Fiction
‘Pretty Little Liars’, ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘ER’ in Asian adaptations
MUMBAI: Three scripted series from the Warner Bros portfolio, Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl and ER, are set for local adaptations in Asia, with commissions and options secured in the Philippines, Thailand and India.
Pretty Little Liars is currently in production in the Philippines. The 22-episode local version, produced by ABC Development Corporation, is due to debut on TV5 in April.
In Thailand, Kantana Public Company is producing an 18-episode local adaptation of Gossip Girl. The first local adaptation of the series, Gossip Girl Acapulco, aired last year in Mexico and received well by all.
ER has been optioned in India by Gold Television Network. A Colombian version of ER was announced at NATPE. The Indian adaptation will see famous Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla play the lead role.
There is a significant increase in the number of Warner Bros’ scripted formats which have travelled successfully around the world and partnered with high caliber of production companies to bring its programs to the screen in Asia. Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl and ER are all iconic Warner Bros. shows that have proved to be audience favorites in US and the production house is confident about its potential to equally entertain the audiences in the Philippines, Thailand and India.
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MUMBAI: On Christmas morning, whilst most of Mumbai slept off festive cheer, Satyam Tripathi’s heart gave out. 25 December proved cruelly ironic for a man who’d spent his career crafting drama—this time, there would be no second take. He was only 57.
Tripathi was a scriptwriter’s scriptwriter. Within India’s chaotic television industry, where writers are treated rather like spare parts, he’d carved out something rare: respect. For years, he sat on the executive committee of the Screen Writers Association, helping transform along with other leaders, what was once a talking shop into an organisation with teeth. When writers’ rights were little more than punchlines, Tripathi helped pen a different ending.
His credits read like a greatest hits of Indian telly: Hitler Didi, 12/24 Karol Bagh, Ek Mutthi Aasman, Parvarrish Kuchh Khattee Kuchh Meethi. Millions laughed, cried and switched channels to his work. He also championed the association’s Screen Writing Awards, ensuring that good writing didn’t go unnoticed in an industry obsessed with ratings and revenue.
Those who knew him speak of an affable soul, generous with time and advice. In a cut-throat business, Tripathi was that rarest of creatures: genuinely helpful.
His remains were cremated the same evening in the presence of industry associates and friends. The credits rolled quickly. But his final script—a better deal for India’s writers—continues to play out. That’s the sort of ending he’d have appreciated.
(Scriptwriters, producers and friends will be getting together to honour Satyam Kumud Tripathi’s memory and to hold a prayer meeting on 29 December. The location: Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara, 4 Bungalows, Andheri West, Mumbai. The time: between 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM.)
