MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has reportedly signed a Rs 1 billion deal with 20th Century Fox to remake the popular US crime thriller series 24.

Kapoor, who also starred in the last season of the show, will make the show for Indian audiences, playing the lead role of anti terrorist cell (ATC) agent Jack Bauer.

In the original series, the role of Bauer is played by Kiefer Sutherland and every season (day) of the show depicts 24 hours in the life of the agent. Every episode of the show is the story of one hour of the day and it is shown realtime, with the clock never stopping.

The Indian version of the show will see Kapoor making entry on the small screen as his Film Company will be producing it for the Indian market.

"It will be a great honour for me to play Jack Bauer. Kiefer has created an iconic character which has inspired me to bring the franchise to India. This will be my first foray to Indian television and I look forward to duplicating the standard of excellence Fox has so successfully created," Kapoor said in a statement.

Fox International president Marion Edwards added, "Anil?s passion for the series goes back to his time as a guest star on the show, and we?re excited to enable him to realise his vision of creating a new version of the series for his native India. We think this could pave the way for many more iterations of this brilliant series in other international territories down the road."

MUMBAI: Fox International Channels (FIC), the multimedia company of the Fox Entertainment Group dedicated to the production and distribution of Pay TV channels and digital services worldwide, has announced that 24Kitchen, its new food channel, will launch in the Netherlands on 1 October.

24Kitchen, a joint initiative of Fox Channels Benelux and Jan Dekker Holding, will be all about food. The majority of the content will be original local production exclusive to the channel.

24Kitchen will be available 24 hours per day to over 3 million Dutch digital basic subscribers. 24Kitchen will occupy channel position 24 on the cable TV platforms Ziggo, UPC and Caiway, and position 247 on Glashart Media?s platform.

In addition to the linear TV channel, 24Kitchen will offer On-Demand services, a robust website, an e-magazine and will organise off air events.

Original local programmes will be presented by established Dutch TV masterchefs Rudolph van Veen and Ang?lique Schmeinck, as well as new talents Giovanni Caminita, Danny Jansen, Rob Baan, Nadia Zerouali and Merijn Tol, Andrea van Lieshout and John Gerdsen.

FIC Europe and Africa president Jes?s Perezagua said, ?24Kitchen is FIC?s first fully local lifestyle channel in Europe. The Netherlands is a priority market for FIC. Its fast digital roll out and dynamic production community make it an ideal market for 24Kitchen and a great launching pad from which to take this channel to the rest of Europe.?

Among its content, 24Kitchen will feature Dutch TV chef Rudolph van Veen in ?The Easy Meal?, ?Rudolph?s Bakery? and ?The Taste of Life Travel?. Rudolph and horticulturalist Rob Baan collaborate in ?The Taste of Life Basics? to highlight local, seasonal products and how to prepare them. And Angelique Schmeinck reveals a world of flavors in?The Taste of Cooking?.

24Kitchen will complement FIC?s existing Pay TV channel portfolio and its tentpole channels Fox and National Geographic. Following its launch in The Netherlands, FIC plans to export 24Kitchen to additional European markets.