MUMBAI: In another shot in the arm for Indian television producers, the producers of mythological show Porus, Swastik Productions, have managed to bag content syndication deals in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Swastik Productions founder Rahul Kumar Tewari said that it has already launched in Thailand and other countries will see launches by July 2018. In Thailand, the show is being broadcast on weekdays at a primetime slot. The show will be dubbed in Malay, Thai, English, and Burmese for the new markets.
Last month, a source close to the development revealed that the 260-episodic series had been sold to Maharaja Television (MTV). Porus is renamed as Digvijaya in the Sinhala-dubbed version and has been launched on channel Sirasa TV, during the weekend at the 8pm slot combining two episodes thereby giving each episode a one-hour run.
The show started off well in India with 3.6 million impressions in week 48 but then saw a dip in ratings. It has managed to hook viewers till week 5 with 3.3 million impressions according to Broadcast Audience Research Council data.
In an earlier interaction, Swastik Productions founder Siddharth Kumar Tewary said, "Porus has been consistent in its ratings since its launch and this was our plan to be consistent in the beginning and then grow slowly. We have made Porus with a huge amount of conviction.”
In its 10-year existence, Swastik Productions has produced over fifteen television shows which also include Mahabharat, Razia Sultan, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Mata Ki Chowki, Amber Dhara, and Begusarai among others. It recently launched a light-hearted emotional drama on Sony Sab, Shankar Jay Kishan.
The production house is free to sub-licence the show to a digital or international player, to air the episodes after 3-hours of original airing on Sony. While talking about the IP rights with the production house, a media report said that these kinds of deals vary. Historically broadcasters have been bearing all the cost. If the producer is ready to bear the cost, it will work out fine for the channel also as it reduces the risk and budget.
The 22-minute show aired at 8.30 pm from Monday to Friday on Sony, depicts the untold story of the greatest conqueror of the world, Alexander and the most spirited defender of India, Porus. Set in 350 BC, the story traces its roots to a time when India was at its glorious best and Porus resisted the first attack on Indian soil by the Macedonian legend. The chronological narrative will trace the journey from birth to the epic battle between these two warriors born on the same day but raised with completely different upbringings.
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