Applause Entertainment inks deal with Yes Studios

Applause Entertainment, the content studio promoted by the Aditya Birla Group, has been a frontrunner in creating blockbuster Indian adaptations of several acclaimed International shows like 'Criminal Justice', 'Hostages', 'The Office' and 'Mind the Malhotras' (La Famiglia). Led by media pioneer, Sameer Nair, the studio announced the adaptation of the award-winning Israeli drama series ‘Fauda’.

‘Fauda’, hailed as one of the best Israeli shows, managed to break out of the deep corners of the foreign language section and has become a global phenomenon. ‘Fauda’ meaning ‘Chaos’ in Arabic, is the commandos’ code word for when an operation goes awry. The series is an honest depiction of the ongoing feud between the shadowy world of Israeli undercover and army units, and Palestinian militants and civilian population. Developed by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, ‘Fauda’ has been tremendously praised internationally, with a perfect score of 100% on “Rotten Tomatoes”. With its gritty realism it has been hailed as a groundbreaking series. The series, which has amassed a world-wide following, received much acclaim for its nuanced portrayal of both sides of the conflict with multi-faceted characters; caring spouses, parents, as well as fierce adversaries.  The much anticipated third season of "Fauda" is currently in post-production.

Commenting on this collaboration, Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment said, “'Fauda' is a fictional tale deeply rooted in the reality of a region, of a culture and of people. In a world of conflict and struggle, there are innocent victims and brutal acts of violence on both sides. Reality is often stranger than fiction, and is rarely black and white; 'Fauda' is an effort to represent this grey state of conflict. We have similar scenarios in India which is why we believe this compelling story must be transliterated and adapted to take it to a larger Indian and global audience. We want to deliver strong and relevant digital content to the newer audiences and are our proud of this association with Yes Studios”

Danna Stern, Managing Director, Yes Studios, added, “We’re excited to collaborate with a brand like Applause Entertainment to bring in the Indian version of ‘Fauda’. Applause has been a leading studio in acquiring international formats and adapting them for local audiences. Their entire adaptation process is meticulous and stays true to the original material while making the story relevant to their local viewers – which they know so well; we are certain that they will do complete justice with the Indian version.” 

Avi Issacharoff, Show Co-creator, 'Fauda' has been an integral part of our professional and personal lives and we’re extremely excited that it is being remade for another country and language. India is creating some exciting digital content and this association with Applause Entertainment will help take ‘Fauda’ to a different territory and wider audience base.” 

 Lior Raz – Co-creator and Lead Actor who plays Doron, 'Fauda' is extremely authentic and real. I’m sure Indian audiences will be enthralled by the realistic and detailed world created in this carefully thought-out adaptation. I’m also excited to know who will play Doron!".  

The Indian adaptation of Fauda will highlight the complex and complicated relationship between India and Pakistan, and deconstruct historical conflicts to showcase a new perspective. 

Writing and development is underway, and the filming of the series is expected to commence early next year.