Netflix signs multi-year pact with Indian prodco Yash Raj Films for TV and films

Netflix India’s Monika Shergill and Yash Raj Films’ Akshaye Widhani

Netflix has ageed a multi-year deal covering TV and film projects with Indian production company Yash Raj Films (YRF).

The companies will collaborate on projects that appeal both to the local market and Netflix’s international subscriber base of more than 238 million.

The first project to emerge from the partnership is The Railway Men, a four-part thriller directed by Shiv Rawail and starring R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu Sharma and Babil Khan.

The series is inspired by a true story and focuses on the unsung heroes who risked their lives following the deadly gas leak in the central Indian city of Bhopal in 1984.

YRF is also developing Mahara, a feature based on true events and described as a “David vs Goliath story set in the 1800s, about how a regular man, journalist by profession, takes on a powerful role-model of society, hailed by many as a messiah for the masses.”

Mahara is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra (Hichki) and stars Junaid Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari and Shalini Pandey.

“Yash Raj Films have defined the essence of Indian filmmaking. They are one of the most respected storytellers in the industry,” said Monika Shergill, VP of content for Netflix India.

“From Kabhi Kabhie to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, War to Pathaan, their signature stories have been part of our lives and continue to fuel the zeitgeist.”

YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani added: “This partnership will certainly push YRF as a storyteller to new audiences and allow them to consume Indian stories in their own languages too. India is a young and aspirational country. We have 1.4 billion stories to tell the world. We want to showcase our content, as well as provide a platform for our brilliant home-grown talent to a global audience.”