Mumbai: BBC Studios announced today, on Day Zero of the Asia Pay-TV Operators Summit (APOS) in Indonesia, that the award-winning BBC crime thriller Luther will be remade in India. The Indian version of Luther, which is yet to be titled, will be developed and produced by Aditya Birla Group’s Applause Entertainment.
The multi-award-winning series starring Idris Elba is one of BBC Studios’ top exports, with the UK series having sold to over 230 territories. This will be the second Asian version of Luther after the award-winning South Korean remake, Less Than Evil.
Prior to Luther, BBC Studios and Applause Entertainment have worked together on iconic BBC formats The Office and Criminal Justice, of which the latter successfully premiered recently on Hotstar.
Sameer Nair, CEO of Applause Entertainment, says, “We have just produced and premiered an Indian version of Criminal Justice, which has been incredibly well received by the local audience. We at Applause are always on the lookout for premium dramas we can produce for Indian viewers, and are proud to once again partner BBC Studios on Luther. The original Luther has a tremendous international following, and we believe that an Indian version will work very well in our region.”
Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM of South and South East Asia, BBC Studios, commented, “We are pleased to work with Applause Entertainment to deliver high-end drama to our fans in India. Applause is known for its focus on creating premium drama, and we believe that they will be able to do the format justice. We look forward to its success.”