Endemol Shine India Archives

Banijay Asia’s ‘Race to Space’ Kicks Off in Thailand

15th September 2025 12:13 pm Comments Off

Banijay Asia, a part of Banijay Entertainment, today announced the roll-out of its latest disruptive concept with Race to Space Thailand. The ‘genre-bending’ format, conceptualised by Banijay Asia and SERA (Space Exploration & Research Agency), and produced by Deepak Dhar’s CreAsia Studio, for TrueVisions NOW, is set to send the first-ever Thai citizen into space. SERA joins the mission as its backbone, to work alongside CreAsia Studio to help bring to life, this ‘out-of-the-planet’ experience.

Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO, Banijay Asia, Endemol Shine India, and CreAsia Studio, said:“As an Indian creator and producer, it fills me with pride to see our ideas travelling beyond borders and shaping new frontiers of storytelling. Race to Space Thailand is not just a show – it is a movement that democratises space travel and inspires millions to dream big. Thailand is just the beginning, the format will soon resonate in India as well as other parts of South East Asia, as we take the concept forward with team SERA.”

For Banijay Asia, this is more than just another ambitious project – it is a landmark that signals the rise of Indian-born imagination shaping global frontiers. With space exploration as its canvas, the show will blend science, aspiration, and entertainment – to deliver a ‘never-seen-and-felt-before’ experience.

Mr. Ongard Prapakamol, Head of TrueVisions and Media, True Corporation PLC, stated: “With our commitment to being the Home of Entertainment in the digital era, TrueVisions NOW continues to deliver world-class, one-of-a-kind content experiences to Thai audiences, especially content that resonates with digital lifestyles and sparks boundless inspiration. This historic collaboration with CreAsia is not only a gateway to global-scale content, but also the beginning of a new frontier for Thailand. For the very first time, Thai people from all walks of life – regardless of profession or gender – will have the chance to compete for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Mrinalini Jain, Group Chief Development Officer – Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India, said: “Race to Space is a landmark concept in the journey of Banijay Asia’s global storytelling ambition. It’s a format that embodies aspiration, innovation, and inclusivity – giving ordinary people the chance to live out their most extraordinary dream. We’re excited to partner with SERA in making this a reality.”

Joshua Skurla, Co-Founder of SERA, added: “The collaboration between SERA, TrueVisions NOW, and CreAsia Studio is founded on a shared vision to inspire an entire nation. We are building a cultural phenomenon that unites the country in a shared endeavor. We are honored to be part of this moment, and look forward to also kicking off the India phase soon.”

Banijay Asia brings NBCUniversal’s ‘Monk’ to India on Disney+ Hotstar

21st October 2024 8:40 am Comments Off

Banijay Asia, part of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, and Disney+ Hotstar announces 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 original 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.

Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO, Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India, 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.”

Sumanta Bose, Business Head HSM and Content Head Disney+ Hotstar (Hindi), 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.”

Ana Langenberg, SVP Format Sales & Production, NBCUniversal Formats 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.

Produced by Banijay Asia, the series promises to deliver a compelling adaptation, seamlessly blending the gripping nature of a detective thriller with emotionally rich and relatable character dynamics. Monk is poised to be another standout hit, following in the footsteps of Banijay Asia’s previous successful adaptations like The Trial – Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhokha (The Good Wife) and The Night Manager on Disney+ Hotstar.

Banijay Asia and EndemolShine India Restructure for Growth

6th December 2023 10:07 am Comments Off

Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India, two of India’s leading content and production companies (and part of media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay), have announced a team restructuring aimed at fuelling future growth in the Indian and Asian entertainment space. This strategic alignment comes within months of Banijay acquiring Endemol Shine India, and consolidating both businesses under Deepak Dhar’s leadership.

As part of the restructuring, and to unlock greater synergies between the two entities, five key personnel (from within the group) have been moved to pivotal group leadership roles that will shape both companies’ (Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India) future growth paths:

Rishi Negi – Group Chief Operating Officer
Mrinalini Jain – Group Chief Development Officer
Shyam Rathi – Group Chief Financial Officer
Lalit Sharma, Head – Legal
Fiona Machado, Head – HR

Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO of Banijay Asia & EndemolShine India, commented on development, “Our mission has always been to create exceptional content that captivates audiences across India and beyond. With this strategic restructuring, we are taking another step forward in our commitment to be the torch-bearers for first-class storytelling across screens. This core team brings an invaluable wealth of experience and expertise, and together, we will unlock the next phase of our growth.”

The synergy created by this restructuring effort is expected to enhance Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India’s ability to develop and deliver high-quality content, explore new business opportunities, and provide even greater value to their partners and audiences alike.

Banijay Re-Organises Business in Asia, Building Content Powerhouse in India

17th July 2023 10:02 am Comments Off

Media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today announces the successful reorganisation of Banijay in Asia, combining two market-leading entities – Endemol Shine India and Banijay Asia, under the leadership of Deepak Dhar, who has been appointed the Founder & Group CEO – Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India.

Building a regional content powerhouse, the move follows the full buy-out of Endemol Shine India from CA Media, and sees media veteran and entrepreneur, Dhar, take on overarching role. Having led Endemol’s Indian operations between 2005 and 2018, before launching Banijay Asia and overseeing its strategic growth, he will now continue his focus on leading the wider group’s content strategies, partnerships, new business, and alliances, in addition to building both companies’ reputations in generating new IP, which can travel the world.

In line with the changes, and with the aim of unlocking greater synergies, Dhar will now finesse the structure of Banijay in Asia, setting group-wide roles, as well as dedicated creative positions within the respective production labels. Key personnel-related news is expected to be shared in the coming few weeks.

Talking on the developments, Deepak Dhar, Founder & Group CEO – Banijay Asia & Endemol Shine India, commented, “The reorganisation of Banijay in Asia is our biggest and boldest move yet and aligns with our ambition to drive further growth in India and Asia at-large. Leveraging the creative potential and possibilities of both brands, we will now strategically pursue complimentary yet independent creative portfolios to offer the most diverse, and compelling cross-genre content from all across the globe, to our Indian and Asian platforms and screens.”

Marco Bassetti, CEO, Banijay: “Deepak is a leading creative and entrepreneurial force in Asia, and in our partnership thus far, he has successfully created an impressive slate, and a host of fruitful partnerships with major buyers and partners worldwide. In this new phase for the business, he will now focus on unlocking and aligning other strategic growth avenues to put Banijay in a dominating position, both in India, as well as Asia.”

Dhar further added, “I’ve been fortunate to have been involved in the growth of both businesses since their inception in India; now, leading them both through the next phase of growth, is a surreal feeling. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues at Endemol Shine and Banijay Asia to continue to create path-breaking content, and having fun along the way.”

Over the last few years, Banijay Asia has delivered mega-hit scripted adaptations like The Night Manager, Call My Agent Bollywood, Hostages, and Fall, and successful Originals like Dahan, Matsya Kaand, Undekhi, Tribhanga amongst many others. The content studio’s upcoming shows include Indian reimaginations of The Good Wife Monk, House, and Suits. On the non-scripted front, Banijay is leading the genre with blockbuster titles like The Kapil Sharma Show, MTV Roadies, The Voice, The Big Picture, Into The Wild with Bear Grylls, Case Toh Banta Hai, Nach Baliye and more. The content studio’s upcoming shows include Survivor and Temptation Island.

Meanwhile, since 2005, Endemol Shine India has established a strong reputation as the leading producer of Bigg Boss across 9 regions, as well as the Indian adaptations of Fear Factor, MasterChef and Deal or No Deal. On the Scripted front, apart from Bombay Begums, Trial By Fire and Tooth Pari, the label has announced a third season of International Emmy-nominated Aarya, and a Hindi adaptation of The Bridge (Bron/Broen).

Now, some of the biggest global, and original Indian IP would now be available and produced between the two entities, under the leadership of Dhar.

Hit Nordic Drama The Bridge to be Adapted by Endemol Shine India and Saif Ali Khan’s Black Knight Films

14th February 2023 11:11 am Comments Off

Endemol Shine India, a Banijay company, and Black Knight Films, have announced they will be adapting the hit Danish/Swedish scripted series, Bron/Broen (The Bridge). The all-new original Hindi edition will star Saif Ali Khan, who will also jointly produce the project under the Black Knight Films banner.

The concept of The Bridge has universal appeal, as it can be understood and appreciated by a global audience that is used to living in a world of borders. The show opens with a dead body discovered on a border that is shared by two countries – half the body lies in one and the other half in another. This discovery leads to a joint investigation by the police forces of the two regions, forcing detectives from both sides to work together to solve the crime.

A gem from the Banijay library, the unique global premise of The Bridge has led to its adaptation in multiple languages, set across the international borders of US/Mexico, UK/France, Germany/Austria, Singapore/Malaysia and Russia/Estonia.

“The Bridge’s script is powerful, as it speaks a language recognised and enjoyed by audiences sitting anywhere in the world. It is a global story that can be made distinctively local, using the basic premise of the series and we look forward to recreating the magic of this show to captivate the Indian audience.” said Rishi Negi, CEO Endemol Shine India.

“As an actor and producer, this is the one-of-a-kind opportunity that one waits for. It is a story that has been adapted the world over and loved by audiences, irrespective of their geographies, so yes, my team and I at Black Knight Films – Kunjal Punamiya (CEO/co-producer) and Pavan Kriplani (Creative Producer/co- producer) are super excited to be associated with this project and getting it rolling,” said Saif Ali Khan, actor and producer (Black Knight Films) of the series.

The Bridge is a present-day crime thriller exploring the tensions between two neighbouring countries, which has now been adapted in 7 territories. Originally created and written by Hans Rosenfeldt as a joint production of Sweden’s Filmlance International, part of Banijay, and Denmark’s Nimbus Film, The Bridge (Bron/Broen) was produced in co-production with Sveriges Television, DR, ZDF German Television network, ZDF Enterprises Gmbh, Film i Skåne, NRK, Copenhagen Film Fund, Lumiere Group, Stiftelsen Ystad Österlen Filmfond, with Norvision, and in co-operation with Malmö Stad. The original has aired in more than 188 countries.

Banijay Announces Rishi Negi as CEO, Endemol Shine India

29th June 2022 12:04 pm Comments Off

Banijay, the world’s leading independent producer/distributor, today announces the appointment of Rishi Negi as its new CEO for Endemol Shine India. In his new position he will oversee the existing team, day-to-day affairs, and its productions.

Negi joins from Banijay Asia, where, until now, he has served as Chief Operating Officer. There, he supported CEO, Deepak Dhar, and the wider business, with all operational, commercial, financial, and general business-driven strategic matters. He joined the group with over two decades of experience in hospitality, entertainment, and retail, having worked for the likes of the Taj Group of hotels, and Emerald Asia Media Fame India limited among others.

In the new role, he will report to Banijay’s COO, Peter Langengerg, who oversees the region.

Peter Langenberg, COO, Banijay comments: “Banijay prides itself on the development and retention of its talent, and with that in mind, it is great to be supporting Rishi in his next role as CEO, Endemol Shine India. Since he began in his post with Banijay Asia, he has been a strong backbone for the business and partner for Deepak Dhar in maintaining the entity’s growth trajectory, particularly through the pandemic. We look forward to seeing him continue to flourish in this new position.”

Rishi Negi comments: “In the last five years, Banijay Asia afforded me the opportunity to be part of the Indian content revolution wherein we created an umbrella of successful content across the broadcasting and streaming platforms. While Endemol Shine India has created a strong library of shows like Bigg Boss, Fear Factor, Masterchef etc, my vision is to lead this trend curve and take it to new heights with diverse content across the scripted and unscripted genres. I’m looking forward to joining the immensely talented and experienced team at Endemol India, and to together, creating some great content.”

The news of Rishi’s appointment follows Abhishek Rege’s recent resignation from his post as CEO, Endemol Shine India.

India Cooks Up Four New Versions of MasterChef

2nd August 2021 9:41 am Comments Off

Banijay today announces a four-season commission of MasterChef in India. All four seasons will be produced by Endemol Shine India for Innovative Film Academy (IFA) and will air on the Sun Network. MasterChef India Tamil, MasterChef India Telugu, MasterChef India Malayalam and MasterChef India Kannada will all launch later this year.

Hugely successful actor, Vijay Sethupathi, will host the Tamil version; presenting MasterChef India Telugu will be well-known actor Tamannaah Bhatia; taking the reins for MasterChef India Malayalam will be hugely popular Prithviraj Sukumaran; and Bigg Boss host and actor Kichcha Sudeep, will front MasterChef Kannada.

All four iterations will be filmed on-set in Bangalore and each version will be adapted for the unique and individual cultures, food and craft of their state.

Mr. Abhishek Rege CEO at Endemol Shine India says: “MasterChef has set unprecedented benchmarks globally and we can confidently say that the show’s regional adaptations have surpassed the benchmark in terms of production quality, content and the contestants. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with IFA to bring MasterChef in not just one but four regional languages. We are confident that these four seasons will be instant hits amongst millions of households.”

Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay says: “The appeal of MasterChefextends globally and its adaptability as a format allows us to celebrate unique gastronomic excellence not just from country to country, but throughout different regions. As a group, we are able to utilise our world-class local production expertise to deliver four culturally-relevant brilliant new series, while uncovering some of the best home cooks the nation has to offer.”

MasterChef is the world’s most successful cookery television format, produced across 62 markets. The life-changing show has broadcast more than 10,000 episodes to-date and will soon be airing its milestone 500^th season globally. Created by Franc Roddam, the show is a super brand known and enjoyed around the world.

The MasterChef format and finished programmes are represented internationally by Banijay Rights.

Vijay’s Master to be Adapted in Hindi by Endemol Shine India, Cine1 Studios and 7 Screens

15th January 2021 4:11 pm Comments Off

Endemol Shine India, a Banijay company, Cine1 Studios and 7 Screens, today announces they have acquired the rights to adapt Tamil film Master in Hindi. The highly-anticipated film starring Vijay ‘Thalapathy’ and Vijay Sethupathi was released yesterday and is already breaking box-office records.

The film sees heavyweights Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi come together on screen as protagonist and antagonist in this stirring thriller for the first time. The two actors square off against each other in this Lokesh Kanagaraj directorial. The soundtrack and background music has been scored by Anirudh Ravichander. The story revolves around a professor (Vijay) who tries to reform a juvenile school system, where he clashes with a gangster (Vijay Sethupathy).

Endemol Shine India, Cine1 Studios and 7 Screens will start casting for the Hindi remake soon.

Abhishek Rege, CEO Endemol Shine India says, “Master is a brilliant movie with masterful performances and a powerful narrative that resonates with audiences across the country and will be remembered as turning the box office tide in the pandemic. We are incredibly proud to have acquired the rights to such a hot property; We look forward to recreating the magic of this film to captivate the Hindi audience.”

Murad Khetani of Cine 1 Studios says, “Master is a magnum opus that has already established its place in the country within a day of its release and has received tremendous response from the audiences. At Cine1, we always aim to support and deliver content driven cinema. Yet again, we are proud to present the film to the audiences in Hindi language!”

Tag Archive: Endemol Shine India