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 a selfie, no undercover work! #Fauda.”
The visit was viewed as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between India and Israel. Modi’s social media post, in which he jokingly remarked the meeting “required only a selfie, 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 features Lior Raz, Hisham Sulliman and Itzik Cohen in lead roles.
Based on the real-life experiences of creators Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, the award-winning series follows a team of elite Israeli undercover agents tasked with tracking and apprehending Palestinian militants. The show has gained significant popularity in India, ranking among the top 20 countries for its viewership.
The success of the spy thriller also led to an official Hindi adaptation, Tanaav, which was released in 2022.
Modi’s interaction with the star cast comes at a time when stakeholders in the entertainment sectors of India and Israel have been exploring collaborative projects and opportunities to leverage each other’s strengths across different areas of the creative industry.
Last year, as part of government efforts to position India as a global film production hub, an Indian film festival was held in Israel, opening with 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 marks Modi’s second visit to Israel as prime minister, after his previous trip in 2017.
PM Modi received a standing ovation at the Knesset as ‘Modi, Modi’ chants filled the air.
On Tuesday, Israel and India kicked off their first round of negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA), signaling a push to deepen economic engagement as New Delhi steps up efforts to secure market access partnerships with key technology-driven economies.
Top of the agenda for PM Modi are defense talks, a commitment to cooperate on counter-terrorism, and a free trade agreement, reported Bloomberg, citing officials in New Delhi familiar with the matter.
