Film Bazaar’s panel of leading television executives and creators discussed the complexities of adapting international series for Indian audiences.
Mrinalini Jain of Banijay Asia said successful adaptation requires more than simple translation. “There’s a fine line between format translation and transposition, and the transposition is where the magic happens,” Jain said, adding that “The Good Wife” features two daughters rather than a son and a daughter, and the transposition is where the magic happens. “Trial” was reconsidered. Explores the different emotional dynamics in Indian family environments.
Creator Suparn S. Varma (Ray Donovan adaptation “Rana Naidu”) pointed out that not all global hits translate effectively into Indian cinema. “Not all stories get translated. For example, someone offered me ‘Peaky Blinders.’ I love ‘Peaky Blinders,’ but Indian dramas don’t.” No. Because it is deeply rooted in the Indian culture and social psyche. [U.K.]Simply translating it and transposing it to the Indian environment will not work,” Varma said.
Actor and producer Kirti Kulhari shares insights from her experience starring in Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, revealing that she initially avoided watching the original BBC series. “I’m able to stay where I am and put some distance between myself and the character, but still feel it deeply and remain myself,” Kulhari said, maintaining personal boundaries. He explained how he overcame the emotional demands of the role.
Sameer Gogate from BBC Studios India explained how he adapted ‘Press’ into ‘Broken News’ and transformed British tabloid culture into modern Indian broadcast journalism. “The moment you feel like confronting tabloid culture with truth and sensationalism, that’s what’s happening right now.” [Indian] “At prime time, we knew we had found the heart of the show,” Gogate said.
The panel discussion looked at how emotional expression differs across cultures, and Gogate said that an adaptation of Doctor Foster as Out of Love would require how the Indian characters express their emotions. He pointed out that it is necessary to carefully consider how to express this. He said the British screenwriter maintained the strength of the original character by insisting that the lead female character should not cry when she learns of her husband’s infidelity.
Format owners have supported cultural adaptation, panelists said.
Looking to the future, Indian TV shows are already gaining viewers in markets such as Indonesia (Jain says nearly 45% of shows on some networks are dubbed). ), panelists suggested that the industry’s current focus remains on serving the domestic market.
The discussion highlighted how India’s creative talent pool continues to expand, especially post-COVID-19, with storytelling sources now coming from literature, folklore and creators from every state. There is.
Film Bazaar (November 20-24) is part of the project market of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI, November 20-28) in Goa.
