MUMBAI: Star India's Hindi General Entertainment Channel (HGEC) Star Plus has signed a series license deal with Keshet International (KI) for its award -winning drama format, Prisoners of War
The Indian adaptation will be produced by Emmay Entertainment (Producer of films such as Airlift, Katti Batti, Hero, D-Day), and directed by the popular Bollywood director Nikkhil Advani.
Keshet International managing director distribution, Keren Shahar said, "We are extremely proud to be collaborating with Star Plus on one of our most accomplished properties and couldn't be happier that Prisoners of War continues to achieve such success internationally. The versatility of the format is evident, since it has attracted a dedicated following anywhere it has aired in the world. Securing this deal with a highly esteemed partner is indicative of KI's future ambitions in India."
A Star India spokesperson further added, "We are excited to bring a story of such pedigree to India. Star Plus has always been at the forefront of bringing the best of the world to Indian television by constantly redefining the grammar of storytelling. This series, a psychological thriller, will engage and capture the imagination of the Indian viewer."
Created, written and directed by Gideon Raff, Prisoners of War follows two soldiers as they attempt to re-adjust to their lives after returning home from captivity for 17 years.
In addition to their personal struggles, it becomes clear that there is a profound secret that the two are keeping from everyone. The first season was the highest-rated drama of the year in Israel in 2011, achieving a 37 per cent share (HH). Season two launched on Keshet Channel 2 in 2012, and scored a 40 per cent average share, making it the most viewed drama of the year and peaking with an incredible 47.9 per cent audience share during the season two finale.
KI has licensed the series all over the world, both as a format and finished programme. It has brokered licensing deals for local adaptations in numerous territories including South Korea (Star J Entertainment), Russia (WeitMedia), Turkey (Medyapim), and most notably, the US (Fox21 and Showtime) where the adapted series, Homeland, has won numerous awards including Emmys and Golden Globes.
