As fans wait for the fourth season of Fauda to drop on Netflix, the first episode of the hit series was premiered at the 53rd International Film Festival of India, held in Goa, recently, with the creators of the show, Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, in attendance.

“When we heard about [the festival], we said, ‘Erase everything from our schedule – we want to be there in India.’ It’s the natural [choice] to premiere the show because of the love people watching our show here give us,” shares Raz.

Somehow, the duo find the show’s massive popularity in India rather “strange”. “It is not common that you have people from this country follow you and try to interact. We are getting a response from people all over the world, but the most delicate, nicest messages are from Indians. Here when someone wants a selfie, they ask first, and don’t just go for it,” exclaims Issacharoff.

The show is based on the duo’s time in the Israeli Defense Forces, and this personal touch is what clicked with the audiences. “Everybody can connect with stories of people and their journeys. The atmosphere in Israel is very chaotic, and when you see the journeys of the characters, you understand,” says Raz, who also stars in the show, before adding, “We don’t really know what the secret to Fauda being such a big hit is, and we don’t want to know. We just want to continue what we are doing.”

The OTT boom enabled a rapid exchange of entertainment all over the world, and the duo agree that Israeli content benefited in the process. “Ten years ago, if you had said ‘People in India will watch your content’, I’d say you took the wrong pill that morning. It’s a new era — I can sit in my house and watch Indian content. People in India and Sri Lanka watch Israeli content,” says Issacharoff.

The explosion of OTT content has also brought about a change in viewers’ preferences, and star casts are no more a sure-shot hit formula. “All of us have the same emotions, we laugh, hate, [feel] connected. We want to be moved by somebody’s story, it doesn’t matter what the language. OTT brought it to the table,” Raz adds.

The series saw its official Hindi adaptation Tanaav, drop recently. Do they ever plan to create something for Indian audiences? “We haven’t seen enough Indian content, but we want to. Being in the country and understanding how big the market and potential is, is making us hungry,” Raz says, recalling how as a kid, he would watch Indian films at home. “I remember the dances and the colours, which were so strong. Some of them really inspired us to tell a story. A part of that is from the films we have seen from India,” he adds.

Whatever other work they do, comparisons with their first show always arise. Do they feel the pressure? “This is our first baby... Of course, when we had Hit & Run, there were comparisons. I know it’s the natural tendency of people. We, as creators, are also looking for something new. We don’t want another Fauda, it’s unique and specific,” Raz signs off.