Saif’s company to co-produce Danish/Swedish hit series ‘The Bridge’

Los Angeles: Banijay’s Endemol Shine India and Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan’s Black Knight Films will adapt hit Danish/Swedish scripted series ‘Bron/Broen’ (‘The Bridge’) for Indian audiences, reports ‘Variety’.

The original show opens with a body on a border that is shared by two countries and the discovery leads to a joint investigation by the police forces of the two regions, forcing detectives from both sides to work together to solve the crime, ‘Variety’ adds.

The global success of ‘The Bridge’ — which has aired in 188 countries — has led to its adaptation in multiple languages, set across the international borders of U.S./Mexico, U.K./France, Germany/Austria, Singapore/Malaysia and Russia/Estonia, according to ‘Variety’.

The Hindi-language adaptation will also star Khan in the role of Martin, which Kim Bodnia played in the original. Rishi Negi, CEO Endemol Shine India, describes ‘The Bridge’ as a “precious jewel” of the Banijay catalogue.

The actor who will play Khan’s counterpart is yet to be decided. Also being discussed is whether the Indian adaptation will be set on the border between India and a neighbouring country or between two Indian states.

Negi told ‘Variety’ that Endemol Shine India, whose series based on the Uphaar tragedy, ‘Trial by Fire’, is a hit for Netflix, is “platform agnostic” and that ‘The Bridge’ adaptation will go to market after it has been filmed.

Production is due to start in the last quarter of the year and if that goes ahead as planned, the show will be released in the second quarter of 2024, Negi said, according to ‘Variety’.

‘The Bridge’ adaptation will be Khan’s third major foray into the series space after Netflix’s ‘Sacred Games’ and Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Tandav’.