Fiction
Applause Entertainment partners with Gurinder Chadha and Sunder Aaron
MUMBAI: With a strong focus on building an exciting and ambitious content slate that serves a diverse set of audiences, Applause Entertainment has rapidly emerged as one of the leading studios in India. An Aditya Birla Group venture, the content studio led by media veteran Sameer Nair has announced its first International partnership with the highly acclaimed Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Films & TV and Sunder Aaron's Locomotive Global, to expand its global footprint.
Under this partnership the companies are developing an original, multi-season, drama series chronicling the life of an Indian Guru. This show titled Seeker witnesses the journey of a man who starts with noble intentions, his incredible rise to global fame and following even as he evolves into a grey mystic. The simple ashram gradually turns into an empire, soon too complicated for him to handle. With a colourful cast of characters and dark, complex layers, the series is currently under development and a multi-national writers room has been set up for it. It will feature an International Indian cast and be shot at various locations within and outside of India.
Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair said, “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Gurinder Chadha and Sunder Aaron. Gurinder’s passion for telling stories and the global expertise of Locomotive Global aligns well with our philosophy and strength for investing in and creating outstanding premium content. This is an incredible time to tell this particular story, about the faith of the human race in a higher power, and in the telling, to cater to a universal, global sensibility.”
Award-winning filmmaker and Bend It Films & TV chairperson Gurinder Chadha said, “As an International Director and Producer, I have been inspired to witness the strong appetite that both Indian and global audiences have for original, ambitious, border-crossing drama series. I am excited about this creative collaboration with Sameer Nair and his team at Applause along with Sunder Aaron. "
Locomotive Global co-founder and principal Sunder Aaron said, "Applause Entertainment in a short time has already made waves in India. We are excited to be part of their mission to tell stories that also make waves around the world. We are thrilled to partner with a special talent in Gurinder Chadha and are extremely pleased to work with Bend It Films & TV and Applause Entertainment on this compelling and unique narrative project. Together, we are already working to bring together a brilliant team of writers and creators who will help us develop high quality scripts and present this fascinating story to a global audience."
Over the years, Gurinder Chadha has made her mark as one of the most reputed and notable content producers. She and her team are the minds behind the award winning – Bend it Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice, Blinded By The Night, Viceroy’s House, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and the recently released drama series, Beecham House on Netflix India.
Also partnering on the series is Locomotive Global Inc, a global media company led by Sunder Aaron, who has in the past worked on building channels for Sony Entertainment Television India, and has also cofounded Hindi language television network, The Q India. Aaron is a leading media professional focused on the creation and distribution of original premium content across the globe.
Applause Entertainment is the first of its kind, Indian content and IP creation studio, creating premium content, and working with platform partners to entertain and delight their customers. It has created over 19 diverse shows across languages which are a combination of international format adaptations, book adaptations and originals.
The studio introduced the Indian audiences to the official adaptations of popular international shows like Criminal Justice, Hostages, The Office and Your Honor, and is presently developing Indian versions of hit shows like Fauda and Luther. Applause Entertainment has also created rich original content with shows like Rasbhari, City of Dreams, Bhaukaal and Hasmukh. All these drama series have found homes on leading global video streaming services like Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, MX Player, Netflix and others. Recently, Applause Entertainment announced its latest multi-show deal with the refreshed SonyLIV 2.0.
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Fiction
Banijay merges with All3Media in $6.65 billion deal
Marco Bassetti will lead the combined company as CEO
PARIS: Six years after acquiring Endemol Shine at the height of the pandemic, Banijay has struck again. The European production heavyweight is merging with All3Media in a deal that will create a television titan with $6.65 billion in revenue and redraw the contours of a fast-consolidating market.
The combined company will trade under the Banijay name and be owned 50 per cent each by Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, which acquired All3Media in 2024. The transaction is expected to close by autumn, subject to regulatory approvals.
Banijay Entertainment CEO Marco Bassetti, will take the top job at the enlarged group. All3Media CEO Jane Turton becomes deputy CEO. RedBird IMI CEO Jeff Zucker will serve as chairman.
The logic is scale. Broadcasters are commissioning less, streamers are tightening budgets and global buyers are fewer but bigger. Against that backdrop, heft matters. The merged entity will generate roughly $6.65 billion in revenues based on 2024 figures, giving it sharper elbows in rights negotiations and deeper pockets for franchise-building.
“Entrepreneurialism, ambition and creativity” remain core to Banijay’s DNA, Bassetti said, flagging plans to invest more heavily in new intellectual property, live events and emerging platforms. Turton struck a similarly bullish note, pointing to All3Media’s journey from a 2003 start-up to a global supplier of hit formats and high-end drama.
Between them, the two groups control a formidable slate. Banijay’s catalogue spans MasterChef, Big Brother, Survivor, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders and Deal or No Deal. All3Media’s labels include Studio Lambert, producer of The Traitors and Squid Game: The Challenge; Two Brothers, behind The Tourist; and Neal Street, currently producing the forthcoming Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes for Sony.
The back catalogue is equally muscular. Banijay Rights holds some 220,000 hours, while All3Media International adds around 35,000 hours, forming one of the industry’s largest libraries.
Banijay, controlled by French entrepreneur Stéphane Courbit and listed in Amsterdam, counts more than 130 production companies across 25 territories. All3Media operates over 40 labels, with strong positions in the UK, US and Germany. The enlarged group will also lean into live entertainment, building on Banijay’s Balich Wonder Studio, which produced the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the Independents.
The deal marks a shift in tone. As recently as October, Bassetti suggested that mergers and acquisitions were not a priority. But the drumbeat of consolidation has grown louder. Mediawan has moved for Peter Chernin’s North Road. David Ellison’s Paramount has agreed to a $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros, with plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount plus. ITV has explored selling its media and entertainment arm to Comcast-owned Sky, though talks have reportedly slowed.
