The Israeli show Magpie, which is a crime drama, is set to be adapted into Hindi. The working title for the same is Kan Khajura, which means centipede. The original show tells the story of Asa Katz, a man serving 17 years in prison for murder who gets released early on the condition that he cooperates with the police as their informant — a role (known as a magpie) that he also had in jail. Asa returns to his old neighbourhood and his older brother, David, who has little regard for his younger sibling.
Asa constantly tries to resolve this, but numerous conflicting interests put him in precarious situations and he finds himself torn between his life of crime and his work with the police, while skilfully navigating both worlds to his advantage.
The second season of Magpie recently released to rave reviews, was produced by yes TV and Donna & Shula Productions (Tehran). Streaming platform Sony LIV has taken the onus of adapting the show in Hindi following a deal with distributor Yes Studios.
Saugata Mukherjee, Head of Content of Sony LIV, says, “With the Indian adaptation of Magpie, we are aiming to weave global threads into the tapestry of our culture. The character is complex and piques the viewer's interest with a compelling storyline. We are happy to collaborate with Yes Studios once again to bring forth this highly acclaimed thriller.”
Sharon Levi, Managing Director of yes Studios, further comments on this new format of the show and says, "With its key themes of sibling conflict and a desire for a fresh start while constantly being pulled back into an old life, Magpie’s characters and storylines are instantly recognisable – and ripe for adaptation. We look forward to working with the Sony LIV team as it develops the series for its audience and cannot wait to view the final programme once it has been completed."
Magpie was created by Adam Bizanski, Omri Shenhar and Dana Eden and written by Adam Bizanski and Omri Shenhar. Yes Studios is the distributor of the finished programme and format. The series won Best Screenplay at the Berlin TV Series Festival in 2019 and was nominated at the same event for Best International Series and Best Performance.