Kross Pictures, a production house with operations in Seoul, Los Angeles, and Mumbai, is venturing into India’s reality television space with a lineup of four unscripted formats adapted from successful Korean originals. This strategic move was unveiled at Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market, highlighting the company’s shift from scripted to reality content to cater to the growing demand for innovative programming on Indian streaming platforms.
Hyunwoo Thomas Kim, the founder and CEO of Kross Pictures, expressed his excitement about entering the dynamic Indian content market. With a decade of collaboration with Indian storytellers under their belt, Kim believes that these globally successful unscripted formats will find resonance in India.
The reality slate includes two dating shows, a cricket-based competition, and a survival reality series. “Love After Divorce,” a popular Korean show spanning seven seasons, follows Indian divorcees on a journey to find love and marriage, aiming to destigmatize divorce while entertaining audiences and reflecting evolving social attitudes in India.
Another dating show, “Heart Signal,” adapts a beloved Korean format where 10 young adults share a house for 30 days, expressing romantic interest through subtle cues while a celebrity panel offers commentary. The lineup also features a cricket reality show inspired by a Korean baseball format and a survival competition blending co-living dynamics with physical and mental challenges.
Sana Siddiqui, content head at Kross Pictures India, emphasized the changing landscape of reality TV in India, noting the audience’s preference for authentic, culturally rooted shows over formulaic drama. Kross Pictures, founded in 2004 and formerly a Kakao subsidiary, has made a mark in India with feature adaptations like “Te3n” and Netflix’s “Jaane Jaan.”
While delving into unscripted content, Kross Pictures remains committed to scripted development, with a Tamil-language web series based on a Korean webtoon slated to begin filming in December for a major Indian streaming platform. The company’s expansion aligns with the growing popularity of Korean content among Gen Z and millennial viewers in India.
Kim reiterated Kross Pictures’ vision of creating impactful stories that resonate globally, fostering cultural exchange through film, television, and digital media. As they venture into the reality TV realm, the company aims to uphold its mission of uniting cultures and delivering compelling narratives to audiences worldwide.
