Netflix have announced a new creative partnership with the Indian studio Yash Raj Films that is set to last several years. They will “collaborate to create films and series to bring defining stories to audiences in India and across the world,” according to a statement.
The new partnership will begin with a four-part thriller series, The Railway Men, a previously announced honorific show to the victims and heroes of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, in which a cloud of toxic gas once escaped from a pesticide plant.
The incident claimed lives and injured thousands of people, but the workers at the Bhopal railway station saved the lives of thousands more. This will be the first production from Yash Raj Entertainment, the streaming part of the company, and will star R. Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon and Divyenndu Sharma.
The second project to come out of the YRF-Netflix deal is Maharaj, a story taking place in the 1800s, in which a journalist takes on a role model of society that is adorned by millions across India.
In a statement, Monika Shergill, Netflix India’s content vice president, said, “We are passionate about serving our broad audiences with series and films that they connect with and love, and we want to do more of this. Yash Raj Films have defined the essence of Indian film-making.”
The CEO of Yash Raj Films, Akshaye Widhani, added, “YRF’s mission is to create entertaining, inspiring and extraordinary stories from India for the world. Netflix is the biggest streamer in the world and offers us an opportunity to tell our stories in over 190 countries. Their belief in the content-first approach is noteworthy and synergistic with our ethos.”
YRF have been enjoying a successful year, with Pathaan being the biggest Indian hit of the year and Netflix’s The Romantics, about the founder of YRF, also being well-received on the streaming service.
