iWorld
GoQuest Media and Wowow strike a deal for ‘Traitor’
Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has struck a deal for the Estonian espionage drama ‘Traitor’.
Japanese broadcaster Wowow has acquired the spy thriller for its LinearTV and On-Demand streaming service. The award-winning series is directed by Ergo Kuld, and produced by multi service provider Elisa Estonia and Estonian public broadcaster ERR. It is written by playwright and screenwriter Martin Algus, who was awarded the ‘Best Screenwriter Award’ at Estonian Film and Television Awards 2019.
The thrilling series stars Tambet Tuisk, who was also won the ‘Best Actor Award’ for ‘Traitor’ at the Estonian Film and Television Awards 2020
Inspired by recent spy scandals in Estonia, ‘Traitor’ is a thriller which begins in 2004 just before Estonia joined Nato and became a top target for Russian intelligence. Greed and the need for recognition leads new recruit Alfred Vint (Tambet Tuisk) to cooperate with Russian intelligence, leading to a thrilling cat-and-mouse game with determined young Estonian counter-intelligence officer Marko Arrak (Veiko Porkanen) as they navigate the challenges faced in their personal lives.
Wowow acquisition manager Chinatsu Otsuki said, “We are very excited to close the first deal with GoQuest Media. ‘Traitor’ is a superb spy thriller, and the story is very twisted. Our viewers love to watch ‘rewarding good and punishing evil’. However, we all know that reality is a lot more different from what is portrayed in fictional drama. This Estonian spy drama is very realistic in a way that is inspired by true events”.
ERR head of programs Marje Tõemäe said, “We are very happy that stories which are based on our history and connect with our viewers are also relevant for other audiences all over the world.”
GoQuest Media managing director Vivek Lath said that he was delighted that ‘Traitor’ will make its debut in Asia, and he couldn’t have asked for a better launchpad than Wowow. “As Japanese audiences watch the unravelling of a brutal but charming government servant who will betray everyone, including his country, to amass power and wealth, we promise that this compelling spy scandal drama may leave them shaken, but they won’t stop watching,” he added.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
