Following the success of their Israeli TV series Fauda, its creators Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff are enjoying the immense love they are getting from fans – be it in Jakarta, Colombia or especially India. The duo, who recently visited India to attend a film festival, says they’re bowled over by people’s warmth. “When we landed here, at immigration, the officer looked at me, and said, ‘I saw Fauda three times’,” Lior, who also acted in the show, told us, adding, “Then I lost my baggage, and the officers helped me and they (all) knew who I was. It is so nice to know that people all over the world, and especially India, appreciate your work. It’s not easy, as sometimes you get mobbed and sometimes I try to hide myself. But when someone says they want to take a picture, for me, it’s just their way of expressing their love. ”

Avi told us, “We are working on a true story that follows an Indian guy and if everything falls in place, we will be filming in India. The lead character of the show is based in Delhi. The story starts here (in India) and it develops and goes to England and Russia. This is at an early stage. We want to shoot here and work and produce here. This is why we are coming back again soon to Mumbai to talk with Indian companies and producers.”‘

While dealing with such a sensitive topic, Fauda creators said that authenticity is crucial. Since they have both worked as undercover agents, how do they draw the line between what to reveal and what not to?

Avi said, “We both know what we shouldn’t expose. There is an ongoing dialogue between us about how far we can go without putting anyone in danger. We both were in a unit that was nothing like on show, which belongs to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). And we both have been very careful with human life in what we do (pauses)...I have to say that reality brings all kinds of meanings and events that we could not really expect to happen and we could not imagine will happen. But it’s a very weird life in Israel and in the Middle East (in a way) that sometimes reality is way bigger than fiction.” 

Lior added, “What is interesting is that because of the show, there is an increase in young people who want to be in those units. There are thousands more people who want to join these units. The number has doubled. People really want to be a part of that unit. This is a byproduct of what we are doing.”

Talking about the impact of Fauda across the world and in the Middle East, Lior said, “We were surprised that it was number 1 on the streaming platform in Lebanon and in the Top 10 all over the Arab world. There was an article about us in a newspaper in Egypt that stated that we have changed Arab people’s perspective on Israel. Until now, it was all about propaganda. But you see, as people, we are all good sometimes and we are bad sometimes. And not just other countries, but even in Israel, people feel compassion for those who are on the other side too. People who support Palestinians sometimes feel compassion for the Israeli side as well.”

“The people who surrounded us here (in India) were so kind and polite. I was eating all the time here, everybody here wants us to eat a lot because they love us,” said Lior. “Fourteen years ago, I wanted to go on a spiritual trip, so I chose the south of India. With a good friend of mine, I started the trip on a motorcycle and we just travelled from Goa to Hampi to Kerala and we met so many interesting and loving people. It was the most spiritual moment of my life to be in India for a few weeks, just to travel and meet people. Now when I came to Goa this time again, I felt immediately at home. It was a great experience and I’d love to explore more,” added Lior, to which Avi agreed.