Bad Boy Billionaires: India
Bad Boy Billionaires: India also known as Bad Boy Billionaires is a 2020 Indian Netflix original documentary anthology webseries which focuses on the lives of four prominent business magnates of India, including Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Subrata Roy and Ramalinga Raju, who achieved predominant success in their businesses during their lifetime before being accused of corruption.[1] The documentary chronicles major financial scams in India and was released in part, following a lawsuit initiated by Subrata Roy's Sahara Group.[2] Netflix unveiled the official trailer of the film on 24 August 2020 and it was reported that the trailer was removed subsequently from the platform following legal issues.[3] The documentary was initially scheduled to be streamed via Netflix on 2 September 2020.[4][5]
| Bad Boy Billionaires: India | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dylan Mohan Gray Nick Read Johanna Hamilton |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original languages | English Hindi |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Netflix |
| Original release | 5 October 2020 |
Three (out of four) episodes of Bad Boy Billionaires released globally on Netflix in October 2020 to enthusiastic reviews and strong viewership.[6][7][8] It went on to enjoy a multiple-week run as the number one most-watched Netflix title in India while also nearing the top of Netflix's global charts[9] and being named the most-watched documentary of the year 2020 in India.[10][11] It won the Filmfare Award, India's top film honour, in 2021.[12]
Plot Edit
The documentary series explores scandals involving controversial Indian billionaires Vijay Mallya (Kingfisher Airlines), Subrata Roy (Sahara India), Nirav Modi (Gitanjali Group) and Ramalinga Raju (Satyam Computers).[13]
Episodes Edit
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The King of Good Times" | Dylan Mohan Gray | October 5, 2020 | |
| Beer baron and airline owner Vijay Mallya builds a brand image of excess till his Kingfisher empire plunges into alleged money laundering and debt. | ||||
| 2 | "Diamonds Aren't Forever" | Johanna Hamilton | October 5, 2020 | |
| Dazzling the world’s elite to globalize his jewelry brand, Nirav Modi is suspected of illegally inflating diamond prices. | ||||
| 3 | "The World's Biggest Family" | Nick Read | October 5, 2020 | |
| Subrata Roy takes his Sahara India Pariwar conglomerate to dizzying heights before facing accusations of enticing poor investors into a pyramid scheme. | ||||
Legal issues Edit
On 28 August 2020, two petitions were filed against the release of the documentary in the Bihar district court. Bihar court passed an interim stay order on the petition filed by Subrata Roy against the release of the documentary in the Netflix platform. Following the stay order by the Bihar court, Netflix threatened to move to the Supreme Court against the court order for restraining the documentary release.[14]
Diamond merchant Mehul Choksi also filed a petition against the release of the documentary in the Delhi High Court and further filed a request demanding for the pre-screening of the documentary.[15][16] Mehul Choksi filed the plea after being told that his involvement related to the Punjab National Bank Scam was also covered in the documentary. However his plea was dismissed by a single judge panel of the Delhi High Court on 29 August 2020.[17]
On 1 September 2020, Hyderabad civil court restrained the release of the webseries after issuing a stay order on a petition filed by Ramalinga Raju.[18] Raju claimed that the webseries documents half-truths about him and insisted that it would tarnish his reputation and privacy in an unlawful way.[19]
On 2 September 2020, the Supreme Court rejected the plea for relief filed by Netflix and upheld the stay order on the release of the documentary.[20]
On 5 October 2020, Netflix released three out of four films in the anthology, including those featuring Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Subrata Roy, while the final episode about Ramalinga Raju remained encumbered by legal injunctions and as of December 2020 has yet to be released.[21]
Awards and nominations Edit
WINNER— Best Nonfiction Original, Series/Special — 2021 Filmfare OTT Awards, December 2021
References Edit
- ^ "Bad Boy Billionaires India trailer: An in-depth look at the controversial cases of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and others". The Indian Express. 2020-08-25. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "Netflix Releases 3 Episodes Of "Bad Boy Billionaires" Amid Legal Tussle". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
- ^ "Why Bad Boy Billionaires trailer is unavailable on Netflix". The Indian Express. 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "Aquaman, Enola Holmes, and More on Netflix in September". NDTV Gadgets 360. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "'Bad Boy Billionaires' Trailer Taken off Site After Subrata Roy Gets Court Order". The Wire. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Bad Boy Billionaires: India' On Netflix, Which Documents Indian Tycoons And Their Downfalls". 14 October 2020.
- ^ "Bad Boy Billionaires: India". The Times of India.
- ^ "'Bad Boy Billionaires' Review: Powerful, compelling narrative of greed and apathy". 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Bad Boy Billionaires: India on Netflix TOP 10".
- ^ "Bad Boy Billionaires, Money Heist The Phenomenon, Most Popular Documentaries on Netflix". 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Netflix Top Viewing Lists Reveal India's Huge Film Appetite". 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Winners of the MyGlamm Filmfare OTT Awards 2021". 11 December 2021.
- ^ Patwa, Priyadarshini (2020-08-26). "Netflix's Bad Boy Billionaires India Highlights Corruption, Greed and Downfall of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Others". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ Ohri, Raghav. "Netflix | Bad Boy Billionaires: Netflix to move SC against Bihar court order restraining use of Subrata Roy's name in 'Bad Boy Billionaires'". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "Mehul Choksi Goes To Court Again Over Netflix's "Bad Boy Billionaires"". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "PNB scam accused Mehul Choksi moves HC again against Netflix series". www.thenewsminute.com. September 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "No Preview Of Netflix's "Bad Boy Billionaires" For Mehul Choksi: Court". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "Hyderabad Court stays release of Netflix's Bad Boy Billionaires: India following Ramalinga Raju's objections". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "Netflix Restrained From Releasing 'Bad Boy Billionaires' After Satyam Founder Obtains Stay". The Wire. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "No Relief For Netflix Web Series "Bad Boy Billionaires" In Supreme Court". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ Ohri, Raghav. "Netflix releases all episodes of 'Bad Boy Billionaires' except the final episode about Ramalinga Raju". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2020-10-05.