Ruskin Bond's ghost stories to translate into web series

Mumbai, Jan 1: Ruskin Bonds ghost stories will be coming to life with web series titled "Parchayee - Ghost Stories by Ruskin Bond".

The series is for an over-the-top (OTT) platform ZEE5. Produced by Banijay Asia and Opus Communication, it will be a series of episodes based on 12 stories written by Bond.

"Whenever I run out of people to write about, I cook up a few ghosts or they appear before me. I am happy that my stories are coming alive for the first time on a digital platform and I look forward to watching them. I hope my readers will enjoy the series," Bond said in a statement.

The first episode will premiere on January 15. The following stories will unfold monthly till June this year.

The first four episodes will be based on stories -- "The Ghost in the Garden and The Wind on Haunted Hill" and "Wilson's Bridge and The Overcoat" -- to be directed by V.K. Prakash and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury respectively.

Manish Aggarwal, Business Head at ZEE5 India, said: "We are introducing a fresh concept with an edgy and mysterious theme for viewers. Through this, we will be attracting a new set of audience to the platform, loyal readers who have grown up on a staple diet of Ruskin's books. The show is set to take the twisted game of secrecy, thrill and mystery to a whole new level and drive engagement with 12 fascinating tales."

To this, Deepak Dhar, Founder and CEO at Banijay Asia, said: "We have been investing heavily in original developments along with Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, hence I am really delighted to get this opportunity to be associated with Tarun Katial and his ZEE5 team for these exciting ghost stories."