Stephen Frears, director; William Dalrymple, author and consultant; Siddharth Roy Kapur, producer. Pics/AFP, Yogen Shah, X, Instagram

In a first for a big-scale collaboration, global independent studio WIIP (known for producing well-received web series Mare Of Easttown) and Indian production house Roy Kapur Films will be creating a web series adaption of writer-historian William Dalrymple's critically-acclaimed and bestseller book The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise Of The East India Company.

The web series will be produced across the UK and Asia. According to a source, it is estimated that the first season of the web series will cost $100 million, almost similar to the scale of critically-acclaimed big-scale web series such as The Crown and Game Of Thrones.

The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise Of The East India Company tells the story of how the East India Company based in a small London office took over the entire Indian sub-continent which constituted more than one-fourth of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the time.

The web series will be directed by legendary British director Stephen Frears known for films such as My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

"This is the most contemporary of themes: A ruthless businessman and his corporation seizing power, a group of oligarchs taking over a chunk of the world, asset-stripping, looting, manipulating the stock market, destroying whole economies for their profit. The East India Company stealing India in the 18th century, " said director Stephen Frears.

This will be the first big-scale collaboration of Indian production with an international production house in creating a web series adaptation.

The funding of the series is likely to be done by a global streaming platform. "Stephen’s range as a filmmaker is simply unmatched. He has directed some of the most beloved films of the last four decades. To have him come on board to helm this project is an absolute dream come true, " said producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, founder of Roy Kapur Films.

"Collaborating with our production partners at WIIP has been an incredibly enriching experience. This is a story that demanded scale, depth, and ambition, and I am proud that we have brought an extraordinary team together to bring it to life for a global audience, ” he added.

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On April 23, Siddharth Roy Kapur announced what may easily be his most ambitious project—the screen adaptation of William Dalrymple’s acclaimed book, The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company. Imagine our surprise when he, during our chat, tells us that mid-day has been instrumental in introducing him to the 2019 book. “I first read about the book in mid-day many years ago, before it got published,” he recalls.

That article led him to contact Dalrymple via his publishers in early 2019. Kapur remembers meeting the historian and author at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. “[When we started talking], what Dalrymple had in mind aligned with what I was trying to explore—the impact of global corporations that function as mini nation states today. Its ripple effects have been felt by everyone because almost every nation has been either a colonizer or colonized.”

The producer adds that after a bit of back-and-forth, Dalrymple came on board, even passing on the unpublished manuscript to him. 

That sowed the seeds for the expansive multi-season series, which will have the author serve as the consultant and the Oscar-nominated British director Stephen Frears at the helm. Together, they will tell the story of how the East India Company rose to power in the Indian sub-continent in the late 18th century as the Mughal Empire crumbled. The story demands a large canvas, and Roy Kapur, along with Paul Lee’s studio Wiip—which produced the acclaimed Mare of Easttown (2021)—is determined to give it just that.

“It’s a sprawling piece about a lush world that has the Mughals, Marathas, British, Dutch and how they shaped the country’s tapestry. I call it our Game Of Thrones’ ambition meets The Crown’s telling. There are multiple seasons because we want to stay true to the nuance of his writing,” states Kapur.

When it comes to bringing nuance to screen, Kapur—who has grown up on Frears’ works, Dangerous Liaisons (1988), The Grifters (1990) and The Queen (2006)—knew he’d be the best choice.

“Stephen has the ability to treat characters as whole people, while retaining the story’s scale. It’s the most definitive story of modern history for us. The Anarchy shows India with a curious gaze. Only Stephen can pull this off,” he shares, adding that the casting process will begin in a few months.

Making an ambitious saga is daunting. It only becomes amplified in the current market when more films are failing than succeeding. Does that play on his mind? “It’s always a good time to tell a great story,” Kapur says assuredly.

“From time to time, we feel a creative and monetary vacuum. But that doesn’t mean one doesn’t swing for the fences. Yes, two years of COVID have shrunk our attention span. We’re competing with innumerable avenues, even Instagram Reels. But if you give people something breathtaking, they’ll come in hordes.”

The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise Of The East India Company had featured in Barack Obama’s list of favourite books of 2019. It traces the East India Company’s rise in the Indian sub-continent.

In 2011, most of the British actors flying down to Rajasthan for a nine week schedule of John Madden's comedy-drama, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, had never been to India. While several of them didn't quite like shooting in the scorching Indian summer, Dame Judi Dench found herself falling in love with all things desi.

A year later, before the New York premiere of the film, the Oscar-winning actress recalled being “completely fascinated and bewitched within 24 hours of landing in the country“ and hoped the film portrayed how incredible India is and how beautiful its people are. Two years later, Dench was delighted to learn that John Madden and the unit were returning to India for a sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

Now, the veteran actress is gearing up for another stint in India, a 10-day sched ule of the Hollywood production, Victoria & Abdul. Based on London-based Indian author Shrabani Basu's book of the same name, the film will be directed by Stephen Frears who has previously worked with Dench in the 2013 film, Philomena. The heart-warming drama went on to win Best Screenplay at the BAFTAs and Venice Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Set in the Victorian era, Victoria and Abdul follows the real-life story of an unusual friendship in the twilight years of Queen Victoria's long rule.

“The first schedule kicks off on August 21 in London. Dench will fly to India in the second week of September for the second schedule. The unit will film in Agra and Delhi. The film wraps up in November and is set for a 2017-end release,“ a source from the production unit informed Mirror.

Fukrey actor Ali Fazal, who recently made his Hollywood debut with a special appearance in the hit action-franchise, Furious 7, has been roped in as the male lead, Abdul Karim, a 24-year old Indian boy who was sent to London to wait tables for the Queen during her golden jubilee celebrations, goes on to become her Urdu instructor while she starts teaching him English. Soon, the duo is spending more time together, alarming the royal household that disapproves of their growing proximity.

“She (Dench) has lost her eyesight partially and struggles to read film scripts and see people sitting across from her at the dinner table. But despite her eye problems, she has no plans to retire and is all set to head back to India and film with a Bollywood actor,“ adds the source.

Later this year, Dench will be seen as Miss Avocet in Tim Burton's adventurefantasy, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Last month, she wrapped up Tulip Fever, an American-British production directed by Justin Chadwick, which opens in theatres in 2017.

Ali Fazal, who played a cameo in the seventh instalment of the Fast And Furious franchise, has bagged the lead role opposite Dame Judi Dench in director Stephen Frears' next film. Tentatively titled Victoria & Abdul, it is set in the late 1800s and is based on the book that narrates the true story of an unexpected friendship between Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim, a young clerk from India. While Ali will play Abdul, Judi, who played Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown (1997), will once again essay the role.

Though a few Indian actors auditioned for the part, Ali bagged the role. He says, “I think they liked my hold on Hindi, English and Urdu. I'm growing a beard for this movie. Hence, I'm looking like a homeless guy while promoting my upcoming film Happy Bhag Jayegi. I'll leave for London after it releases.“

Ali, who is thrilled to work with the Oscar winner actress (who has also played M in the last few Bond films), adds, “I'm living my dream. Abdul is a guy from Agra who goes to London and is thrown into a fancy place all of a sudden. That's just what happened to me. Stephen liked my audition and I did reading sessions with Judi Dench.“

While the actor hasn't read the book the movie is based on, he has read a few letters exchanged between the Queen and Abdul from the archives. “I didn't want the book to influence Stephen's vision or the script.I wanted to retain the innocence that Abdul had. From teaching the Queen Hindi and Urdu to becoming her confidante and political advisor - they shared a unique relationship,“ says Ali.