Overview
The Night Manager is an Indian Hindi-language espionage thriller streaming television series, adapted from the 1993 novel The Night Manager by British author John le Carré. It is the official Indian remake of the 2016 BBC miniseries of the same name. The series was directed by Sandeep Modi, with Priyanka Ghose as co-director, and premiered on Disney+ Hotstar.
Key facts
| Title | The Night Manager |
|---|---|
| Original language | Hindi |
| Genre | Espionage thriller, drama |
| Based on | The Night Manager by John le Carré |
| Director | Sandeep Modi |
| Co-director | Priyanka Ghose |
| Lead cast | Aditya Roy Kapur, Anil Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala, Tillotama Shome, Saswata Chatterjee |
| Streaming platform | Disney+ Hotstar |
| Part 1 release | 17 February 2023 |
| Part 2 release | 30 June 2023 |
| Production | The Ink Factory, Banijay Asia |
Background
John le Carré's novel The Night Manager follows a former soldier turned hotel night manager who is recruited by intelligence operatives to infiltrate the inner circle of an international arms dealer. The 2016 BBC adaptation, starring Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie, brought renewed global attention to the source material. The Indian version transposes the story to a contemporary South Asian setting, relocating much of the plot between locations in India and abroad, with the arms trade reframed within a regional context.
The series was developed for Disney+ Hotstar as part of the streamer's strategy of producing high-budget Indian originals. Production was handled in association with The Ink Factory, the British company that produced the BBC adaptation, alongside Banijay Asia.
Plot
Shaan Sengupta (Aditya Roy Kapur), a polite and observant night manager at a luxury hotel in Dhaka, becomes drawn into the world of Shailendra Rungta, alias Shelly (Anil Kapoor), a charming and ruthless Indian businessman whose legitimate enterprises mask a global arms-dealing network. With the help of intelligence officer Lipika Saikia Rao (Tillotama Shome), Shaan goes undercover to penetrate Shelly's circle, which includes his partner Kaveri (Sobhita Dhulipala) and his close associate Brij Pal (Saswata Chatterjee).
Cast
- Aditya Roy Kapur as Shaan Sengupta
- Anil Kapoor as Shailendra "Shelly" Rungta
- Sobhita Dhulipala as Kaveri Dixit
- Tillotama Shome as Lipika Saikia Rao
- Saswata Chatterjee as Brij Pal Singh
- Ravi Behl as Junaid Shah
- Joy Sengupta in a supporting role
Production
The Indian adaptation was developed by Sandeep Modi, who had previously directed Aarya. The screenplay reworks the European and Middle Eastern setting of the novel into locations including Dhaka, Mumbai, Delhi and the hill regions of India. Filming spanned multiple international locations to retain the globe-trotting feel of the source material. Anil Kapoor's casting as the antagonist drew particular pre-release attention, given his return to a streaming series following 24.
Release
The series was released in two parts on Disney+ Hotstar. The first part, comprising four episodes, premiered on 17 February 2023. The second part, with three episodes, was released on 30 June 2023. It was made available in Hindi along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu and other Indian languages.
Reception
The series received a generally positive response from Indian critics, who praised the performances of Anil Kapoor and Tillotama Shome and the production design. Some reviewers noted that the adaptation closely mirrored the structure of the BBC version, with discussion focused on how effectively the arms-trade premise translated to an Indian context. The show was widely viewed on Disney+ Hotstar following its release and became one of the platform's notable Indian originals of 2023.
Awards and recognition
The series received nominations at industry awards for streaming content in India, including recognition for its lead performances and direction.
Significance
The Night Manager is among a growing number of Indian streaming productions adapted from major international literary and television properties, reflecting collaborations between Indian streamers and global production houses. It is also notable for casting established film actors such as Anil Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur in long-form streaming roles, illustrating the convergence between Hindi cinema and original streaming content.
Related topics
- Anil Kapoor
- Aditya Roy Kapur
- Sobhita Dhulipala
- Tillotama Shome
- Disney+ Hotstar
- John le Carré
- Banijay Asia
- Indian web series
References
- Disney+ Hotstar official series page for The Night Manager.
- John le Carré, The Night Manager (1993).
- Press coverage of the series release in The Hindu, The Indian Express and Hindustan Times, February–June 2023.