Sameer Nair: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: Hot on the heels of launching Netflix police drama Black Warrant, India’s Applause Entertainment has struck a two-picture deal with 83 and Ek Tha Tiger director Kabir Khan.

Naman Ramachandran “Black Warrant,” the hit Netflix series currently in the platform’s India Top 10 nearly three months after its premiere, was the focus of a panel at the ongoing Cinevesture International Film Festival in Chandigarh, India. The discussion featured creator-showrunner Vikramaditya Motwane, producer Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment, and lead actors Zahan Kapoor and Rahul Bhat, who explored the “synergy for success” that has made the prison drama a streaming standout. Based on “Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer” by Sunil Gupta and journalist Sunetra Choudhury, the series chronicles Gupta’s 35-year career at India’s notorious Tihar prison, where he oversaw infamous inmates including serial killer Charles Sobhraj and and kidnappers Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa).

Naman Ramachandran In the bustling landscape of Indian television, reality shows have carved out a significant niche, captivating audiences with a mix of international adaptations and homegrown formats. Popular formats include “Bigg Boss,” the Hindi-language version of the global “Big Brother” format; “Indian Idol,” adapted from “Pop Idol”; “Khatron Ke Khiladi,” the Indian iteration of “Fear Factor,” “India‘s Got Talent,” the Indian version of the “Got Talent” franchise; and local versions of “Shark Tank” and “MasterChef,” to name a few.

Naman Ramachandran Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman (“Slumdog Millionaire”) has signed on to create the musical score for the upcoming series “Gandhi,” directed by Hansal Mehta and produced by India’s Applause Entertainment. The announcement was made on Oct.

Naman Ramachandran Indian studio Applause Entertainment is gearing up for an ambitious slate of projects as it enters its eighth year of operations. The company, led by managing director Sameer Nair, a pioneer of Indian television with previous stints at Star TV, NDTV Imagine, Turner General Entertainment and Balaji Telefilms, has its sights set on expanding into new genres and formats while building on its established successes. Leading the charge is “Nyaya,” a courtroom drama produced in association with Mangata Films.

Netflix will release biographical documentary Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli on August 2, shedding light on the Indian filmmaker behind titles like Baahubali and RRR.

SonyLIV is getting the gang back together for another Scam.

Tanaav,” the Indian adaptation of the global hit thriller series “Fauda,” will return for a second season. India’s Applause Entertainment, the content studio of India’s Aditya Birla Group, has secured format rights to Season 2 from Israel’s Yes Studios.

Naman Ramachandran Prolific Indian studio Applause Entertainment and Zindagi, the Indian subcontinent-focused programming block on streamer ZEE5 Global, have set a wide-ranging content partnership. The partnership will create South Asian-themed content from across the subcontinent. The initial burst of productions will be in the Hindustani (combining Hindi and Urdu) language that is understood across the subcontinent.

Indian streamer SonyLIV has ordered two new series, social drama Kafas and suspense thriller 36 Days, from production powerhouse Applause Entertainment, along with four returning shows. 

Naman Ramachandran After its world premiere in Toronto, Nandita Das’ “Zwigato” has its Asian premiere in Busan’s A Window on Asian Cinema strand. An acclaimed actor with credits including “Fire,” “Kannathil Muthamittal” and “Kamli,” Das made her directorial debut with “Firaaq” (2008), which debuted at Toronto. Her next film as director, “Manto” (2018), bowed at Cannes. “Zwigato,” her third outing in the director’s seat, also bowed at Toronto. It began life as a short film that was to be part of an anthology produced by India’s Applause Entertainment. That project didn’t come to fruition, but Applause chief Sameer Nair convinced Das to expand the idea into a feature, which she did during the course of India’s first two COVID-19 lockdowns. The film, a satire on the gig economy, follows a factory manager, who after losing his job, becomes a courier for the food delivery app Zwigato.