Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani on Netflix roster?

Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar

With projects like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Rock On! (2008), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and the Fukrey franchise, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani changed the sensibilities of Indian cinema. They took it a notch higher with their digital outings on Amazon Prime, Inside Edge, Mirzapur and Made in Heaven. But now, Akhtar and Sidhwani are developing two big-budget shows for the rival platform, Netflix.

"While the first series is a comedy, their second outing [for Netflix] is touted as a mammoth espionage spy thriller. The yet-untitled series will be shot in seven countries," informed a trade source and added, "Farhan and Ritesh are in talks with Netflix for their upcoming digital shows. Everything is kept under wraps till the deal is done, but research and scripting for the two shows are simultaneously on. They will go on floors this year and air by 2021."

Since the thriller is still at a nascent stage, the cast hasn't been locked yet. "The show will feature top stars, but since Ritesh and Farhan are deeply involved in the creative process, casting will only happen once the script is locked," said the source. The research for the espionage thriller has been going on for a year. The source adds the series will be a franchise and much bigger than their previous digital outing Made in Heaven.

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