It takes years to move from paper to screen. For Amol Parashar’s The Bureaucrat, the wait from first hearing the script to going on floors stretched to about two years. “A filmmaker friend, who had read the story, suggested I do the show. He introduced me to Abhishek [Dhandharia, producer], but logistical issues kept delaying it,” shares the actor. Dhandharia reconnected with him six months ago when it was finally greenlit.

The idea of a civil services aspirant-turned-conman was too tempting for Parashar. “Shiddat se likhi hui cheezein, thode kam aate hain,” smiles the actor, adding that the pieces of the story fit well on paper, which got him “excited about the character.”

Aware that there is no dearth of stories centred around the UPSC — Aspirants, now in its third season, and Vikrant Massey’s 12th Fail (2023) — Parashar is confident his show stands apart, as it uses civil services only as a backdrop.

“UPSC [Union Public Service Commission] is a big part of our culture. The Bureaucrat is different from 12th Fail or Aspirants. Although the backdrop is UPSC, the texture, genre, and flow of events is fresh. It’s more of a conman story,” he says, adding that the shoot will wrap up in 20 days.

Amol Parashar confirms he wrapped up ‘Gram Chikitsalay 2’ before starting work on ‘The Bureaucrat’. “We shot in Madhya Pradesh this time. For season one, we shot in Chhattisgarh. We have onboarded a new director.”

“People have this perception that Delhiites are like Chucha (from Fukrey); they are all loud. But Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye is also Delhi, Vicky Donor is also Delhi,” says Naveen Kasturia, while discussing the image and reputation of the city.

Even if critics felt he doesn’t quite look like a typical Delhi guy, he’ll tell you there is no one format for Dilli ka ladka. In conversation with us, Naveen speaks about his hometown, his popular roles, and how he fell in love with Delhi again.

Naveen grew up in Lajpat Nagar and before moving to Bombay 16 years ago. “Main pura Lajpat Nagar Amar Colony ka product hoon. In fact, when Vicky Donor came out, I’d tell people this is my story. He was from Lajpat Nagar, so am I. Usmein mujhe flaw bhi dikhta tha – woh (Ayushmann’s character) Lajpat se metro leta tha, but people from there use the Moolchand metro station.”

Naveen says he’s always told that he doesn’t look like he is from Delhi. He says, “I did a film called Sulemani Keeda in which two characters are trying to make it big in Bollywood. Uske ek review mein likha tha, ‘Arey ye Dilli ke bane hue hain ladke, ye Dilli ke toh lagte nahi.’ Ab main Dilli ka hoon aur Dilli ke ladke ka role kar raha hoon, I’m playing myself in a way!”

He adds, “Mere liye badi inspiring film thi Khosla Ka Ghosla. Usmein Khosla sahab ke jo do ladke hain Bunty (played by Ranveer Shourie) aur Chiraunjilal (Parvin Dabas) dono alag hain. That film represents Delhi, I feel.”

In the last few years, the actor fell in love with Delhi again. He shares, “I think I was shooting for Aspirants, and I’d shoot in central Delhi early in the morning, around 6 am, and I’d find the city very pretty. Main uss waqt wahan jata tha toh mujhe aisi feeling aati thi ki mujhe desh ke liye kuch karna hai. Main roz uss DM ke kirdar mein ghusta tha, waise kapde pehenta tha. At that time I started thinking about doing a job where I could contribute to the country. Maine ek dost se baat ki aur usne kaha, ‘Iss umr mein tu defence mein ja sakta hai kisi tareeqe se, lekin IAS toh ab tu nahi ban sakta.”

Talking about the roles he gets, he says, “Sometimes I’ve been slotted into the role of a common guy trying to achieve something, but I really want to do roles set in different worlds. Only when people see me in diverse roles and settings will they start thinking of me in different parts. That’s why I was so happy when I got Breathe and Mithya. I did a role in the second season of Mithya because I really liked the character and the world in which it is set. It’s a really complex part. We shot most of the scenes in Darjeeling. Mithya ke baad Rajit Kapur mere favourite co-actor ban gaye hain. Jab aap manjhe huye actor ke saath kaam karte hain, toh kai baar aap woh cheezein kar jaate hain jo aapne sochi bhi nahi hoti hain.”

On Saturday, three UPSC aspirants, Shreya Yadav, Tanya Soni and Nevin Dalwin, died by drowning in the flooded basement of a Delhi-based coaching institute. Actor Abhilash Thapliyal, who played a student preparing for the civil services exams in the web show Aspirants, laments the incident, commenting on how no one took the blame for the loss of young lives.

“Teen bachche mare hain, and the sad part is, people are simply politicising it. I feel, laash ka dher dekh ke do hi log fayda utha sakte hain, giddh (vultures) aur neta (politician). All that our system is doing is passing the blame. Before this, a kid passed away due to electrocution. So, who is safe in our country?” the 36-year-old says.

The actor agrees that such an incident highlights the lack of amenities in our country for students. “We should feel ashamed as a system that we weren’t able to provide them (the students) with facilities when they needed them. We celebrate and glorify struggle, and it is quite sad,” he adds.

When TVF rolled out Aspirants in 2021, it was an instant hit with its compelling storyline and exceptional performances. The second season, on Amazon Prime Video, has taken the narrative of IAS and IFS aspirants to new and unexpected heights. For Naveen Kasturia, who plays a district magistrate in the series, it was about exploring a whole new profession that’s often peripherally covered in mainstream media.

“It was fun and an opportunity to explore something new. Our industry is so less research-oriented. We don’t explore beyond the familiar realms of crime, cops, and politics,” says the actor, adding that even when they depict businessmen, they are often portrayed superficially, with limited attention to detail.

Interestingly, Kasturia acknowledges his own limited knowledge of the IAS and IFS fields before taking on the role. “I don’t know much about the UPSC end of things. Before I did this show, I didn’t know about the hierarchy, the terms, or their job profiles. In a way, I got to learn a lot about it through the script,” he says.

However, the thrill for him lay in learning the language and the distinctive way an IAS officer communicates in professional settings, which is at odds with their casual conversations with friends. “I have never used such words in my life. The word dhanaantrit [meaning relocated], which I have used multiple times throughout the series, was something I couldn’t even pronounce in the beginning.”

He emphasises that the role was far from easy, and the preparation involved a significant amount of hard work. Crediting show writer Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Kasturia says, “I ensured that I didn’t improvise the lines. I was so fond of Deepesh’s writing that I used those exact same words. I was worried about delivering my lines when the shoot was starting; since I was so scared, I worked very hard on it. In an interview, I said I wanted to play the owner of a big company or a don with calm energy like Malik Bhai [from Company 2002] and that is what I did.”

Kasturia also humorously credits his parents for their support during rehearsals, acknowledging that their involvement was a far cry from a time when they were hesitant about his move to Mumbai. He shares, “I also have to thank my parents for this because they were the ones I rehearsed the lines with. When they watched the show, they remembered the entire thing I had done.”

Every time Manoj Bajpayee invests in a film that has a social message, he has a singular concern — that a badly made film can render the message pointless. With Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, the actor had no reason to worry as the script surpassed his expectations. When producer Vinod Bhanushali and creative producer Suparn Varma offered him the social drama, based on the 2013 rape case of a 16-year-old by self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, they gave him the liberty to choose a suitable director and writer.

“I happened to see Aspirants by Apoorv Singh Karki and loved it. I mentioned his name in the meeting. Apoorv happily came on board. The way writer Deepak Kingrani and he have written the climax overwhelmed me. It became the most attractive part of the film,” says the actor.

But there was a bigger and more powerful reason for Bajpayee to lead the ZEE5 offering, which sees him step into the shoes of Jodhpur-based lawyer Poonam Chand Solanki, who fought against some of the country’s most powerful attorneys and had Asaram convicted. Being a parent, the actor felt deeply about children’s safety.

“All of us were driven by our concern for the protection of children and minors. We are a heavily populated country, but our children are not as secure. Their safety is a concern shared by me, Apoorv and every parent. If the children aren’t safe, our future is not safe. If a child’s privacy and dignity are invaded, it means so many other children’s dignity is crushed too,” he emphasises.

Even as Bandaa chronicles the events that led to Asaram’s conviction in 2018, Bajpayee is aware that people’s faith in the country has oddly become intertwined with worshipping godmen. In such a scenario, is it risky to tell a story that shows the evil in men, who are fiercely protected by people’s blind faith?

The actor weighs in, “I am a believer. My day starts with a prayer. But at the same time, I have a few concerns as a believer. It’s the believer’s responsibility to keep the bad element out [of his faith]. By [making the film], we are also protecting the belief.”

At a time when binge-watching shows has become the norm on streaming platforms, some players have been experimenting with the linear release format and opting for weekly episodes. This trend seems to be growing, especially since last year.

The popular Spanish series Money Heist is the latest to join the trend and release the final season in two volumes. Several web shows like Out Of Love season 2, Aspirants, WandaVision, and The Mandalorian also kept audiences on tenterhooks with weekly drops.

Talking about why this trend is growing, the spokesperson of Disney+ Hotstar explains, “While binge-watching has its advocates who prefer a thrilling start-to-finish journey, weekly episodic releases keep the conversations around a show going for longer. It gives viewers a chance to discuss the story and its nuances, share theories and speculate about potential arcs. It becomes a ritual for the fans.” The platform’s latest release, Mare Of Easttown, created a stir with weekly episodes.

The spokesperson adds, “We like using both models as they work well. Our international shows like WandaVision and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and original series Out Of Love (S2) benefited from a weekly drop, whereas others like Special Ops and November Story were binge-watched. We will continue to try new and innovative formats of dropping content.”

According to Vijay Koshy, president and business head, TVF, the success of either of the release models depends on a lot of factors. “Market maturity is a factor, as OTTs in developed markets regularly do weekly releases, like Game Of Thrones and Lupin. Studio name also matters. HBO, Disney, etc. have a cult following and their audience lap their releases either way. And lastly, genre. A thriller/crime content tends to have the binge approach. But in developing markets like ours, it’s critical for platforms to ensure the audience watches the show after sampling the initial episodes, so nine out of 10 opt for binge drop.”

Will the trend gain any momentum? Manish Kalra, chief business officer, ZEE5 India, admits that while they tried the episodic route with their hit Abhay starring Kunal Kemmu, fans kept pushing for all episodes at once. He adds, “Last year, given the pandemic, some shows were released weekly/fortnightly. While this is an interesting trend, it will probably not stay for long. They create intrigue, but might not satiate the consumer’s curiosity.”

Actor Rasika Dugal, who starred in Out Of Love, reveals that weekly episodes made her peers and audiences impatient. She says, “My social media was flooded with comments saying ‘why weekly’, ‘where is the next episode’. But over the weeks, I think, some got used to it. Some friends and fans, however, refused to watch till all five episodes were out.”

Could weekly drops also be a tactic to spread the available content amid the Covid-era OTT boom? Koshy disagrees, “That strategy is unlikely to work on any subscription video on demand platform. Episodic releases in India, at best, work for shows that have a brand partner and YouTube as a platform, like the shows produced by TVF, such as Aspirants and Kota Factory. The two reasons here are the audience buildup and the brand requirement to sustain a long campaign.”