Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Israel, met the team of the action-drama series Fauda on the sidelines of his high-profile meeting. Modi posted a light-hearted selfie with the team of the Israeli spy thriller series and wrote on X, “Thankfully this interaction required only selfies, no undercover work! #Fauda.”
The visit was seen as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between India and Israel. Modi’s social media post in which he quipped that the meeting “required only selfies, no undercover work!”.
Fauda is an Israeli television drama loosely inspired by the real-life experiences of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and is available for streaming on Netflix. The series stars Lior Raz, Hisham Sulliman and Itzik Cohen.
Based on the true experiences of creators Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, the award-winning series follows a team of elite Israeli secret agents tasked with tracking and apprehending Palestinian militants. The show has gained significant popularity in India and ranks among the top 20 countries for its viewership.
The success of the spy thriller also led to an official Hindi adaptation of Tanaav, which was released in 2022.
Modi’s interaction with the star-studded cast comes at a time when Indian and Israeli entertainment sector stakeholders are exploring joint projects and opportunities to leverage each other’s strengths in various areas of the creative industry.
Last year, as part of the government’s efforts to position India as a global center for film production, an Indian film festival was held in Israel, which opened the screening of filmmaker Kiran Rao’s acclaimed feature Laapataa Ladies.
Highlights of PM Modi in Israel
Modi landed in Israel’s Tel Aviv around 4:15 pm (IST) on Wednesday for a two-day state visit. This is Modi’s second visit to Israel as Prime Minister after his previous trip in 2017.
Prime Minister Modi received a standing ovation in the Knesset as chants of “Modi, Modi” filled the air.
On Tuesday, Israel and India opened their first round of talks on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA), signaling a push to deepen economic engagement as New Delhi ramps up efforts to secure market access partnerships with key technology-based economies.
On Prime Minister Modi’s agenda are defense talks, a pledge to cooperate in the fight against terrorism and a free trade agreement, Bloomberg reported, citing officials in Delhi familiar with the matter.
