Netflix Announces Content Partnership With Karan Johar's Bollywood Studio
The deal with the filmmaker and TV personality is the latest in a long line that the streamer has done in India as it continued its aggressive moves to build its local content offerings.
Netflix is strengthening its alliances with Bollywood's biggest players by entering into a long-term content partnership with Dharmatic Entertainment, the recently launched digital content studio of Dharma Productions headed by leading filmmaker and TV personality Karan Johar.
Announcing the deal on Wednesday, the streamer said the partnership would "create a broad range of new fiction and non-fiction series and films exclusively for Netflix members." No further details on projects were given.
Johar's credits include blockbuster hits such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, among others. In addition, he also hosts the popular Koffee With Karan talk show that airs on the Disney-owned Star India network.
Netflix and Johar first worked together in 2018 on the anthology Lust Stories, which also featured films by Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee. Johar is also part of the upcoming horror anthology Ghost Stories. As unveiled earlier, Dharmatic is also producing the upcoming Netflix film Guilty.
"I am incredibly excited about our partnership with Karan Johar — one of India’s greatest modern storytellers," said Netflix international originals vp Bela Bajaria, adding, "Netflix, Johar and Dharmatic Entertainment will have all the creative freedom and support they need to create pioneering dramas and unscripted series — as well as films — for our members all over the world."
"I'm super excited about the projects we already have in development and the limitless possibilities ahead," said Johar. "To create universal stories from India that the world discovers is an incredible and unprecedented opportunity."
The deal with Dharmatic is the latest in a long line that Netflix has inked in India as the company continued its aggressive moves to build its local content offerings. The streamer's other association with top Bollywood players includes Shah Rukh Khan's banner Red Chillies Entertainment, which has produced the spy thriller Bard of Blood, which is set to bow worldwide on Sept. 27.
