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| The posters for tvN's thriller romance series, "Flower of Evil," left, and its Indian remake, "Duranga" / Courtesy of Studio Dragon |
By Lee Gyu-lee
The 2020 tvN thriller romance series, "Flower of Evil," starring actors Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won, has been picked up for an adaptation in India, making it the first Korean series to be remade in the country.
The series' production company, Studio Dragon, announced Wednesday that it has inked a deal with one of India's biggest platforms, ZEE5, which has made the Indian adaptation of the series, titled "Duranga."
"India, as of 2022, has a total population of about 1.47 billion, which is the second-most populated country following China. And especially as the over-the-top (OTT) market in the country has rapidly grown, it has had a key competitive market among its local streaming platforms," the studio said in the release.
"Despite the years of a boom in K-content, India has been uncharted territory for hallyu, overshadowed by the popularity of its local pop culture and Western culture. So the meaning this remake holds is enormous," it said.
The remake will be a nine-part series and began airing on Thursday through the platform.
"The vibrant Asian culture and the cultural similarity that Korean content have are appealing enough to draw a huge number of fans in India," an official from ZEE5 said. "We are happy to be the first to remake Korean content in India's OTT industry, thanks to the popularity 'Flower of Evil' had globally."
The original series, which aired in July 2020, revolves around happily married couple Hee-sung (Lee) and Ji-won (Moon). But Hee-sung's dark secret comes back to haunt him, when his wife, who is a detective, launches an investigation into a serial murder case.
The relationship between the two takes a turn when Ji-won starts having suspicions about her husband's past.
The series ended with its highest viewership rating of 5.7 percent and has enjoyed popularity because of the actors' stellar performances and the cliffhangers in every episode.
"We are surprised that our series has been remade in India for the first time for a K-drama, and feel that it is such an encouraging success," Jang Shin-ae, the producer of the original series at Studio Dragon, said. "'Flower of Evil' garnered acclaim for its unique mixture of a romance, thriller and compelling story. I hope it also draws popularity in India."
The series is also set to be remade in the Philippines, the studio said.
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