Discovery Plus Sets Indian Wrestling Series ‘Dangals of Crime’ – Global Bulletin
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STREAMING
Discovery Plus India’s original investigative documentary series “Dangals of Crime: The Untold Truth About Indian Wrestling,” is now streaming. It traces the meteoric rise of the Olympic sport, in which India has seven summer Olympics medals, and also explores its dark underbelly. Wrestling’s popularity reached a crescendo in India after iconic wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt secured three medals collectively across the 2008 Beijing games and the 2012 London games. Disney’s wrestling-based 2016 film “Dangal,” starring Aamir Khan, is India’s highest grossing film of all time with $270 million.
The series, produced by Vice Studios Production and directed by Niyantha Shekar (Tribeca X award finalist “The Mind Behind”), has contributions from several former coaches and wrestlers, including Satbir Singh, Virender Kumar, Anil Mann and Ramphal Mann,
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Megha Tata, MD, South Asia, Discovery, Inc. said: “’Dangals of Crime’ delves deep into the realms of wrestling, a sport that has churned out some of India’s greatest homegrown champions. Reflecting on the sport in the most informative way, the Discovery Plus original dissects every aspect of the making of a Pehelwan [wrestler], coupled with its current realities.”
Amazon Prime Video
Meanwhile, Amazon original series “Bestseller” is set for a Feb. 18 bow. Produced by Siddharth Malhotra’s Alchemy Production LLP, and directed by Mukul Abhyankar (“Missing”), the series is a suspense thriller where the lives of two strangers collide and their hidden motivations and ambitions surface and create a domino effect on many lives. It stars veteran Mithun Chakraborty, star of 1982 film “Disco Dancer,” which was a smash hit in India and around the world, including in Russia and China. The cast also includes Shruti Haasan (“Pitta Kathaliu”), Arjan Bajwa (“Kabir Singh”), Gauahar Khan (“Tandav”), Satyajeet Dubey (“Mumbai Diaries 26/11”) and Sonalee Kulkarni (“Pandu”).
APPOINTMENT
The Racial Equity Media Collective has appointed of Emmy winning producer Lisa Valencia-Svensson (“Herman’s House”) as the organization’s inaugural managing director. Valencia-Svensson will lead efforts to ensure the recommendations made by the collective’s recently released Racialized Funding Data in Canada report are implemented across the industry and government. The report identified significant barriers to collecting quantitative data, and outlined a series of recommendations including the creation of policies to mandate data collection and reporting, as well the establishment of a centralized system of data collection.
COMPETITION
BAFTA, along with awards sponsor EE have launched the annual ‘For the Love of Film’ competition, celebrating local heroes who have gone to great lengths to celebrate individuals who have supported their neighbours and community through film.
The entrants will be considered by a panel of industry experts and the chosen recipient will get the opportunity to join the EE British Academy Film Awards on March 13. The prize includes an overnight stay in London, as well as professional hair and makeup.
Previous competitions have honored Janet Dunn and Martin Fol who fund and operate Liverpool’s Plaza Cinema, Lizzie Banks, the producer of Oska Bright Film Festival, as well as Dan Ellis, founder and MD of Jam Jar Cinema and Iain MacColl, senior operator, Screen Machine.
Entries for this year’s competition are now open at here, with the deadline for submissions Feb. 11.
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