U.K. & India in Co-Pro Pact to Remake The Far Pavilions

The Far Pavilions, based on the novel by M. M. Kaye, is being remade as a 30×1-hour drama series that marks the largest-ever TV co-production between London and India.

Worth a potential £113 million ($150 million), the series will be produced by Beautiful Bay Productions with India-based producer Michael Ward and U.K.-based producer Colin Burrows. The Far Pavilions was written by British author M. M. Kaye in 1978. The epic novel tells the story of an Englishman brought up as a Hindu during the British Raj and his passionate love for an Indian princess. It was turned into a three-episode miniseries in 1984.

The series will feature top on-screen talent from India and a creative crew of both Indian and British technicians, with post-production being handled in London. The co-production was announced by Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, in Mumbai during the U.K.-India Year of Culture.

Khan said: “U.K. and India’s film and TV industries have a long, proud tradition of working together. Whether it’s Bollywood hits such as Judwaa 2 and Mubarakan being filmed on the streets of London, or blockbusters like Slumdog Millionaire and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel—British movies filmed on location in India—the creative bond between India and the U.K. is as strong as ever, and one I have been promoting during my Mayoralty.

“I’m delighted to announce this landmark collaboration on The Far Pavilions. It represents the best of British and Indian talent and sends a clear message to the rest of the world that London is open to partnerships, to collaboration, to creativity and for business.”

Ward added: “Having based myself in Mumbai for most of the last decade, I’m excited to spearhead the Indian end of this international collaboration. It’s the perfect time to take my stage adaptation of Mollie Kaye’s masterpiece much further and deeper into its Indian cultural landscape, and to invite the best of Indian and British talents to contribute towards turning it into a high-end television series authentically written and cast for a global audience.”

The chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, Adrian Wootton, said: “From this high-end adaptation of The Far Pavilions to our own microbudget feature The Hungry, the exchange of talent, skills and business between the Indian and U.K. screen industries has enormous potential. This adaptation promises to be a sumptuous spectacle in its own right, but it’s also indicative of how our above- and below-the-line talent can come together to create a production that harnesses everything from Indian locations to London’s world-famous post-production expertise.”