Netflix announces 10 new Indian original films with Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and others: American streaming service Netflix has announced 10 new original feature films to be made in India, building on its slate for the country that it calls one of its fastest growing markets. Continuing its investment in Indian content, the films will be based over a range of genres and subjects. The new set of films will be produced by some of the biggest names in the Indian film industry, including Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, and Zoya Akhtar.
HIGHLIGHTS
- SRK’s Red Chillies is producing Class of ‘83
- Johar is directing or producing two different films
- Kashyap, Akhtar working on another anthology with Johar
Netflix announces 10 new Indian original films
Along with these additions, a total of 15 new original Indian films – including previously announced titles Music Teacher, Cobalt Blue, Chopsticks, Upstarts and Bulbul – will be available to Netflix users around the world by the end of 2020.
“When Netflix launched in India, we changed the way Indian audiences enjoy their films,” Srishti Behl Arya, Director – International Original Film, India, Netflix, said in a statement.
Arya added, “Given our diversity, history, and culture, India is home to powerful stories waiting to be told to audiences around the world. The depth of talent and vision of our creators is enabling us to create films our members will love. We want to be a home for India’s finest filmmakers where their stories travel to more people than ever before”.
The new slate includes Ghost Stories, a film that marks the reunion of directors Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Anurag Kashyap after Lust Stories. It will be produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Ashi Dua. Class of ’83 will be produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Atul Sabharwal (known for Arjun Kapoor-starrer Aurangzeb). The movie explores the story of an upright policeman-turned-trainer. There’s also Mrs. Serial Killer, a thriller directed by Shirish Kunder and produced by Farah Khan. KJo’s production venture Guilty’s tale will revolve around a rape committed by a college heartthrob.
Karan Johar, who has produced Guilty, said: “Today a filmmaker with an interesting idea has so many avenues to connect with the audience. As a content creator, there has never been a better time to tell stories.”
Several other films are also inline and are being made by directors as diverse as Ruchi Narain, Sooni Taraporevala, Shashanka Ghosh and Sudhir Mishra, among others.
So far, Netflix’s swoop into Indian film production is marked by outings like romantic comedy Love Per Square Foot, compilation Lust Stories, Soni, a tale of two Indian police officers and Rajma Chawal, a family drama set in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk.
In an interview with Mint last year, a senior Netflix executive had said that the company plans to explore Indian audience with a special focus on feature films and is looking to get 8-12 films that are originals, produced and delivered per year, apart from the theatrical releases that are acquired.
