ITV

Tag: Digital series

  • Applause Entertainment marks eight years with bigger bets

    Applause Entertainment marks eight years with bigger bets

    MUMBAI: Eight years may seem young, but Kumarmangalam Birla-owned, Sameer Nair-led Applause Entertainment has already muscled into the top tier of India’s content business. Since its 2017 launch, the studio has churned out more than 50 original series, films and documentaries across every major streamer — from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5 and Sony Liv.

    Operating on what it calls a “hub and spoke” model, Applause invests upfront in content, collaborates with producers such as Banijay Asia, BBC Studios, Rose Audiovisuals and Emmay Entertainment, and then syndicates the finished work to platforms worldwide. Its catalogue includes both original dramas and Indian adaptations of acclaimed books and international formats.

    After shaking up the digital series  market, Applause has shifted gears into films with titles like Iftikaar, The Rapist and Aruvi. It has also launched Applause Productions, whose debut project is the Indian remake of Fauda. In animation, it has struck an exclusive deal with Amar Chitra Katha to reimagine 400-plus comics for global audiences and under the Appla Toon brand on YouTube.

    It recently partnered with author Jeffrey Archer to adapt his books into series or movies. 

    Nair has built a seasoned team backing him up, with Deepak Segal as chief creative officer, Prasoon Garg as chief business officer, Sunil Chainani heading films, Maansi Darrbar heading Applause Productions,  Siddharth Khaitan heading special projects like Gandhi and Scam, and Devnidhi Bajoria overseeing marketing.

    With scores of projects in the pipeline, the studio is plotting a push beyond India into documentaries, infotainment and even gaming.

    Eight years in, Applause is just clearing its throat. And loving the viewing audience’s critics’  applause.

  • International Art Machine forays into India, unveils content lineup

    International Art Machine forays into India, unveils content lineup

    Mumbai: International Art Machine helmed by Roy Price has entered the Indian market and acquired the rights for the adaptation of the book series ‘The Shiva Trilogy’ penned by author Amish Tripathi.

    The first installment of the book “The Immortals of Meluha” will be translating into a digital series for audiences across the globe. The studio has brought in Oscar-winning filmmaker Shekhar Kapur to direct and Suparn S Varma as the showrunner and director of the series.

    Moreover, the studio plans to work on a political thriller with Dibakar Banerjee and a dramedy helmed by Preity G Zinta.

    “The premise of International Art Machine is that we are entering a new peak era for Asian original cinema and television,” said International Art Machine CEO Roy Price. “Everything we do supports that vision. India in particular, with its many people and stories, is poised to be a leader in a new multi-polar entertainment world. I could not imagine a better project to start IAM’s life than Shiva, and there is no better dream team to fully realize the potential of Amish’s novels than Shekhar Kapur and Suparn S. Verma. It was meant to be! At International Art Machine our goal is to partner with creators across Asia to produce series that will be game-changers at home and successfully carry the banner of Asian originals abroad. We are very excited about ‘Shiva,’ ‘The Kitty Party’ with Preity G Zinta and ‘Gods’ with Dibakar Banerjee as our first slate in India.”

    “Amish’s Shiva trilogy has been India’s great publishing sensation, crossing every age and class. It’s not just mythology, it’s modern storytelling at its best. Lending itself to a beautiful international series,” said director-producer Shekhar Kapur.

    Translated across 20 languages to cater to its colossal demand, Amish Tripathi’s Shiva trilogy is the fastest-selling book series in Indian history.

    “One couldn’t have asked for a better team than this to take my books into the audio-visual world,” said Amish Tripathi. “Shekhar is an Oscar-winning filmmaker who is among the best living Indian directors. Roy is among the most successful Hollywood executives, having created Emmy and BAFTA-winning series. Suparn is one of the finest young writer-directors in modern India, having helmed the critically acclaimed and hugely successful Family Man 2. I am sure that with a team like this, we will create a web series that is worthy of Lord Shiva.”

    “The Meluha trilogy by Amish Tripathi is a genre-defining book and has become part of the pop culture of the country,” commented Suparn S Varma. “I loved the reimagining and the world-building involving two of my favorite gods! The scale of vision and the ambition of our show visually and emotionally is as huge a task but we want to bring to audiences a vision that has never been seen before on screens.”  

  • HistoryTV18’s #RoadTrippinWithRnM returns with season 5

    HistoryTV18’s #RoadTrippinWithRnM returns with season 5

    Mumbai: HistoryTV18 has launched the fifth season of #RoadTrippinWithRnM, a digital travel vlogging series. The new season which premiered on 23 August, will continue till 7 September.

    “The two hosts Rocky and Mayur will take a trip across South India, starting from Madurai in Tamil Nadu and ending at Panjim, Goa. During their journey, they will visit popular but lesser-known destinations such as Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore, Salem, Mysore, Chikmagalur, Mangalore, and Gokarna,” the channel shared in a statement.

    The show can be viewed on the social media handles of HistoryTV18, Rocky and Mayur. The vlogs will be posted on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

    “Can’t wait to get out on the open roads again! We have covered a large part of India over our last four trips with HistoryTV18, but this is the first time we are heading South. I am excited about the whole new world that awaits us – long highways, Oceanside drives and lush green roadsides lined with coconut trees, exciting outdoor adventures, and so many new flavours, sights, and sounds! I think we can safely promise loads of exciting, unexpected experiences this time around,” said the show host, Rocky.

    “The South has so many amazing cuisines to feast on before our journey takes us to the beach shacks of Goa. My mouth waters just at the thought of what lies ahead,” added Mayur.

    “The mega success of #RoadTrippinWithRnM is proof that each successive road trip has moved with the times to meet our viewers’ expectations,” said A+E Networks | TV18, president – content and communication, Arun Thapar. “While the humour, energy, and camaraderie have remained constant, we have also surprised viewers with extraordinary experiences each time. The route this time from Tamil Nadu to Goa via Karnataka will be a treat for the eyes – and of course, you just can’t go wrong when you combine Rocky and Mayur’s genuine love for travel with the thrill of being out on the open road!”

    The digital series was launched in the second half of 2020 with the two hosts covering 10 states in India, over 7,000 kms over 50 days. Their 372 videos garnered 500 million impressions, 130+ million views, and more than 5.2 million engagements across social media, said the channel.