Netflix is heading into production overdrive in India with the announcement of ten new original movies, involving some of the country’s leading directors and producers.
Following their collaboration on anthology film Lust Stories (pictured), four leading directors – Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap – are reuniting on Ghost Stories, which will again be produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment is producing Class Of ’83, directed by Atul Sabharwal, which follows an upright policeman-turned-trainer whose students grapple with the complexities of honour, morals and devotion to the nation.
Dharmatic, the digital banner of leading filmmaker Karan Johar, is producing Guilty, which explores the versions of truth that emerge when a small town girl accuses the college heartthrob of rape. Ruchi Narain, whose credits include animated feature Hanuman Da’ Damdaar, is on board to direct.
Banerjee (Shanghai, Love Sex Aur Dhoka) is also set to direct and produce Freedom, the story of an Indian family interwoven with the personal, ideological and sexual history of India.
Farah Khan will produce Mrs. Serial Killer, about a doting wife whose husband is framed and imprisoned for committing serial murders. Shirish Kunder is on board to direct.
Sooni Taraporevala, who wrote The Namesake, is directing Yeh Ballet about two boys from low income families who discover ballet and through it a way to escape their challenging circumstances. The film will be produced by Roy Kapur Films, launched by former Disney India chief Siddharth Roy Kapur.
Sudhir Mishra is on board to direct Serious Men, based on Manu Joseph’s book about a wily slum dweller, who cons the country into believing his 10-year-old son is a genius. Bombay Fables and Cineraas Entertainment are producing.
In addition, Shashanka Ghosh and Samit Basu will direct House Arrest, written by Samit Basu and produced by India Stories; Terrie Samundra will direct Kaali Khuhi, produced by Manomay Motion Pictures; and Neeraj Udhwani will direct Maska, produced by Seher Aly Latif and Shivani Saran’s Mutant Films.
Netflix said it is planning to launch 15 new original Indian films by the end of 2020, including previously announced titles Music Teacher, Cobalt Blue, Chopsticks, Upstarts and Bulbul. In addition to Lust Stories, other recent Indian films available on Netflix include Soni, Love Per Square Foot and Rajma Chawal.
“When Netflix launched in India, we changed the way Indian audiences enjoy their films,” said Srishti Behl Arya, who heads Indian original films for Netflix. “We want to be a home for India’s finest filmmakers where their stories travel to more people than ever before.”