Netflix Expands Indian Slate With 10 Original Films
From left: Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar.
The streamer's latest lineup features titles helmed by such A-listers as Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar, among others.
Netflix has expanded its India slate with 10 new original films from some of Bollywood's leading players, spanning multiple genres. Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment banner is producing Class of 83, directed by Atul Sabharwal. The film explores the story of an upright policeman-turned-trainer whose students grapple with the complexities of honor, morals and devotion to the nation. As announced earlier, Red Chillies is also producing the upcoming spy thriller series Bard of Blood. Ghost Stories reunites directors Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap after the quartet delivered the earlier Love Stories. Ghost Stories will be produced by RSVP, the banner founded by former Disney India chairman Ronnie Screwvala and co-produced by Ashi Dua. Banerjee, well known for such Bollywood hits as Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! will also direct and produce Freedom, "the story of an Indian family interwoven with the personal, ideological and sexual history of India and how desire plays a common role in each," according to a Netflix statement. Johar's veteran banner Dharma Productions' recently launched digital arm Dharmatic will produce Guilty, directed by Ruchi Narain, which explores the versions of truth that emerge when a small town girl accuses the college heartthrob of rape. The self-explanatory Mrs. Serial Killer will be directed by Shirish Kunder and produced by his wife Farah Khan, one of Bollywood's most well-known choreographers who also turned director with such hits as Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Om Shanti Om, among others. Writer-director Sooni Taraporevala, who has penned such Mira Nair titles as Salaam Bombay and The Namesake as part of her long association with the director, will helm Yeh Ballet. Produced by Roy Kapur Films, founded by former Disney India managing director Siddharth Roy Kapur, the film revolves around two Mumbai boys from poor families who discover ballet and use that as a way of escaping their challenging circumstances. Shashanka Ghosh and Samit Basu will direct House Arrest which revolves around a man who locks himself at home, only to find that while he can restrict his interaction with the world, he can't keep the world from entering his domain. Kaali Khuhi, directed by Terrie Samundra and produced by Manomay Motion Pictures, will touch upon female infanticide and mysterious deaths in a village in Punjab state. Neeraj Udhwani's Maska, from Mutant Films, looks at a confused millennial who aspires to become a movie star until a summer romance helps him discover the fine line between dreams and delusions. Manu Joseph's book Serious Men will be adapted and directed by veteran filmmaker Sudhir Mishra. The film is about a wily slum dweller, who cons the country into believing his dim-witted 10-year-old son is a genius, only to realize the sole victim of his dangerous game is his son. These newly announced films add to Netflix's previously announced titles Music Teacher, Cobalt Blue, Chopsticks, Upstarts and Bulbul, all of which are to stream worldwide by the end of 2020. "Given our diversity, history and culture, India is home to powerful stories waiting to be told to audiences around the world," said Netflix director, international original film, India, Srishti Behl Arya, adding, "We want to be a home for India's finest filmmakers where their stories travel to more people than ever before."
via Hollywood Reporter
