Banijay Asia announces new Kannada show

Content production house Banijay Asia has announced a Kannada show, Rani, that is set to air on Star Suvarna, from 3 April. The show stars Chandana M Rao and Praveen KC in pivotal roles.

“We are elated to announce the launch of our new show, Rani, the first of many more to come as part of our partnership with KS Ramji and team lead by our business head Rajesh Chadha. At Banijay Asia, we remain committed to delivering high-quality, locally relevant content that resonates with our viewers and reflects the rich cultural diversity of our country,” Deepak Dhar, CEO, Banijay Asia said in a statement.

The Indian arm of Paris-headquartered Banijay Group, plans to put on 35-45 shows a year across TV and streaming platforms in India. The slate will cover fiction, reality shows, and documentaries, including adaptation of international shows such as Suits, Top Chef, House, and Monk. The company will also form partnerships with content studios of Salman Khan, Kamal Haasan, and M.S. Dhoni to offer web films and shows.

The group is known for producing crime dramas, investigative thrillers, and The Kapil Sharma Show on TV, and over- the-top (OTT) offerings such as Tribhanga on Netflix, and Matsya Kaand on MX Player.

Banijay Asia has also produced A.R. Rahman’s ARRived, a music reality show on YouTube, an adaptation of Israeli drama Hostages, Netflix originals such as Call my Agent: Bollywood, and Undekhi on SonyLIV.

Its upcoming projects include adaptations of unscripted formats such as Survivor and Temptation Island, scripted dramas House M.D and three local originals Kao Girls, Donkey Route, and One Up.

In 2018, Dhar, then managing director of EndemolShine India, partnered with Banijay to expand operations in India and Southeast Asia. He formed a 50:50 joint venture, to launch Banijay Asia in India.