JOANNE FROGGATT and IOAN GRUFFUDD Split - Getty - H 2016
Getty ImagesViacom18’s Indian streaming video service Voot will adapt thriller series Liar, an ITV/SundanceTV co-production starring Downton Abbey‘s Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd.
Created and written by Harry and Jack Williams (The Missing), Liar tells the story of a night that changes the lives of two people forever.
The Hindi remake will have the title Marzi and be toplined by Rajeev Khandelwal and Aahana Kumra. A release date is expected to be unveiled shortly.
The new show adds to the streamer’s slate of originals as it takes on rivals Netflix, Amazon and Disney’s Hotstar.
Voot was launched in 2016 with a mix of originals and content drawn from parent Viacom18’s portfolio of TV networks, which includes Hindi flagship channel Colors, MTV India, Vh1 India and Comedy Central, among others. Viacom18 is a joint venture between Viacom and leading Indian media group Network18.
Voot’s recent originals have included such shows as Badman, a comedy starring Bollywood veteran Gulshan Grover, known for his long career playing onscreen villains who in the series gets a relaunch as a hero, and comedy Soadies, revolving around a Delhi-based family obsessed with MTV India’s popular reality show Roadies, which is known for the often rude behavior of its contestants and judges.
Viacom18 Digital Ventures executive vp and head of content Monika Shergill says that Liar was selected for adaptation “for its extremely timely and yet timeless appeal as a subject and its potential to fuel conversations. It will grip audiences with its nail-biting drama and intense performances.”
In terms of other remakes of foreign shows by rival platforms, Hotstar recently announced it was creating local versions of British comedy series The Office and drama series Criminal Justice.
