Netflix plans to make 17 more original productions in Asia
THE online streaming and the video-on-demand platform Netflix has announced 17 new web series in a bid to expand their Asian market. Out of 17 originals, 9 are from India which includes ‘Baahubali: Before the Beginning’ prequel of director SS Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali’.
The prequel will star Mrunal Thakur as the lead, Sivagami, played by Ramya Krishnan, Rahul Bose as Skandadasa, Atul Kulkarni, Vaquar Shaikh, Jameel Khan, Siddharth Arora and Anup Soni.
Last month, filming for the series began and three sets were erected at locations where the two ‘Baahubali’ films were filmed.
The plan, announced at Netflix’s content showcase event in Singapore, comes after the US firm reported bumper quarterly earnings last month, driven by gains in international subscribers.
Netflix scored a hit in India with Mumbai-based crime thriller ‘Sacred Games’. However, the Bollywood studio that produced the show disbanded last month after sexual harassment allegations against one of its partners, Vikas Bahl, and the show’s lead writer, Varun Grover. Both men have denied the allegations.
Netflix later backed the series for a second season.
The Mumbai schedule for the second season of ‘Sacred Games’ is currently underway.
According to sources close to the project, actor Saif Ali Khan’s Mumbai schedule has already started. “Saif Ali Khan has started shooting for ‘Sacred Games’ Season 2 in Mumbai four days back. He will be shooting for a bit. It’s Mumbai schedule for him only,” the source said.
‘Sacred Games’, which is based on Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel of the same name, was Netflix’s first original Indian series. The first season of the series, starring Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte, garnered a lot of praise and became an instant hit.