Saif Ali Khan teams up with Endemol Shine India to co-produce and star in Indian adaptation of The Bridge

Actor Saif Ali Khan will star in the Hindi adaptation of Danish/Swedish drama "Bron/Broen" (The Bridge), which he will jointly produce with Endemol Shine India via his Black Knight Films banner.

It would be the eighth adaptation for the show after its success in the US/Mexico, the UK/France, Germany/Austria, Singapore/Malaysia and Russia/Estonia.

"Bridge" opens with a dead body discovered on a border that is shared by two countries - half the body lies in one and the other half in another. This discovery leads to a joint investigation by the police forces of the two regions, forcing detectives from both sides to work together to solve the crime.

Saif said the story of "The Bridge" was "one-of-a-kind opportunity".

"As an actor and producer, this is the one-of-a-kind opportunity that one waits for. It is a story that has been adapted the world over and loved by audiences, irrespective of their geographies, so yes, my team and I at Black Knight Films - Kunjal Punamiya (CEO/co-producer) and Pavan Kriplani (Creative Producer/co- producer) are super excited to be associated with this project and getting it rolling,” the actor said in a statement.

Rishi Negi, CEO Endemol Shine India, said the story of "The Bridge" is global in its appeal.

"The Bridge’s script is powerful, as it speaks a language recognised and enjoyed by audiences sitting anywhere in the world. It is a global story that can be made distinctively local, using the basic premise of the series and we look forward to recreating the magic of this show to captivate the Indian audience,” Negi, CEO Endemol Shine India, said.

Originally created and written by Hans Rosenfeldt as a joint production of Sweden's Filmlance International, part of Banijay, and Denmark's Nimbus Film, "The Bridge" (Bron/Broen) was produced in co-production with Sveriges Television, DR, ZDF German Television network, ZDF Enterprises Gmbh, Film i Skane, NRK, Copenhagen Film Fund, Lumiere Group, Stiftelsen Ystad Osterlen Filmfond, with Norvision, and in co-operation with Malmo Stad.

The original has aired in more than 188 countries.

(PTI)