New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS): A new storytelling format -- CinePlay -- will showcase classics and contemporary stories from the theatre world in a cinematic fashion.

Hotstar, a streaming platform, on Monday announced that it is expanding its premium service and offering CinePlay under its Originals banner.

CinePlays will bring some stories from the world of theatre from playwrights like Vijay Tendulkar, Badal Sircar, Mohan Rakesh and Mahesh Dattani.

The productions have been helmed by directors such as Santosh Sivan and Nagesh Kukunoor. They will feature actors including Nandita Das, Saurabh Shukla, Lillete Dubey, Rajpal Yadav and Sonali Kulkarni.

"CinePlay is a big leap forward for storytellers and their audiences in the country. We are excited to bring an entirely new way of storytelling to a generation that has not been exposed to either these stories or to the power of theatre," Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar, said in a statement.

Subodh Maskara, Chairman and co-founder of CinePlay, said it is presenting a new visual language that "blends the grammar of theatre and the power of cinema".

Available in India for Hotstar's premium subscribers, 20 CinePlay titles will release regularly on the platform, starting with five titles being released on Monday.