Salman Khan Grows Branded Content Portfolio

Salman Khan and Banijay Group did not give any further details about what kind of shows are on the production slate, only revealing the collaboration would produce “scripted and non-scripted content” across genres for the Indian and Southeast Asian markets.

Following the deal, Khan stated, “This country is home to various talented people who don’t get a fair chance to prove themselves, and we at SK TV not only aim to produce engaging content with our partners like Banijay Group, but also provide a fair platform to these young and budding individuals.”

The recently launched Banijay Asia is the result of a partnership between Banijay Group and Deepak Dhar, the former head of Endemol India, who acts as the company’s founder and CEO. Internationally, Banijay is known for such shows as Versailles, Temptation Island, Keeping up With the Kardashians, Wife Swap and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, among others.

The 52-year-old Bollywood star is well known as the long-running host of Bigg Boss, the Indian spinoff of Endemol’s Big Brother, which airs on Viacom18’s Colors channel. But the deal comes at a time when Salman Khan’s brand value has nosedived by 33%, according to a Duff & Phelps report last year, attributed largely to the loss of brand endorsements sitting on the fence as judgement is passed on an impending five-year jail sentence.

His relevance among urban and millennial audiences has also eased… unlike the classier, exclusive personas of the other Bollywood Khans (Amir and Shah Rukh), Salman Khan has always been the man for mass appeal brands, and these brands have increasingly turned to younger stars to connect with Indian millennials. This can already be seen with – for example – Thums Up replacing Khan’s long-term endorsement with Ranveer Singh last year.