New Delhi:
Siddharth Roy Kapur’s Production house Roy Kapur Films has backed some of the biggest commercial blockbusters such as Dangal and Chennai Express, and critically acclaimed films like Kai Po Che, Barfi!, and Haider, to name a few.
Expanding his role as a global storyteller, Siddharth Roy Kapur has now received the rights for the series adaptation of acclaimed author Willaim Dalrymple’s book The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company.
British filmmaker Stephen Frears has been onboarded to direct this ambitious project. For the unversed, Stephen Frears is known for his stellar work in The Queen, Dangerous Liaisons, Philomena, Victoria and Abdul, My Beautiful Laundrette, The Grifters, High Fidelity, The Regime and A Very English Scandal. The series is being mounted as an international co-production between US-based studio wiip and Roy Kapur Films.
Set against the backdrop of the 18th century, the story of The Anarchy is extremely relevant today, in a world where corporate giants possess the undeterred power to shape the destinies of entire nations. The plot explores the British East India Company’s commercial ambitions in India, which concluded in taking over an entire subcontinent.
The rights acquisition of William Dalrymple’s bestselling book was believed to have been amongst the most sought-after book-to-TV rights deals in India. Roy Kapur Films has finally bagged it and the show is touted to be produced on a massive scale.
The Anarchy will be shot across the UK and Asia.
Stephen Frears reacted to the development, as he said, “This is the most contemporary of themes, a ruthless businessman and his corporation seizing power, a group of oligarchs taking over a chunk of the world, asset-stripping, looting, manipulating the stock market, destroying whole economies for their profit. The East India Company stealing India in the 18th Century.”
Siddharth Roy Kapur, expressing his delight, added, “Stephen’s range as a filmmaker is simply unmatched. He has directed some of the most beloved films of the last four decades, including some of my personal favourites, and to have him come on board to helm this project is an absolute dream come true. Collaborating with our production partners at wiip has been an incredibly enriching experience. This is a story that demanded scale, depth, and ambition, and I am proud that we have brought an extraordinary team together to bring it to life for a global audience.”
Dalrymple’s book was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize and named one of Barack Obama’s top 10 books of the year. The upcoming series adaptation is a bold step in the world of entertainment, and worth looking forward to.
