Desi Today Magazine
- Created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, the upcoming series will launch across 200 countries and territories on March 8, 2019
- Prime Original SeriesMade in Heaven is Amazon Prime Video’s latest collaboration with Excel Media & Entertainment following the success of Mirzapur and International Emmy nominated, Inside Edge
- Made in Heaven is an immersive drama series reflecting the lives of upscale modern India, narrated through the eyes of two wedding planners, set against the backdrop of quintessential Indian weddings
The highly anticipated Amazon Prime Original Series Made in Heaven, by Tiger Baby and Excel Media & Entertainment, is set to release on March 8 2019. The show is narrated through the eyes of Tara and Karan, two Delhi-based wedding planners. Their stories unfold over the course of an opulent wedding season. As tradition jostles with modern aspirations against the backdrop of big fat Indian weddings, many secrets and myriad lies are revealed. Created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, Made In Heaven, is set to release on March 8, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video across 200 countries and territories.
Prime Original Series Made In Heaven chronicles the lives of Tara and Karan, two wedding planners in Delhi. These two headstrong individuals often mask their supreme vulnerability – sometimes even from each other, as their wedding planning agency “Made In Heaven”forces them to open up andreveal themselves. The show portrays today’s India as a potent blend where tradition jostles with modern aspiration, set against the theme of the ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’. Indians believe marriages are made in heaven and it is against these sacred unions that Tara and Karan’s personal journeys are juxtaposed. With world class production values and a magnificent scale, the show provides the viewer with a grand cinematic experience of intricacies and the drama around upscale Indian weddings.
Karan is a gay man living in a country where homosexuality is illegal. Out in the world but still in the closet for his typical middle class folks. Karan moves under the radar and doesn’t engage with the politics of being homosexual in India. He suppresses a deep pain from his teenage years and seems unable to deal with intimacy and therefore a meaningful relationship. Tara is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Through etiquette classes, borrowed clothes and a damaging “scandal”, she clawed her way up into the capital’s high society by marrying Adil Khanna. She now strives for perfection and security in a marriage that is less than ideal.
With each episode Karan and Tara enter the lives of a different bride and groom. Each wedding they service not only introduces them to the twisted dynamics and complexities of Indian families but also provides a mirror to their true selves. It exposes the bubble they live in and the rules they conform to. The supposedly liberal fabric of this educated modern society unravels as the duo navigate their way through forced arranged marriages, dowry transactions, virginity tests and astrological matches. It is through these experiences that Tara and Karan will change, grow and ultimately transform.
The Prime Original Series is directed by Zoya Akhtar, Nitya Mehra, Alankrita Shrivastava and Prashant Nair, executive produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, and stars Arjun Mathur, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora and Shivani Raghuvanshi.
Jennifer Salke, Head, Amazon Studios, said, “Made In Heavenis a show that meets our aim topave the way for a new wave of storytelling, where cultural commentary and complex characters are presented to our customers. Created predominantly by women storytellers, Made in Heaven, brings a different perspective to the vibrant Indian wedding scene. Global audiences have responded well to shows created in India and this is testament to the growing appetite for compelling, diverse content. It is our aim to be an all-inclusive service for every storyteller and every genre of story that is waiting to be told.”
Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India, said, “Made In Heaven brings to Indian customers a show with a fresh storyline, incredible talent and a layered narrative that will draw the viewer in. We endeavour to bring viewers’ local, immersive stories that are relatable – Made In Heaven is a gripping drama series from the house of Tiger Baby Productions and our long time collaborators, Excel Media & Entertainment. Indian weddings are a heady mix of celebrations, drama and intrigue for customers everywhere and this show will offer just that by lifting the veil and looking closely at what transpires behind-the-scenes. We are ecstatic to work with Zoya, Reema and the team and are certain audiences will enjoy this voyeuristic view beneath the veneer of grand Indian weddings.”
Aparna Purohit, Head – Creative Development, Amazon Prime Video India, stated, “Prime Original Series Made in Heaven is our second series this year that brings a new lens to cinematic story-telling. We started the year with Four More Shots Please!, a story about urban Indian women, produced and directed by women. Made in Heaven reiterates our commitment of bringing varied, fresh voices and storytellers to our viewers. The series has been crafted by a dream team of some of the most respected female creators, directors and writers in the country. With Made in Heaven, we bring a deeply nuanced social commentary on upper class, liberal, Indian society and their uncomfortable relationship with the values they preach.”
Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti,Creators, Tiger Baby,said, “Creating Made in Heaven has been a labor of love. Our objective with this project was to tell a story that was inherently entertaining but strong and deeply rooted in our society. Grand Indian weddings acted as just the right backdrop to examine the liberal fabric of educated, modern Indians and their dichotomous value systems that co-exist peacefully at times and at others come into conflict. The 9-episode series is the culmination of the creative vision of four directors – Nitya Mehra, Prashant Nair, Alankrita Srivastava and me (Zoya Akhtar), brought to life by Amazon Prime Video, who have been fabulous collaborators to work with.”
Farhan Akhtar, Co-producer, Excel Media and Entertainment,said, “I am excited to see how customers respond to this awesome drama series created by Zoya and Reema. After the success we saw with Inside Edge and Mirzapur, we are sure this collaboration with Amazon Prime Video will showcase another bold story that consumers will really enjoy. With each episode we examine a topic of social relevance and Made in Heaven promises to be an entertaining, introspective and thought provoking show.”
Promo Link:https://youtu.be/xyunu5687lc
