SonyLIV, Hansal Mehta, Applause Entertainment Set ‘Scam 2010’

SCAM SEASON THREEPEAT

UPDATE: Sahara India Pariwar, the company founded by the late Subrata Roy, has hit back after SonyLIV and Applause Entertainment announced a series on him.

“An abusive and grossly condemnable act has been demonstrated by the makers of ‘Scam’ to achieve cheap and wide publicity, by announcing to unveil, “Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga”. Sahara India Pariwar condemns such acts of all the individuals and parties involved and shall resist to their offending behavior. In this regard, the aggrieved members are seeking advice to take suitable legal action against the producer, director and all those who are involved in making the illegal portrayal,” said a statement shared with Variety by Sahara India Pariwar.

“Sahara India Pariwar believes that the dispute between SEBI [Securities and Exchange Board of India] and Sahara is still pending before Hon’ble Supreme Court and any attempt to influence the proceedings
of the said case shall attract contempt of Court, besides such acts amount to criminality. In the garb of a right of free speech and expression, no one can be allowed to undermine the goodwill and reputation of a person, who is not available to defend himself. The use of the word ‘scam’ in the title of the so-called web-series and linking it to Sahara seems prima-facie defamatory, and tends to lower down the image and reputation of Saharasri Ji [Subrata Roy] and Sahara India Pariwar. Sahara India Pariwar has never been involved in any chit fund activity. Even the Sahara-SEBI issue was a dispute on the SEBI’s jurisdiction on OFCD [Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures] bonds issued by Sahara,” the statement added.

Applause offered no comment when contacted by Variety. Variety has reached out to SonyLIV for comment.

PREVIOUSLY: Streamer SonyLIV, filmmaker Hansal Mehta and studio Applause Entertainment have combined again for “Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga.” Based on the book “Sahara: the Untold Story” by Tamal Bandyopadhyay the series will tell the story of businessman Subrata Roy of the Sahara India Pariwar that operates in the financial services, construction, real estate, sports, manufacturing, hospitality, media and life insurance sectors. In the early 2000s, Roy was accused of several financial misdemeanors, leading to his arrest in 2014. He died in 2023.

“Scam 2010” is the third in a franchise about Indian financial scandals that began with “Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story” and “Scam 2003: The Telgi Story.” Mehta will direct and Applause will produce in association with Studio Next.

Sameer Nair, MD, Applause Entertainment, said: “The ‘Scam’ series has become more than just a show; it’s a pop cultural phenomenon. With Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga, we are poised to raise the bar even higher, offering audiences an immersive journey into the life and times of one of the most audacious and ambitious minds in Indian business history.” Mehta added: “’Scam’ is not just a franchise for me. It is a chronicling of our times.”

Danish Khan, executive VP and business head, SonyLIV and StudioNext at Sony Pictures Networks India, said: “The series has consistently been the most viewed franchise on Sony LIV and we are confident that the third edition will create newer benchmarks in compelling storytelling.”

SKY DRAMA

Alfie Allen, Shazad Latif and Samira Wiley are set to star in a new Sky Original drama called “Atomic.”

The five-part show from Pulse Films (“Gangs of London”) follows a drug-trafficker called Max who is working in the Middle East. He ends up meeting Mohammed, who is being hunted by some mysterious men while CIA agent Cassie is on their trail. “Desperate for redemption, their paths converge in the Libyan desert as they are swept up in a nefarious Venezuelan cartel’s plot to transport uranium capable of fueling a nuclear bomb,” reads the longline.

The series is inspired by William Langewiesche’s “Atomic Bazaar” and has been adapted by Gregory Burke. Shariff Korver directs.

BIFAN WELCOMES AI

The (BiFan) has launched an award category for films created using (AI) technology, organizers said. With a human jury judging the winners, the competition is intended to assess films not solely based on the AI technology employed but also on their artistic merit and meaning. It will also host a conference on the subject of the relation between film and new technology.

“We aim to provide information and experiences for creators who may not have access to large production budgets, enabling them to craft films with minimal budgets using AI technology,” festival director Shin Chul said.