Disney+ Hotstar Sets Syria Thriller ‘The Freelancer’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Disney+ Hotstar India’s Syria-set thriller series “The Freelancer” is in the works.

Based on the bestselling 2017 book “A Ticket to Syria” by Shirish Thorat, the series is from showrunner Neeraj Pandey (Disney+ Hotstar’s Special Ops franchise), produced by Friday Storytellers and directed by Bhav Dhulia (Netflix’s “Khakee: The Bihar Chapter”).

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Pandey said: “’The Freelancer’ is a high-scale thriller series that unfolds an extraordinary rescue operation of a young girl held against her will in a war-torn Syria. It’s based on Shirish Thorat’s book ‘A Ticket to Syria,’ which narrates the true story of Aliya. The series is driven by a powerhouse ensemble cast with Mohit Raina essaying the role of the freelancer, Anupam Kher as the analyst Dr. Khan, Kashmira Pardeshi as Aliya and other actors portraying unique characters. The series has been shot across multiple locations internationally and recreates a world that’s largely unexplored and unseen. Bhav Dhulia and the entire Friday Storytellers team has worked immensely hard putting this together, and I hope the audiences love it.”

Raina’s recent credits include JioCinema’s “Ishq-e-nadaan” and MX Player’s “Bhaukaal.” Kher was one of the leads in acclaimed Netflix series “Trial by Fire” and Pardeshi scored a hit with Telugu-language film “Vinaro Bhagyamu Vishnu Katha.”

The cast also includes Sushant Singh (“Disney+ Hotstar’s “City of Dreams”), John Kokken (the K.G.F. franchise), Gauri Balaji (Prime Video’s “Adhura”) and Navneet Malik (ZEE5’s “Love Hostel”).

Gaurav Banerjee, head, content, Disney+ Hotstar, said: “Disney+ Hotstar has had incredible collaborations with Neeraj Pandey. Our audiences have loved all the seasons of ‘Special Ops’ and now Neeraj is back with yet another thrilling and sensitive story, ‘The Freelancer.’ This show has powerhouse performances and some incredibly talented performers. We hope our viewers enjoy ‘The Freelancer.'”

The series streams from Sept. 1.

Watch the teaser here:

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