Barun Sobti, who became a household name with the show Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?, is now enjoying being a part of the OTT space. Talking about the response to his two digital stints, Asur 2 and Kohrra, he says, “It fills me up with joy. Of course, it doesn’t change me as a person. I never waited for any validation. My process of picking up projects still hasn’t changed. Fame is a tricky thing. I deal with it by being in denial. I’m fine without fame. It has never bothered or changed me at all.”

At the age of 17, Barun started working in a telecom company, while secretly hoping to be an actor. He got the opportunity when his school friend Karan Wahi backed out of a TV show. “Karan was offered a show (Shraddha) and he asked for a certain amount. The makers didn’t have the budget, so they asked for a cheaper version of him. He recommended my name. I sent my pictures, and everything worked out,” Barun recalls.

Barun says he didn’t have to face a lot of struggle at the beginning of his career. “I didn’t even give a lot of auditions. The last show that I auditioned for was IPKKND. I didn’t even want to do the show, as I wanted to move to Australia with my wife,” he reminisces. Eventually, the show’s overnight success led to Barun dropping the idea of moving to another country. He adds, “I started making money and we realised that we could have a good life here.”

When Barun started his career, he was panned for his acting and was only called a good-looking guy. “I was not a good actor; I would not blame the people who were saying that,” he admits. With his recent performances, life has come full circle. “Looks are something you are gifted with. However, skill set is what can take credit for,” he says.

Interestingly, not many know that Barun has a no-kissing policy, courtesy of his sweet promise to his wife, Pashmeen Manchanda when they were 15. “The first time I told her that I wanted to be an actor, she jokingly said, ‘Now you will kiss every girl’. That’s when I decided I would not kiss on screen. To date, she tells me how stupid I am! There’s no clause as such, and I am not averse to it. If it makes sense and is essential, I will think about it,” he ends.

Barun Sobti entered the digital world with Tanhaiyan in 2017, when “OTT ka culture India mein nahin tha”. Cut to today, the actor has already had three web releases in the year so far, including the recent web series Kohrra. The 38-year-old, who was a known face on television around 2011 and had two cinematic releases, didn’t take much work until Tanhaiyan to prepare for the anticipated OTT boom.

“I didn’t do much work for some time before 2017. When the digital revolution happened in the US, I consumed a lot of content from the West. It was like a training ground for me, as I was certain that a digital revolution would happen in India too,” says the actor. In a chat with us, he opens up about his journey on the digital medium so far. Excerpts:

I shot for five projects in two years. At one point, I was shooting for three shows simultaneously. So yes, I knew I’d have a flurry of projects coming out one after the other. I also knew that Asur 2, Badtameez Dil and Kohrra would do well.

Asur 2 felt like homecoming because I had already got into the skin of the character in the first season. Whereas, for Badtameez Dil, I did workshops, as the character was quite layered. But the preparation for Kohrra was most extensive. I did a lot of workshops in Punjab to get into the skin of my character [a cop], Amarpal Garundi.

Aisa nahin hai ki OTT projects ko shoot karne ke liye aapko bahut time milta hai. The first scene that you shoot may not be the first scene of the show. So you have to dive in immediately. The great thing about web is that it gives the characters time to be etched out well in terms of writing. As an actor, if you know how the character is shaping up at the very outset, you put your heart into it.

We have just started understanding the value of the long format content. As an actor, you don’t feel the monotony as you get to do five different kinds of projects over two years. Also, the writers get so much time to write. For instance, writer Gunjit Chopra researched for Kohrra in Punjab for so long that whenever I asked him a question about my character, I got such valid answers that I didn’t have to go back to him with more queries.

If a performance is good, it’s impossible for it to go unnoticed. As far as stars exploring the medium is concerned, the way audiences embrace a show plays a huge role. Like in my case, ever since the release of Kohrra, people who usually [just] clicked pictures with me, have started talking to me about the show. I feel this kind of appreciation makes everyone want to explore the medium.

The upside of having a successful series is that the audience can’t wait for the second season. The downside is that the following edition has to match sky-high expectations. Arshad Warsi, who has reprised his role of forensic expert Dhananjay Rajput in Asur 2, admits that the pressure weighed on him through the shoot up to its release earlier this month. The actor believes his character took on more complex shades in the latest season of the mythological thriller, also starring Barun Sobti.

“Dhananjay is edgier, more unpredictable and intense than before. He is right in what he wants to do [catch the serial killer], but wrong in how he goes about doing it. It was not an easy character to play because Dhananjay is diametrically opposite to me. I’m an easy-going guy,” says Warsi.

In his 27-year career, rarely has any role affected the actor as much as this did. Warsi says that Dhananjay was one character he carried back home. “With most projects, you leave your baggage on the set and go home. But with Asur, I was with that darkness from the beginning to the end. It begins to affect you subconsciously.”

So, how did he shake off the character? “I kept telling myself, ‘It was work, it’s over. Now, move on to the next one.’”

While audiences across the country swear by the thriller, it hasn’t earned a fan in Warsi’s wife Maria Goretti. She hasn’t watched either season, he reveals. “She finds it too scary. After a lot of coaxing, she watched the first episode of the first season, but the minute she saw a dead body with its fingers cut, she switched off the TV and refused to watch anymore.”

“I am all about love,” says Ridhi Dogra gleefully, who has added a rom-com to her resume with Amazon miniTV’s Badtameez Dil. But it wasn’t only love in the air as the actor was juggling it with the shoot of the mythological thriller, Asur. While both shows were intense, the actor admits that playing a naïve romantic woman was tougher than playing a forensic officer. So, how did she straddle the two contrasting worlds? Over to Dogra as she talks about romance, roles and more.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

I don’t think love is modern or old, it’s a universal emotion and is always relevant. Love is not so much about the things we do, but it’s about the values that we carry into a relationship. Be it GenZ or millennials or boomers, the key to love is to have the right set of values — integrity, loyalty, trust, friendship and respect. I don’t think swiping left and right [on dating apps] is love. But at the end of the day, everybody is looking for it. We have all become thick-skinned, independent and strong, but I guarantee you everybody is looking for a pair of eyes to connect with.

Why not? Now, I’ve become a little too careful. But [earlier], I’ve made a fool of myself in love. I’ve seen only what I wanted to see. I see the good in people. I was just reading something that Oprah [Winfrey] said: When someone shows you the first time how good they are, why do you not believe them? Why do you have to see it 29 times to believe them? I give people — whether it is friends, colleagues or romantic [partners] — a lot of chances. I keep looking for the good in people.

We started shooting Asur a little before Badtameez Dil, and then there was a bit of an overlap. Barun [Sobti] and I have known each other for a few years. When we went to shoot Badtameez Dil, it was as if a portal had opened up — we were laughing and improvising. When we went back to Asur’s shoot later, we would crack up. But since we are both professional, we could [slip into the roles] in a few minutes. We shot both series in 2021, but a lot of work was held back due to the pandemic. It was a bonus for Asur; the team got time to edit it, and by the time it dropped online, AI became a relevant subject.

Oh, come on! I am an actor, I can never say this was better than that. I’ve always played strong, opinionated women who stand up for something. [During my television years], channels used to take us to tier 2 and 3 towns where I used to meet a lot of women and homemakers. Early on, I had decided that even if I do less work, I want to play characters that stand for something. That is the way I thought when I did Maryada, Asur, or even A Married Woman.

Badtameez Dil had a completely different lens. I have been around for a while, but I have never had a whole show seen through the lens of love. For me, this was more challenging. I have gone out of my way to make Liz [character’s name] look like she had body-image and self-worth issues. These were not said in dialogue, but reflected through the character. I wanted her to look uncomfortable [with herself], but a third person seeing her will find nothing wrong with her. If I am ever to do a rom-com again, I will do it only if I am able to break some norms with it. We have seen enough stories of women going from ugly duckling to a swan, and as soon as she became beautiful, she got the hero. But I didn’t want to do that.

There are no good or bad people, only bad circumstances. This central thought is seamlessly conveyed in the two seasons of Asur. On the surface, the Jio Cinema offering revolves around the cat-and-mouse chase between two forensic experts and a serial killer. But what sets it apart from many others in the genre is that it has Indian mythology at its heart, with the central parts essayed by Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti and Vishesh Bansal inspired by mythological characters.

Creator-showrunner-writer Gaurav Shukla, who has penned the latest season with Abhijeet Khuman, shares that he began writing Asur’s script in 2009 and struggled to find takers for his unique idea. 

“Although everyone liked the concept, no one wanted to make it into a film or series because they [were dissatisfied about] one hero being in jail and the other in captivity.”

It was the need to tell an original story that pushed Shukla to set his story against the backdrop of an investigation of a serial killer. “The idea was to showcase a story rooted in India. That’s how we came up with the idea of having a killer with a mythological bent of mind,” he says.

Creating a thriller with mythology as its foundation was not going to be easy. Shukla says that the initial idea was to base the story on other asurs, but during their extensive research, they chanced upon Kali and Kalki — while the former represents chaos and destruction, Kalki is a symbol of hope and redemption.

“We realised that basing it on Kali would make the series more contemporary. We [could showcase] how Kali would come back in the kalyug to bring [a change in the order in the world]. The idea germinated from the fact that [some people with] strong belief in mythology try to align the Nakshatra [stars] to have a blessed child. That was the starting point.”

Khuman shares that their primary research on Kali and Kalki came from a few ancient texts. “We referred to Kalki Puran, Markandeya Puran, Adhyatma Upanishad, Vishnu Puran, Bhavishya Puran, Ashtavakra Gita, Katha Upanishad, and some portions were taken from Mahabharata and Rigveda as well. We concentrated on the parts where Kali’s genesis is mentioned. [Concepts taken from] the vedas and upanishads are accurate, but we didn’t study every part of it. There are millions of stories in those texts and it would become impossible to conclude it. Our focus was on Kali and Kalki.”

The conflict between the good and evil is a running theme in the series, depicted through Bansal’s character Shubh, who believes he is a reborn as Kali in kalyug and wants to compel Kalki for a duel. More importantly, it also depicts the far-reaching consequences of mental and physical abuse in one’s childhood.

“It is Shubh’s transformation [after years of mental and physical abuse at the hand] of his father that led me to see the concept of Kali and Kalki,” says Shukla. The mythological story of how the gods cheated the demons to gain the nectar of immortality is one of the stories that shape Shubh’s belief system. 

Khuman adds, “He justifies his actions by pointing out that no one [including gods] is devoid of evil thoughts and actions when it comes to their own selfish reasons.”

Shukla interjects to say that Shubh views the world differently. “[His belief] is not stemming from mythology, nor did reading literature influence him. He was so evolved that all that knowledge let him see the world differently. According to him, if all the people in the world are good, why is there still chaos? So, maybe a change in order is necessary. It was his way to create equilibrium in society.”

In contrast to Shubh’s grey character are Warsi’s Dhananjay and Sobti’s Nikhil. Through them, the writers wanted to explore the ideas of karma and destiny. Shukla adds, “We wished to showcase both [thought processes] on karma — results are destined, followed by karma. If someone is failing, can we change it through karma? Or is he failing because he is destined to fail? Personally as a creator and showrunner, I believed in Shubh’s philosophy [not his actions].”

- Kali, who is the Hindu goddess of ultimate power, time, and change, is born of war and wrath, symbolizing the vicious aspects of death and destruction. 

- Kalki is the tenth and final incarnation of the god Vishnu. The deity is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the cycle of existence.

- Karma is a concept of action, deed, and its consequences. In Indian religions, the term refers to a principle of cause and effect, often called the principle of karma, wherein intent and actions of an individual influence his/her future or fate.

Abhijeet Khuman and Gaurav Shukla

You won’t see too much of Barun Sobti on screen, and he likes it that way. After he shot to fame with his television show Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, the actor didn’t go on a signing spree, instead choosing his projects carefully. He is playing by his own rules in digital entertainment too. Sobti reprised his role of Nikhil Nair in the second season of Jio Cinema’s Asur. In conversation with mid-day, he talks about being off the radar, the mythology thriller’s popularity, and his belief in karma.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

Not really. People took notice of me and said, ‘You can act’. But it wasn’t as if I got any phenomenal roles after that. That could also be because I am spoilt for choice, and only pick up roles that I want to do. The only show that I would credit for putting me on the map is Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon. [After Asur], I was in the audience’s mind, but I was not offered mind-blowing roles. At the same time, itna mind-blowing kaam hota bhi nahin hai apne desh mein [laughs]. I am happy with how my career has shaped up, but I don’t know if it has happened because of Asur.

My wife and I watched it in two days straight. It’s so far ahead of the first season. I’d be lying if I said I was not looking at myself critically. If I see a series where I am good and everything else is bad, I will call [it out]. Conversely, if I were to see a show where I have not been good, but everybody else is phenomenal, I’d call that out too. With respect to Asur 2, everything was excellent.

She is an influential person in my life. When she backs what I am thinking, it solidifies my [stance]. She instantly liked [the show] too.

I read the whole script, then I prepare myself according to how I am placed in a [particular scene], and determine my road map. My character Nikhil Nair starts the second season with a lot of guilt. He is also the kind who doesn’t indulge much in vanity. He is focused on saving the world. That is why he sacrifices his daughter [in the previous season]. The show is about a national crisis more than how a family is affected by the [death of a child]. The bathtub sequence was consuming. I have a daughter, so [it helped me understand the nuances of the scene].

Gaurav Shukla is a phenomenal writer. The scale in the first season was much lower; the genius of the writing was that it could accommodate the [low] budget. In the second season, the show became quite big and could go anywhere. So, one could make a lot of mistakes too. Gaurav upgraded [the show] to [tackle] a bigger problem, instead of writing himself into a corner. I am not a big fan of [mythology], but it’s remarkable how Gaurav aligned it all together. Everyone is saying that Asur has done great, but I feel it is underrated.

I believe in time. I was taught in childhood, ‘Neki kar, dariya mein daal.’ That’s where I stand. I think people who believe in karma are the ones who are waiting for good things to happen to them because they did good.

I have three shows coming back-to-back — a romantic comedy called Badtameez Dil on Amazon miniTV, a crime thriller called Kohrra on Netflix, and a coming-of-drama Bawandar.

With a ‘one episode per day’ policy, fans of actor Arshad Warsi’s Asur 2 were eagerly awaiting its second season on June 1. Squashing this plan, pirates leaked the entire season on a few websites and the app Telegram, an infamous hotspot for pirated content.

On June 2, the streaming platform released a statement, which read: “... fans pleaded with the platform to release the balance episodes at one go... now decided to go ‘fan-first’ in its approach and give in to the crazy fandom. The platform will release the balance five episodes at one go today.” After being a major problem for cinemas, piracy has now hit the world of OTT. Trade analyst Atul Mohan says, “25-30 percent of any streaming platform’s monthly revenue is affected by piracy.”

We speak to makers to understand how one deals with the fallout.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta whose latest web show, Scoop, was also a victim of piracy, says, “My insurance agent sent me a screenshot from Scoop, saying ‘Congrats’. It had ‘HD RIP’ written at the bottom. I had to ask him why he was not watching it on the official platform. Piracy is taking away our audience.”

The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2023, entails that the unauthorised recording and exhibition of films in movie theatres is now an offence. The government can block websites where unauthorised copies of films are transmitted. This doesn’t extend to piracy on OTT.

Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Central Board of Film Certification member: “If the content, which is going to be streamed online, is going to be leaked online, then it is very dismal. The responsibility of subscription-based OTT platforms is now paramount. I barely see any films working in theatres. The regulation mechanism for OTT is different. The debate here should not be how to control this, but to check where the leakage happening. This specific case looks like mala fide intentions. It just doesn’t add up.”

In 2022, Disney+ Hotstar filed an FIR with Bengaluru’s cyber cell, against a few digital platforms that streamed its pirated content. According to a Digital TV Research report, in India, the loss of revenue for OTT, due to piracy was speculated to hit $3.08 billion last year.

Asur 2's creator and writer, Gaurav Shukla, says, “It was daylight robbery and quite disheartening. The content is free for consumers, but advertisers are paying for it. No matter how much you watch [the show] on torrents and free sites, success matters when you watch it on the platform. Views determine success, much like tickets for theatres. I was shocked that the print of the pirated copy was almost similar to the master copy. It was that good.”

Oni Sen, director says, “I am not too well-versed with how piracy affects the business, but I assume it will in some way. The show is available for free officially, so it’s baffling why it would be pirated. The season being leaked — that’s also worrying. A lot of us are baffled at how they managed to sneak the episodes out.”

Her daughter is sacrificed in the name of greater good, and Naina Nair is out for revenge. It’s a powerful role for any actor, accepts Anupria Goenka, who plays a cyber specialist and wife to Barun Sobti’s character in the mythological thriller, Asur. The first instalment concluded on a cliffhanger, and it has taken the makers close to three years to follow it up with another edition. The actor shares that her “character has become an integral part of the narrative in the second season”.

“The team, including the makers, actors, and crew, have worked hard to take the series [several] notches higher. The writing is more intense and rich. There is a lot that happens in the course of the narrative,” says Goenka of the Oni Sen-directed series.

The second edition of the thriller, which streamed on Jio Cinema recently, has given Goenka’s character more scope to grow. “Naina has more layers. Her conscience is [clear about] right and wrong. She is willing to let go of things for the greater good,” shares the actor, adding that while there were many ways to portray the role, she didn’t want to make Naina mawkish.

“In a thriller, things have to be [quick]. I didn’t want Naina to be a crybaby or distraught. Being an important part of the investigation, [it was important] that she feel her daughter’s loss without verbally expressing [her grief]. Creating a backstory gives more to work from.”

The Arshad Warsi, Sobti, Amey Wagh, and Ridhi Dogra-starrer marks Goenka’s 10th year in the industry. Up next, she has Milan Luthria’s Sultan Of Delhi, Gubbar, Atul Sabharwal’s Berlin, and the action film, Khilone.

With 'Asur', director Oni Sen gave us a dark psychological thriller, a genre that has yet to be fully tapped in Indian entertainment. Not surprising then that the Arshad Warsi and Barun Sobti thriller was lapped up by the audience. Now, the team has begun filming the second season of the Voot Select series at the Tulip Star hotel in Mumbai.

A source says, “After the first schedule with Arshad, Anupria Goenka and Gaurav Arora is wrapped up by July 17, the unit will move to a set in Kandivali.” The series, backed by Bombay Fables, will then move to Benares, Manali and Delhi.

For Warsi, who won acclaim for his portrayal of CBI officer Dhananjay Singh in his digital debut, the second edition is the litmus test. Describing 'Asur' as “one of the best things that happened to me”, he says, “We are working hard to take the new edition to the next level. There is always a sense of pressure and nervousness when you have a successful first season behind you. But the pressure motivates you to deliver better.”