Hotstar Raises The Bar On New Age Storytelling With Hotstar Specials: A Slate Of Bold, Authentic Stories

NEW YORK, May 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotstar, the go-to streaming platform for the South Asian Diaspora, is expanding its robust entertainment library with Hotstar Specials. Featuring some of the best talent in India, Hotstar Specials will bring impeccable story-telling exclusively to Hotstar.

Hotstar's adaptation of Criminal Justice, which aired in the U.S. as the HBO mini-series The Night Of, is currently streaming on Hotstar and tells the gripping story of an individual's journey through the intricate realities of India's criminal justice system. The nuanced integration of social issues foregrounds relevant, global concerns in the South Asian context. Helmed by a stellar cast including Vikrant Massey, Pankaj Tripathi, Mita Vashisht, Jackie Shroff and Pankaj Saraswat, the crime thriller keeps you guessing till the very end if the protagonist- Aditya Sharma is "guilty or not".

Even as Criminal Justice is experiencing unprecedented success as a breakout show, Hotstar launched its next Hotstar Special titled 'City of Dreams' - a political thriller, directed by critically acclaimed and national award-winning director Nagesh Kukunoor. City of Dreams is a 10-part series starring National Film Award winners Atul Kulkarni and Sachin Pilgaonkar, well known TV and film actors Priya Bapat and Eijaz Khan all essaying key roles. Set in Mumbai against the backdrop of Indian politics and elections, the show traces the journey of two siblings - Poornima and Ashish Gaikwad - and their thirst for power. The brother sister duo will stop at nothing in their all-out battle to become the one true heir to their father's legacy.  Will it be the son who many believe is the rightful successor and has always been with him in all his political campaigns, or will it be the daughter who is a smart and powerful woman wanting to prove herself in a male-dominated society? The show also features an ensemble cast of characters each with their own hidden agenda, further muddying the waters. The show is now streaming on Hotstar.

Nagesh Kukunoor, the director of the show says "I've always enjoyed attempting genres I haven't done before, and City of Dreams is one such subject. It deals with dynasty politics and the ramifications it has on the entire city."

Hotstar will also stream an adaptation of the hit International comedy, The Office as a Hotstar Special. The Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, from Scranton, Pennsylvania USA, is reborn as Wilkins Chawla Paper Company in Faridabad, Haryana (India).

Other series available now on the platform include a docu-drama, Roar of the Lion, on former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings bouncing back after their ban from VIVO IPL.

"Hotstar continues to be a pioneer in the streaming industry, transforming the ways people across the world consume entertainment through our unrivaled content offering," said Ipsita Dasgupta, president of Hotstar International and Sports Leagues at Star India. "As we continue to work towards strengthening our content portfolio, we're excited to be bringing authentic Indian stories that our communities can immerse themselves in."

In addition to building its content offering with new scripted programming, Hotstar is the official streaming partner for the VIVO Indian Premier League 2019, which commenced on March 23 and runs through May 12. The VIVO IPL experience on Hotstar has revolutionized the annual sporting event with unique coverage beyond the tournament, providing exclusive pre-match and post-match analysis, dugout commentary from experts of the game, and snackable content including highlights and complete replays. Hotstar is also the official digital streaming partner for the much-awaited ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 that starts on May 30.

About Hotstar

Hotstar, India's largest premium streaming platform for Indian dramas, movies and live sports, is now also available in the US, Canada and the UK.

A fully-owned subsidiary of Star India and 21st Century Fox, Hotstar was launched in India in 2015 and became the fastest app to reach a million downloads. The platform offers a bouquet of rich and diverse content encompassing the latest movies, popular TV shows, documentaries, live news and live sports. By delivering premium, on-demand content across devices and in multiple languages, Hotstar ensures that South Asians across the world are never too far from their favorite entertainment.

Hotstar can be accessed through us.hotstar.com, ca.hotstar.com, uk.hotstar.com, or via the iOS App Store, Google Play store, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Android TV and Samsung Smart TV

SOURCE Hotstar