Emraan Hashmi, Mouni Roy and Naseeruddin Shah to star in Disney+ Hotstar series ‘Showtime’

Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) Disney+ Hotstar on Wednesday announced its new series “Showtime”, starring Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy and Naseeruddin Shah.

The upcoming show is produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, and created by Sumit Roy and showrunner Mihir Desai. Desai also serves as director along with Archit Kumar.

“Showtime” is billed as an epic saga of legacy and ambition in the world of cinema. It will give you a sneak peek into “what goes behind the multi-million dollar industry of Bollywood, nepotism and the power struggles at the top,” the makers said in a press release.

The show marks Hashmi’s second web series after Netflix’s “Bard of Blood” (2019).

The “Tiger 3” star said he grabbed the opportunity of being a part of “Showtime” as it resonated with the story on various levels.

“Disney+ Hotstar and Dharmatic Entertainment have been known to be some of the most quality storytellers in the industry and collaborating with them has been an incredible experience.

“We have always seen the audience longing to know more about what goes on behind the closed doors of Bollywood and let me just say – we have heard you all! Get ready to dive deep into the tales of Bollywood,” Hashmi said in a statement.

Karan Johar, founder and managing director, Dharmatic Entertainment, said this series will give a closer look into the power struggles of showbiz.

“The show will ensure that battle lines are drawn and crossed & keeps the camera rolling with the audiences clapping. To tell a story so strong and powerful there could not have been a better partner than Disney+ Hotstar. We are extremely excited and eager to bring forth this one for the audience and hope they enjoy the series,” Johar said.

“Showtime” is a unique and an interesting series and will delve into the world of Bollywood, production houses and how they function, added Apoorva Mehta, CEO Dharma Productions & Dharmatic.

Gaurav Banerjee, head – content, Disney+ Hotstar & HSM Entertainment Network, Disney Star, said the company hopes the series will bring a new flavour to the world of Bollywood that fans will enjoy.

“Collaborating with Dharmatic Entertainment has always been a great experience and the success of ‘Koffee with Karan’ stands as a testament to that. The next story we wanted to tell was about Bollywood and the trade secrets, so who better than Karan Johar who has been the heart of the industry and also the center of conversations around nepotism,” Banerjee said.

Starring Rajeev Khandelwal and Shriya Saran in pivotal roles, “Showtime” will stream on Disney+ Hotstar next year.