Film Production
Banijay Asia brings NBCUniversal’s ‘Monk’ to India on Disney+ Hotstar
Mumbai : Banijay Asia announced the Indian adaptation of NBCUniversal’s iconic detective series Monk.
The adaptation will revolve around Adrian Monk, a detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder and his assistants Sharona Fleming and Natalie Teeger. Monk works with the San Francisco Police Department in solving unconventional cases while investigating his wife’s unsolved murder. The plot also explores the main characters’ personal lives and struggles.
The Indian adaptation of the series is already in production and will stream exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar and Hulu. This marks the first Asian adaptation of the format and the second worldwide, following the Turkish version. Monk originally aired on USA Network in the United States and is licensed globally by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India founder & group CEO Deepak Dhar said “We are incredibly excited to partner with NBCUniversal Formats to adapt Monk for the Indian audiences. The original series has set a new benchmark for character-driven mysteries, and we believe our adaptation will resonate similarly. With a stellar cast in place, we are confident about doing justice to the iconic characters. The production has been progressing seamlessly, and we look forward to showcasing this exciting project on Disney+ Hotstar, thus taking our long and fruitful association one step ahead, as we continue to bring high-quality and engaging content to Indian audiences together.”
Disney+ Hotstar (Hindi) business head HSM and content head, Sumanta Bose shared his excitement about the collaboration, stating, “We are thrilled to partner with Banijay Asia and NBCUniversal Formats to bring this award-winning series to the Indian audience. Monk is an exciting fit for our platform, with its captivating mix of humor, mystery, and emotional depth. We have attempted to make this adaptation feel rooted and Indian, and thus uniquely fresh for our audiences including those who may have seen the original.”
NBCUniversal Formats SVP, Format sales & production, Ana Langenberg added, “It’s wonderful to see Monk finding a home with Indian audiences. The show’s charm has connected with viewers around the world, and with trusted partners like Banijay Asia & Disney+ Hotstar, we know this adaptation will capture the heart of the original while embracing a new cultural backdrop. We’re eager to see this beloved series brought to life in India.
Film Production
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs under new chief executive
The entertainment giant’s freshly installed boss inherits a restructuring already in motion, with marketing and corporate roles bearing the brunt
CALIFORNIA: Walt Disney is preparing to slash up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the entertainment giant’s freshly installed chief executive moves swiftly to trim fat and tighten the ship.
The cuts, less than 1 per cent of Disney’s global workforce of 231,000, will fall hardest on marketing and corporate roles. The planning, notably, began before D’Amaro formally took the top job in March, suggesting the new boss inherited a restructuring already in motion rather than one of his own making.
Driving the push is Asad Ayaz, Disney’s newly appointed chief marketing officer, who in January assumed command of a unified, company-wide marketing operation spanning film, television and streaming. His consolidation drive has been given a suitably cinematic internal name: Project Imagine.
The move is modest by Disney’s recent standards. Between 2023 and 2025, under former chief executive Bob Iger, the company eliminated roughly 8,000 positions across several brutal rounds of cuts, saving $7.5 billion, comfortably exceeding its own targets. As recently as June 2025, several hundred more jobs were axed across Disney Entertainment, hitting film and television marketing, publicity, casting, development and corporate finance.
Disney’s structural headaches are well-documented: shrinking streaming margins, a weakened box office, and fierce competition from Amazon and YouTube gnawing at its flanks. The company is merging its Disney+ and Hulu teams into a single app, has brought in consultants from Bain & Co to guide its broader cost strategy, and is betting heavily on digital growth.
The wider entertainment industry offers little comfort. Sony Pictures, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have all taken the knife to their workforces in recent years, and further cuts loom if Paramount’s acquisition of Warner goes through.
For D’Amaro, the message is clear: there will be no honeymoon period. The magic kingdom still has some cost-cutting spells left to cast.
