Mumbai: The Foundry, a premiere IP content development studio & production company, has signed a deal with Audible, a leading global provider of original spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks. The Foundry will produce over 60 hours of content, licensed to Audible. The licenced content comprises original scripted multicast fictions as well as adapted and dramatised classic stories in the audio format.
An initial slate of titles from this deal that have been created by The Foundry’s dedicated audio division have premiered on Audible’s service and their rollout continues in the months ahead. Debuted audiobooks include the robust Hindi adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (Sherlock Holmes Ki Romanchak Kahaniyan) and Munshi Premchand’s masterfully distinct literary classic "Karmabhoomi"; about turmoil in common colonial living. In the pipeline, is the delightful multicast Hindi adaptation production of Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice."
The Foundry will licence to Audible original series created by their creator-in-chief Vekeana Dhillon from their in-house development catalogue of over 90 audio IPs as part of this deal. This includes one of India’s first disaster audio series, Trapped, a powerhouse drama in which residents and rescuers grapple in the ruins of an urban high-rise building collapse; and a mind-bender of deception and suspense involving a coma patient in the mystery thriller The Woman in Bed#3.
The Foundry has previously produced the popular audio show on Audible titled Uncovidable which showcases the journey of a woman caught in the whirlwind of the nationwide lockdown during the covid 19 pandemic. It is written by Vekeana Dhillon and voiced by Mahira Kakkar in English and Bollywood celebrity Rasika Duggal in Hindi.
Audible director of content – India Ridhima Thakral commented, "We are delighted to have stories produced by The Foundry, one of the country's premiere content development studios, on our service. With stories produced across genres, including classics, mysteries, dramas, and many more debuting on our service, we are excited about the incredible entertainment in store for Audible members."
The Foundry head of production and business Vikram Dhillon said, "We’re fully committed to heightening the ‘cinematic’ experience of our handpicked stories. As it is, we’re thriving in our storytelling offerings of rich narratives and complex characters across mediums in series, feature films, and animation. Audio emboldens us to construct a next-generation entertainment experience, and we do so, proudly, in presenting our never-heard-before slate of content for our listeners."
