Netflix Unveils Slate of Eight Original Films, One Series From India

'Hotel Mumbai,' starring Dev Patel, and films from Udai Singh Pawar, Sachin Kundalkar and Sarthak Dasgupta were among the projects announced.

Netflix continues to unveil a host of new original films and TV shows at the company's "See What's Next: Asia" event, its first-ever content showcase in the region, which concluded in Singapore on Friday.

After unveiling a collection of new shows and films aimed at telling stories from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea on Thursday, today it was India's turn, with Netflix announcing a further eight films and one series from the country.

Netflix has aggressively targeted India for growth and the new projects will follow the critically acclaimed crime drama series Sacred Games, upcoming cricket drama show Selection Day and the eagerly anticipated historical epic series Baahubali: Before the Beginning, based on the hugely successful film franchise.

Late last month, the streamer's chief content officer Ted Sarandos paid a visit to the Mumbai Film Festival to outline the company's plans in the country. In Mumbai, Sarandos stopped short of giving specifics on the films and series Netflix planned for India, with the full details revealed at the Singapore event during a session titled “Celebrating India.”

The streamer announced following projects from India at "See What's Next: Asia."

Series

Typewriter. A supernatural drama series set in Goa about a haunted house and a haunted book and a group of young, wannabe ghost hunters and their dog who are determined to capture the spirits that plague the house. No details were given on the production talent behind Typewriter.

Films

Chopsticks. Directed by Sachin Yardi and starring Mithila Palkar, Abhay Deol and Vijay Raaz, Chopsticks tells the story of a shy girl who teams up with a conman to recover her stolen car from a Mumbai gangster. The film is produced by Ashvini Yardi of Vineyard Productions.

Bulbul. A period drama, Bulbul tells the story of a Satya and his brother's child bride who become separated after Satya is sent to school in England. Upon his return, he finds that Bulbul has been abandoned by his brother and is serving the people of the village. Bulbul is produced by Anushka Sharma and Karnesh Sharma’s Clean Slate Films.

Upstarts. Directed by Udai Singh Pawar, the film takes place in the thoroughly modern setting of India's startup sector. The film focuses on the relationship between three college graduates who all hail from smaller towns, and how their friendship is tested by money and the chaotic nature of the startup economy. Upstarts is produced by Raja Menon, Janani Ravichandran and Jawahar Sharma of Bandra West Productions.

Cobalt Blue. Written and directed by Sachin Kundalkar and based on the best-selling novel of the same name, the movie tells the story of a brother and sister who fall in love with the same man, and how a traditional Marathi family is shattered by the ensuing events.

15th August. Set in a Mumbai chawl, a cramped residential building for low-paid workers, the story follows the course of a single day as its residents prepare for the flag-hoisting ceremony. The Marathi film focuses on the struggles of the middle-class in India. 15h August is produced by Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit.

Music Teacher. Directed by Sarthak Dasgupta and starring Manav Kaul, the film tells the story about an emotionally troubled music teacher who gets a chance to come to terms with his bitterness with an estranged student, now a renowned celebrity singer of Bollywood.

Firebrand. Directed by Aruna Raje and starring Usha Jadhav, Girish Kulkarni, Madhav Patkar, Sachin Khedekar and Rajeshwari Sachdev, the Marathi drama follows a successful lawyer of sexual assault victims tackling difficult family cases while also dealing with intimacy issues in her own marriage. Firebrand is produced by Priyanka Chopra.

Hotel Mumbai. The film tells the astonishing true story of the victims and survivors of the devastating terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008. Directed by Anthony Maras, the film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher and Jason Isaacs. This film is available on Netflix in the SAARC region only (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.)