Netflix Unveils Five Indian Originals From Producers Including Blumhouse & Chernin Entertainment

Netflix has ordered five new originals out of India with Hollywood producers including Blumhouse and Chernin Entertainment getting in on the action.

The SVOD service is doubling down on its scripted drive in the region – following the success of titles such as Delhi Crime and Selection Day.

Over the next twelve months, it will launch Bombay Begums, Mai, Betaal, Messy and Masaba Masaba.

Bombay Begums, executive produced by Chernin Entertainment and Endemol Shine India, is a story set in contemporary urban India that sees five women, across generations, wrestle with desire, ethics, personal crises and vulnerabilities to own their ambition. As glass ceilings are shattered and hearts are broken, difficult choices have to be made. And as each woman strives to find her own truth, they find in each other an unexpected understanding and the sliver of a bond. It was created, written and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava.

Betaal, executive produced by Blumhouse, is set in a remote village that becomes the theatre of a breathless battle when a two-century-old Betaal, a British Indian Army officer, and his battalion of zombie redcoats are unleashed. With Indian police pitted against the undead army, hapless villagers are trapped in a horrific conflict. Betaal comes from Red Chillies Entertainment, in collaboration with Ghoul’s Patrick Graham as writer, director and showrunner, along with Nikhil Mahajan as the director and Suhani Kanwar as writer. Ivanhoe is also producing.

Mai follows a docile, 47-year-old wife-and-mother, Sheel, who finds herself accidentally sucked into a rabbit hole of violence and power within the world of white collar crime and politics. Anushka Sharma & Karnesh Sharma’s Clean Slate Films is executive producer and it is written by Atul Mongia along with Tamal Sen, Amita Vyas, with Sudip Sharma as a creative producer.

Messy is centered around Beanie, Mumbai’s rising standup comic, who struggles to balance a career in comedy with pleasing a yuppie day-job boss, peculiar BFF, persistent parents, and proposal-popping boyfriend. Messy is her quest to find her own voice and get her life together in the midst of all the mayhem. Ravi Patel stars in the series, which he has created and co-written with Neel Shah. The series is co-produced by The District’s David Bernad and Ruben Fleischer and Mutant Films’ Seher Aly Latif & Shivani Saran.

Masaba Masaba is based on the life of fashion designer Masaba Gupta as she enters back into the dating world. It will star Masaba and Neena Gupta and is created and produced by Ashvini Yardi’s Viniyard Films and will be directed by Sonam Nair.

Bela Bajaria, VP, International Originals, Netflix, said, “India is home to some of the world’s greatest stories. It’s been thrilling to watch these amazing storytellers embrace the artistic freedom possible at Netflix to create entertaining stories. Audiences everywhere will love these five inventive series set in stories of horror, drama and comedy.”