After making a mark with movies like Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai, filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar is all set to make his digital debut with the web series, Tandav. Set in Delhi, the fictional tale takes viewers behind the closed doors of power and manipulation, thus, uncovering the darkest lanes of Indian politics. Produced by Himanshu Kishan Mehra and Ali, the show, which is Dimple Kapadia’s maiden digital outing, features Saif Ali Khan, Sunil Grover, Dino Morea and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. The political drama will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on January 15.

Talking about the series, Ali says, “Tandav was conceptualised in 2014, before I started shooting Sultan. Initially, we wanted to make it into a film, but later, I told Himanshu that I won’t be able to do justice to it in a movie format. We then went back to the writer’s room, and Gaurav Solanki came on board to curate it with us. Now, it’s a season of nine episodes.”

Himanshu shares, “The best part is that this is Ali’s original voice, because he has stayed in Delhi University. He is the creator of the show, along with being a co-producer. When the show was scripted, we contemplated that Ali would direct only the first and last episodes. But, he said that he would helm the whole series, and shoot it in a start-to-finish schedule. So, we divided our responsibilities.”

About his time in Delhi and politics becoming a part of his life, Ali says, “If you have stayed or studied in Delhi, politics rubs shoulders with you, inadvertently. Our strongest inspiration has been Shakespeare, who wrote entertaining stories, which were beautifully embedded in a political backdrop. At the university, I saw things around me, which either influenced me, made me cringe or sensitive towards them. At the same time, I found my voice as a filmmaker. I try to show it with my work. There has to be something more than just entertainment. It’s not just the packaging, it has to do with the story you are trying to tell, which then spreads its wings into the heartland of India. Tandav, too, is a story of the heartland of India.”

Ali says that Saif was his first choice to play the male lead, Samar Pratap Singh. “When I wrote that character, I felt that no one could pull it off better than Saif, because he plays these borderline negative, intense, brooding roles very well. Of course, working with Salman (Khan) sir has taught me a lot... how to project a superstar and how to create pan-India films. All those learnings have gone into making a pan-India show like Tandav,” he signs off.