Fiction
Endemol Shine India to produce first Marathi originals
MUMBAI: Endemol Shine India today announced that it will be creating two originals in collaboration with Gulbadan Talkies, a creative video production service boutique based in Mumbai. The two series will include Thorle Vishwasrao Dhakle (TVD) is an eight episode, 45-minute Marathi series and Radical is an eight episode,45-minute, multi-lingual comedy series (primarily Hindi). Both series will showcase actors from BhaDiPa(Bhartiya Digital party) a subset of Gulbadan Talkies.
Thorle Vishwasrao Dhakle (TVD) is an eight episode, 45-minute Marathi series for Indian fans of Detective Stories, Murder Mysteries, and Conspiracy Theories. Based in Maharashtra, the series focuses on the relationship of a Grandfather (70, retired Private Detective) and his Grandson (26, computer hacker, angsty youth) as they work together to solve a murder that happens in front of their very eyes. However, the solution is not as clear as they thought, and they find themselves wading into a dark world of conspiracy.
Radical is an eight episode, 45-minute, multi-lingual comedy series (primarily Hindi). Abandoned in the middle of Mumbai – Ahsaan, Samar and Wajid build a life from scratch over the ten years that follow. Their unplanned immigration to Mumbai soon becomes a refuge from their past, a past that has been rightfully demonised. Mumbai’s fate is left to the Mumbaikar himself, be it the aspiring Ahsaan, the family man Samar, or the swindling conman Wajid. Through their actions, they unknowingly repay the debt they owe Mumbai for offering them a chance to carve out their own existence.
Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege said, “We are pleased to collaborate with a creative powerhouse brand like BhaDiPa and Gulbadan Talkies for these two shows. At Endemol Shine India, we are always looking at creating content that is exciting and entertaining for our viewers and tying up with fresh talented artists and directors who are eager to showcase their ideas and enhance the creative space.”
"As creators who carved out our space in Marathi content, we have always believed that regional-language stories should be consumed on a global scale. We’re absolutely kicked to be co-producing a Marathi series and our first Hindi series with an internationally renowned partner, Endemol Shine India," said Gulbadan Talkies & BhaDiPa CEO Paula McGlynn.
Thorle Vishwasrao Dhakle and Radical are currently under development and will start production soon.
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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.
