James R | On 06, Jun 2016

Netflix is working on its first Indian original series.

Based on the best-selling novel Sacred Games by Indian author Vikram Chandra, the Hindi-English series will be produced in partnership with Phantom Films, one of India’s leading production houses.

Set in Mumbai, Sacred Games delves into the city’s intricate web of organized crime, corruption, politics and espionage that lie beneath India’s economic renaissance. Netflix describes it as an epic of “exceptional richness and power that interweaves the lives of the privileged, the famous, the wretched and the bloodthirsty”.

“Over the last few years, I’ve watched with great excitement and pleasure as Netflix has transformed narrative television with its ground-breaking, genre-bending shows,” comments Mr. Chandra. “I’m confident that all the colour and vitality and music of the fictional world I’ve lived with for so long will come fully alive on the large-scale canvas provided by Netflix. I’m thrilled to be working with Netflix and Phantom Films.”

Phantom Films was formed in 2011 by four young creative minds – Vikas Bahl, Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena. Billed as India’s “first directors’ company”, it focuses on fostering creative energies to create “enduring and entertaining” content. In the last five years, the company has released a range of films, including had 10 releases till now including Masaan, which won the Fipresci Award in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes last year. Phantom has also partnered with Blumhouse Productions to produce multiple horror films for the global market.

“We are very happy to start this journey with Netflix by producing Vikram’s outstanding story, set in Mumbai,” says Madhu Mantena of Phantom Films. “And we are extremely confident that together we will create some exciting and groundbreaking television content from hereon.”

“We are delighted to partner with creative powerhouse, Phantom Films, to bring Vikram Chandra’s epic novel to life with the best Indian and global film talent available today,” adds Erik Barmack, vice president of international original series at Netflix.

Shot on location in India, Sacred Games continues the streaming giant’s efforts to create local, original content designed to appeal to its target audiences in countries around the world. The series will be released globally at an unconfirmed future date.

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