Israeli series 'Fauda' set for Indian adaptation

Mumbai: Popular Israeli series “Fauda”, which had become an international hit following its release in 2015, is all set to get an Indian remake, content studio Applause Entertainment announced on Thursday.

The studio, promoted by the Aditya Birla Group, has previously adapted acclaimed international shows such as “Criminal Justice”, “Hostages”, “The Office” and “Mind the Malhotras” (La Famiglia).

“Fauda”, which translates as ‘Chaos’ in Arabic, is the commandos’ code word for when an operation goes awry. The series depicts the feud between Israel and Palestine.

The studio said they had inked a deal with Yes Studios, the producer and distributor of the internationally acclaimed series, for the Indian adaptation version, which will highlight the complicated relationship between India and Pakistan.

“‘Fauda’ is a fictional tale deeply rooted in the reality of a region, of a culture and of people. In a world of conflict and struggle, there are innocent victims and brutal acts of violence on both sides. Reality is often stranger than fiction, and is rarely black and white; ‘Fauda’ is an effort to represent this grey state of conflict.

“We have similar scenarios in India which is why we believe this compelling story must be transliterated and adapted to take it to a larger Indian and global audience,” Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment said in a statement here.

Danna Stern, Managing Director, Yes Studios said they were excited to collaborate with Applause.

“Their entire adaptation process is meticulous and stays true to the original material while making the story relevant to their local viewers which they know so well; we are certain that they will do complete justice with the Indian version,” Stern added.

Developed by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, the third season of “Fauda” is currently in post-production.

Avi Issacharoff, co-creator of “Fauda” said they were looking forward to the show’s adaptation into a different language and culture.

“India is creating some exciting digital content and this association with Applause Entertainment will help take Fauda’ to a different territory and wider audience base,” Issacharoff said.

“I’m sure Indian audiences will be enthralled by the realistic and detailed world created in this carefully thought-out adaptation. I’m also excited to know who will play Doron,” Lior Raz, co-creator and the lead actor of the show, said.

Writing and development is underway, and the filming of the series is expected to commence early next year.