Netflix is making big leaps in India with indigenous content and the most recent on the list is Bard of Blood, a series which has some big Bollywood names associated with it. Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, this spy thriller series is based on the 2015 novel of the same name written by Bilal Siddiqi.
The series, whose trailer was released on Thursday, looks like a high octane drama with plenty of action.
In the opening scenes of the two-and-half-minute trailer, we see Indian spies being taken prisoners and executed in Balochistan, Pakistan. Enter Emraan Hashmi as ‘Adonis’, aka Kabir Anand, a seemingly nondescript school teacher who is also a troubled and, apparently, disgraced spy.
Adonis is sent into Balochistan along with two others – Isha Khanna, played by Made in Heaven fame Sobhita Dhulipala, and Veer, played by Vineet Kumar. We see Emraan taking risks, much to the displeasure of his colleagues, and beating people up in scenes peppered with plenty of gunfights, explosions and car chases.
Others starring in the series include Kirti Kulhari, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Rajit Kapoor. Created by Bilal Siddiqi and Gaurav Verma, Bard of Blood is directed by Ribhu Dasgupta.
In the run-up to the release, a promotional video featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Emraan Hashmi was also released. It showed an interrogation of sorts, where Shah Rukh, who is questioning Adonis – Emraan’s character – ultimately ends up being the interrogated. The narrative, while comical, establishes Emraan’s character as a smart, risk-taking agent that he likely plays in Bard of Blood.
The series will release in India on September 27.
Bard of Blood is just one of the major Indian series on Netflix right now apart from Sacred Games and Delhi Crime, among others. Many others are in the pipeline.
Netflix knows that in star-crazy India even attaching the names of SRK and Anushka as producers can trigger a revenue haul worth a few crores or more.
“We want to make sure that whatever is their taste, viewers will find it at Netflix. That is what we have been doing across the globe, with series and films. We hope to bring that narrative to the local Indian market as well. Just like we are talking of global content here, they should be talking about Indian content,” Srishti Behl Arya, director, International Originals, Netflix India, had told IANS.
This year, the streaming service is expected to spend $15 billion on content, and India is big on its radar.
“We are seeing a nice, steady increase in engagement with Indian viewers that we think we can build on,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said on a call with analysts, adding: “Growth in India is a marathon. We’re in it for the long haul.”
Apart from Bard of Blood, upcoming Indian content on Netflix includes Baahubali: The Rise Of Sivagami, Bulbul, Midnight’s Children, Bombay Begums, Betaal, Messy, Masaba Masaba, Ghost Stories, Class of ‘83 and Mrs. Serial Killer.
(with IANS inputs)