Netflix on Thursday announced that the global streaming service will now be home to Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment. The company announced a long-term partnership with Red Chillies to showcase films starring Shah Rukh Khan exclusively on its service.
The video streaming service's newest tie-up with RCE, the production house headed by Khan, will give Netflix members both in India and international video-on-demand access to a number of RCE films as well as any new films produced by the company in the next three years.
Khan's most recent film, Dear Zindagi, will be the first to come on Netflix followed by other RCE films which include Happy New Year, Dilwale, and Om Shanti Om.
The deal was announced just a day after Amazon launched its Prime Video service in the country. Amazon has roped in Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, and T-Series, among others and has also announced 17 Indian original shows.
While India is a key market for both Netflix and RCE, the deal is also Netflix's first with a production company in India.
"Shah Rukh Khan is the most sought-after actor in the Indian film industry, and has played a huge role in bringing Indian cinema to the world stage," said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. "His monicker 'King Khan' speaks to his status as a cultural icon and to the incredible popularity of his films among audiences worldwide".
Given Netflix's 86-million strong user base, RCE and Shah Rukh Khan are looking to reach a wide audience with the agreement. While Netflix has been streaming mainstream blockbuster films, the company has been focusing a lot on indie movies like Dhanak, M Cream and Amu, to name a few.
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