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Tag: Applause Entertainment

  • Applause Entertainment ropes in ace director Nagesh Kukunoor for the urban-political thriller titled ‘City of Dreams’

    Applause Entertainment ropes in ace director Nagesh Kukunoor for the urban-political thriller titled ‘City of Dreams’

    Applause Entertainment, helmed by entertainment veteran Sameer Nair, ropes in celebrated director Nagesh Kukunoor for a powerful political drama set in the backdrop of modern day Mumbai. Titled, ‘City of Dreams’, the series is a gritty, violent story of power, corruption and deceit. 

     ‘A single stone thrown in a seemingly placid lake sets off a series of ripples that touch everyone; hurt many.’ City of Dreams is the story of the feud within the Gaikwad family, which erupts after an assassination attempt on a polarizing political figure. Blurring the lines between moral and immoral in a struggle for power forms the core of this transfixing narrative.

    Commenting on the show, Applause Entertainment, CEO, Sameer Nair said “I am a huge fan of big city crime-political dramas. The milieu the people and the atmospherics lend themselves to gripping and intriguing stories, which in a serialized, multi-season format, are being widely consumed by audiences across the globe. This kind of storytelling is at the center of everything we want to build at Applause. Nagesh is known for creating stories that are avant-garde and it is a delight to have him helm this project.”.

    Marking the first collaboration between Sameer Nair and Nagesh Kukunoor, ‘City of Dreams’ will showcase the dark underbelly of the political world.

    “I’ve always been excited about tackling a genre that I haven’t before and with City of Dreams I get a chance to explore Mumbai, the city known for its extremes – extreme poverty, wealth, corruption, humanity. And a web series format, while really challenging, is a great format to truly explore many characters in depth. Even though I’ve known Sameer from the days of Hyderabad Blues, we are finally collaborating and it’s been fun” says Nagesh Kukunoor. 

    The shoot is scheduled to begin on the 9th February and will be shot extensively across various locations in Mumbai. The series is expected to release in the latter half of 2018.

  • BBC Worldwide India announces partnership with Applause Entertainment

    BBC Worldwide India announces partnership with Applause Entertainment

    MUMBAI:  BBC Worldwide India has announced a partnership with Aditya Birla Group’s Applause Entertainment that will see the two organisations working together to develop and produce Indian versions of iconic BBC formats. 

    Kicking off the partnership, BBC Worldwide and Applause Entertainment will work together to develop Indian versions of acclaimed BBC formats, Criminal Justice and The Office to bring to online audiences throughout India.

    Criminal Justice is a British television drama series produced by the BBC. The original UK version was written by Peter Moffat, with each series following an individual on a gut wrenching journey through the criminal justice system. The series won multiple TV awards including BAFTA, RTS and International Emmys. It was also adapted in the US as The Night Of and starred John Turturro and Riz Ahmed who won an Emmy for his performance in the series.

    BBC Worldwide South East Asia and South Asia SVP and GM Myleeta Aga said: “We are very excited to be working with Applause Entertainment, and are assembling an A-list cast of talent to ensure the highest standards of execution. We see Criminal Justice and The Office as just the first step in a long and fruitful partnership with Applause.  We are confident this partnership will be result in many more incredibly popular and well-loved Indian adaptations of BBC formats.”

    The original UK version of The Office won numerous TV awards and has spawned eight international versions in Europe. The UK version, written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant is set in a nondescript paper office company in a nondescript industrial town and features narcissistic, childish and egotistical middle manager, David Brent (played by Ricky Gervais) and the psychological car wreck that is his life. The US version which starred Steve Carell in the lead role won numerous Emmys and went on for nine seasons. 

    Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair said, “Applause is looking to create premium content for Indian viewers to watch online, delivered on the back of the big digital highways that have been built through telecom and all other platforms that exist. We feel that BBC Worldwide,with its high quality content library and formidable reputation for making premium content in India, is the ideal partner to work with. Together, we are pulling expertise and resources to adapt popular BBC formats here. We have picked shows that have been global successes and we believe that the Indian adaptations will meet the viewing needs of the Indian market.” 

    This will be the first time both Criminal Justice and The Office formats will be developed in Asia, with India being the first in Asia to launch Indian versions of the shows.

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  • Applause Entertainment to produce series on 2016 surgical strikes

    Applause Entertainment to produce series on 2016 surgical strikes

    MUMBAI: Applause Entertainment is making all the right moves.

    The Kumar Mangalam Birla-led outfit is all set to produce its first series based on the cross-border surgical strikes conducted by the Indian army in 2016, according to a media report.

    The 10-part drama series, which is being produced by Irada Entertainment for Applause Entertainment, is being planned for a 2018 launch.

    The company has acquired the rights of the first chapter of Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book ‘India’s Most Fearless’ published by Penguin Random House India. Samar Khan, who has several movies to his credit, will direct the series.

    The book covers fourteen true stories of extraordinary courage and fearlessness, providing a glimpse into the kind of heroism our soldiers display in unthinkably hostile conditions and under grave provocation. The first chapter deals with the September 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC).

    Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair is keen to produce content that’s not just great storytelling but also deeply rooted in history and reality.

    “We are most excited to be telling this story. A 10-part drama series will bring to life India’s most audacious military action in recent times, taking the battle deep into the enemy camp. I believe that the stories about homeland security and unsung heroes help make us appreciate their sacrifices and sensitize us as an audience to the enemy within and outside. We are looking forward to working with the authors of the book, and Samar Khan who is leading this Project for us,” Nair was quoted as saying.

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  • Aditya Birla Group may exit India Today Group

    Aditya Birla Group may exit India Today Group

    MUMBAI: Even as rumours of the Adani group wanting to buy out NDTV is looming large, another company has decided to exit from the media business. The one so charming industry doesn’t seem to be boding well for all, it seems.

     

    According to media reports, the Aditya Birla Group is planning to cash out its investment in Living Media India, the holding company of the India Today Group and is said to have appointed Bank of America Merill Lynch (BofA-ML) for exiting the two year old investment in the Aroon Purie controlled group.

     

    Living Media acts as a holding company and owns 57.2 per cent stake in TV Today Network. The listed company controls its broadcasting assets, including Aaj Tak and Headlines Today, and operates its publishing business, which includes a host of magazines such as India Today.

     

    The Birla group bought 27.5 stake in May 2012 and had at that time said it saw media as a sunrise sector from an investment point of view and that Living Media offered one of the best opportunities for growth and value creation.

     

    Even though the companies never disclosed the price of the stake sale, according to experts, TV Today network was then valued at around Rs 1300-1400 crore and Birla paid about Rs 350 crore to buy the stake.

     

    Aditya Birla Group has also previously forayed into the media business through a production company Applause Entertainment in 2003 which shut down in 2009. The production house is known for Amitabh Bachchan starrer Black.

     

    The stake sale comes on the backdrop of Mukesh Ambani’s RIL taken over media house Network 18 gaining control over IBNlive.com, Moneycontrol.com, Firstpost.com, Cricketnext.in, Homeshop18, Bookmyshow.com and broadcast channels like Colors, CNBC TV18, CNN-IBN, IBN7 and CNBC Awaaz, all run by Network18.