Jeffrey Archer has partnered with Applause Entertainment, the content arm of Aditya Birla Group, in a landmark deal that secures adaptation rights to six of the bestselling British author’s most celebrated works, marking the Indian company’s first major global book acquisition.
The ambitious partnership includes rights to Archer’s “Clifton Chronicles” series of seven novellas, along with standalone titles “The Fourth Estate,” “First Among Equals,” “The Eleventh Commandment,” “Sons of Fortune” and “Heads You Win.”
The deal comes after nearly a year of negotiations and represents a significant milestone for Indian content creation, moving away from unauthorized adaptations that have plagued the industry in previous decades. Archer has partnered with Dream Bay Entertainment, founded by former Amazon Studios executive Thomas Drachkovitch, to broker the adaptations.
Speaking at a press conference announcing the deal, Applause Entertainment MD Sameer Nair emphasized the company’s commitment to legitimate adaptations. “We want to do it the right way,” Nair said. “If I like an author, or if I want to use his or her work, I want to be able to go to him or her and give them an offer in the spirit of collaboration.”
Archer, 85, joined the announcement via video link from London, where he had been watching the England-India test match at The Oval alongside Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, former Prime Minister John Major, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The author expressed his frustration with past unauthorized adaptations, recounting how he would encounter Indians saying they enjoyed “Kane and Abel” on television when it “had nothing to do with me. They just stole the story.” The author cited a particularly memorable incident when a street vendor in Mumbai tried to sell him pirated copies of his own books.
The deal signals a maturing of India’s content industry, moving toward legitimate international partnerships rather than unauthorized adaptations. Nair, whose 25-year career has included leadership roles at Star TV and NDTV Imagine, underlined the importance of respecting intellectual property rights.
“India is not all bad,” Nair said, noting that unscripted television has long been done legitimately in the country. “In fiction, because it’s so… a little bit blurred and it’s little vaguer, lots of things have got ripped off over the years. The correct way to do all these things… is to acknowledge original creation.”
Nair outlined plans to reimagine Archer’s timeless tales for contemporary Indian audiences across multiple languages and formats. “All these stories are global. We are going to tell them as local stories,” he explained. “We are going to, in a sense, [bring them to] India, reimagined in India, and then going back out to the world.”
The adaptations will span both series and films, with plans for regional language versions across India’s diverse linguistic landscape. “The audience has been primed for listening to these stories,” Nair noted, citing the streaming revolution that has created new opportunities for premium content.
The bestselling British author, who has sold over 300 million copies across 115 countries in 49 languages, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership while setting clear expectations. “I was delighted to hear Applause saying… we will stick to the story,” Archer said. “I don’t want someone saying, ‘Oh, I’ll write my own half of ‘Kane and Abel.’ I want it as it is.”
The author underscored the critical importance of quality adaptation, drawing parallels to his international publishing approach. “The screenplay, you get the right person to write the screenplay,you’re in. You get the wrong person to write the screenplay you’re out,” Archer explained. “When I speak to a country… the only question they say, what you want Jeffrey” I say I want the best translator you’ve got. I don’t give a damn about the percentage. I want the best translator.”
Archer praised India’s reading culture and aspirational spirit as key factors in his books’ success in the market. “You are an aspirational race,” he told the audience. “Your desire to succeed, your desire to do well, your desire, above all, to work hard and realize there’s no short cut to success in any field.”
For Applause Entertainment, known for acclaimed series including “Scam 1992,” “Black Warrant,” “The Hunt,” and the “Criminal Justice” franchise, the Archer deal represents a strategic expansion into international literary properties.
“Jeffrey Archer has a style of writing… that grand sweep, and every book of his is like a cinematic saga,” Nair said. “It’s about ambition and aspiration and betrayal and revenge and love, all of that. And they’re like whole lifetimes in those books.”
The company plans to work with India’s creative community to develop the adaptations, with Nair calling on directors, writers and producers to collaborate on bringing the stories to screen. All adaptations will ultimately reach global audiences through major streaming platforms.
Production timelines and specific casting details were not revealed, though Nair indicated announcements would come within three to six months. “You have to write a great screenplay,” he said. “Once you have that, the rest of it is pretty straightforward.” Archer made clear his impatience to see the results. “I’m 85 years old, so please get on with it,” he quipped.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source variety.com ’
