Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; February 14, 2018)

Having made his mark in the world of music, rapper Badshah has often expressed his interest in exploring other avenues of film business. After backing a Punjabi film, Ardaas, in 2016, mid-day has it that the musician is now producing his first web series under his banner, Afterhours.

"Badshah wanted to delve into the digital space before Hindi films because it's a fast-growing platform. He decided to come up with a musical web series called Lockdown," says a source close to the rapper.

Featuring real-life singers, the 10-episode series will see two musicians jamming in each episode. "A R Rahman, Raftaar, Arijit Singh, Sonu Nigam and Kailash Kher have been approached," adds the source. Co-produced by One Digital Entertainment, the series goes on floors by the month-end and will be shot in a four-week schedule across London, Dubai, Croatia and Switzerland.

The musical will be launched on Zee Network's video-on-demand platform, Z5. Besides dabbling in production, Badshah is also keen on kick-starting a talent management initiative that will groom YouTube stars and offer them platforms to showcase their skills.