) money, but with a little bit of it. It was just bad luck that the film got pirated and we lost a lot of money,” Ayesha said.