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Disney in Talks with Adani, Sun TV to Sell India Assets

Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Disney in Talks with Adani, Sun TV to Sell India Assets

Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen in this illustration taken August 22, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Disney has held talks with Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Sun TV Network owner Kalanithi Maran as well private equity firms to sell its streaming and television business in the country, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.
Disney is exploring various possibilities, including selling some of its Indian operations or a mix of assets from the unit, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The discussions are in the very early stages and a deal may not necessarily materialize, Bloomberg said. The report did not mention any potential deal value.
Disney, Sun TV and the Gautam Adani-controlled Adani group did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Disney was exploring options to sell or find a joint venture partner for its India digital and TV business, Reuters reported in July.
Disney has faced increasing pressure due to the emergence of Reliance Industries' streaming platform JioCinema, run by Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani.
Ambani has been marketing his streaming platform by offering free access to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, digital rights of which were earlier with Disney.
Disney's India streaming operations, its biggest last year globally by users, posted a loss of $41.5 million on revenue of $390 million for the year to March 2022, its last disclosed results.
Disney is attempting to revive its fortunes in the country by offering free cricket on smartphones, betting that the strategy will boost advertising revenue and offset the impact of a subscriber exodus.

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Brian Tyree Henry Says 'Dope Thief' Role Felt Like 'Homecoming'

Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
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Brian Tyree Henry Says 'Dope Thief' Role Felt Like 'Homecoming'

Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo
Actor Brian Tyree Henry attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' ''The Fire Inside'' at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California, US, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci/File Photo

Brian Tyree Henry plays a thief fearing for his life while dealing with his painful past in gritty crime drama "Dope Thief", a role the US actor said felt like "a homecoming".

The eight-part mini-series stars Henry as Ray and "Narcos" actor Wagner Moura as Manny, two Philadelphia friends who pose as DEA agents to rob trap houses. But when they raid an unknown rural house, they unleash a dangerous set of events that sees them running from a cartel as well as the police.

“There was so much about (Ray) that resonated with me. I saw this man that was dealing with generational trauma, trying to find a way to make it, trying to find a way to actually be cared for," Henry, known for films such as "Transformers One", "Bullet Train" and "Causeway", for which he earned an Oscar nomination, told Reuters.

"He allowed me to lay down a lot of my burdens that I had been carrying ... it was definitely another transition for me ... to elevate myself and how to deal with my emotions and deal with my abandonment, deal with my fear and deal with all those different things.

"And so, Ray was actually the first time in a long time that I felt like I had come home. He felt like a homecoming in a way."

At the heart of "Dope Thief" is the long-running friendship between Ray and Manny and how they deal with their struggles.

"The show is violent. There's a lot of violence and crime and running and you've got this Black and Latino man, we've kind of seen this kind of show before," Henry said.

"But ... we wanted to show the tenderness between these two, the friendship."

"Dope Thief" is based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya, however the show drifts away from the book, series creator Peter Craig said.

"I liked that (Tafoya's) really got two novels in one. The second half is very internal, so I liked the idea of just using the first half and then having a lot of room for invention," he said.

"Dope Thief" premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday.