ABC News Studios Announces New Series From Smriti Mundhra’s Meralta Films
Disney’s ABC News Studios has announced that production is set to begin on a groundbreaking new series from “Indian Matchmaking” creator Smriti Mundhra’s Meralta Films, focusing on Muslim Americans navigating cultural traditions and highlighting the rich diversity across the country and in the community while seeking modern love.
The unscripted series has been in development since fall 2022 and is slated to premiere exclusively on Hulu in 2024. No international release details have been revealed, but it’s likely that this to be released as a Star Original on Disney+ around the world, like many of ABC News projects.
Leading the award-winning creative team for the series are Mundhra, who serves as executive producer along with Senain Kheshgi, with executive editorial producer Poh Si Teng overseeing the project for ABC News Studios.
Mundhra is a DGA Award-winning, Oscar- and two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker. She is the creator and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Indian Matchmaking,” now in its third season, and executive producer of “Jewish Matchmaking.” She also directed, and executive produced “The Romantics,” a four-part series on the history of Bollywood (Netflix) and co-directed the Academy Award-nominated short documentary “St. Louis Superman” for Al Jazeera English (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount+) and the DGA Award-winning short documentary “Shelter” (HBO Max).
Smriti Mundhra said in a statement:
“There is nothing more universal than the pursuit of love. I am thrilled to collaborate with ABC News Studios on this project that will give audiences a chance to experience this journey from a perspective too rarely seen in the mainstream”
Kheshgi is a director and producer of multiple feature and short films, including the Peabody-winning “Project Kashmir” (PBS/Independent Lens) and the three-time Emmy-nominated documentary “The Diplomat” (ESPN). She is the executive producer of the documentary “A Broken House,” which was shortlisted for a 2022 Academy Award. She also created, wrote and directed the comedic docu-web series “Divas of Karachi” (PBS) as well as a series of short films about Syrian and Afghan refugees. Kheshgi added in a statement:
“As a Muslim American, I’m excited to be part of a show that celebrates love and romance within our community. In a world where negative stereotypes often paint Muslims as monolithic, this is an important opportunity to showcase the unique stories, personalities and perspectives of our diverse community. I’m thrilled to be part of a project that has the potential to bring people together and positively impact the way Muslim Americans are perceived and understood.”
Teng is a producer, journalist and executive editorial producer for ABC News Studios. She produced the Academy Award-nominated documentary “St. Louis Superman,” directed by Mundhra and Sami Khan, as well as the award-winning Oscar-qualified doc “Blood On Our Side” and BAFTA-qualified doc “Dead Woman’s Pass.” Teng added:
“ABC News Studios is committed to broadening our roster with shows that speak to the varied experience of our rich diversity. We are extremely excited to work with such accomplished producers to move this vision forward,”
The as-yet-untitled series is produced by Meralta Films for ABC News Studios. Smriti Mundhra, Senain Kheshgi, Nina Aujla and Maya Gnyp are executive producers for Meralta Films. Poh Si Teng is the executive editorial producer for ABC News Studios. Claire Weinraub is the executive producer, and David Sloan is the senior executive producer. ABC News Studios is led by Mike Kelley. Reena Mehta is SVP, Streaming and Digital Content.
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Roger Palmer
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