That's the man from LA, responsible for around 20 hours of fresh, quality entertainment, while we've been holed up at homes past few months!
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; June 27, 2020)

James Farrell, sitting in his Los Angeles home, and on a screen before me in Mumbai, is one of India's biggest stars. Except that few in India, even in the movie industry, would've heard of him; let alone met him. And Farrell is not an actor. So, how is he a star in the showbiz sense? Let me explain.

By movie-market definition, a star is someone who green-lights scripts, unlocks the budget potential of a project. And gets a big film on the floors. Why? Because the star, by virtue of a fan-base, or captive audience, ensures that people will give the product a shot, on Day One of its screening. So, some part of the financial risk is covered. What happens thereafter, of course, depends on the word-of-mouth that follows the early/weekend shows.

Match my analogy for a second. And you'll realise that popular streaming giants — like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5, or Disney+ Hotstar — perform precisely the same mainstreaming role for a script as a traditional star. Even more so in the current, Coronavirus scenario, where cinemas/multiplexes as an entertainment window no longer exist — although one hopes that's an extremely temporary situation.

Farrell heads International Originals at Amazon Prime Video. Working out of LA, he's the final green-lighting authority for Amazon's shows in India. Those creative decisions and mainstream movie budgets based on stories, and scripts alone — rather than the cast attached, or interested financiers thereby (or traditional Bollywood, so to say).

Unsure of what he makes of my 'OTT, the new star' analogy. Farrell should be glad that all his Amazon Original series in 2020 have been warmly received by captive audiences on his platform/fan-base.

And the shows couldn't have been more diverse from each other: Four More Shots Please was the Indian 'Sex And The City' womance, upping the ante as a sequel. Panchayat — a warm, coming-of-age drama, set in a village in Uttar Pradesh, without any guns/violence involved — something Bollywood would never touch with a box-office pole. And, Paatal Lok — perhaps the most delightful yet disturbing, deliriously dark, Indian crime-thriller ever!

All these showed up back-to-back, like precious gifts delivered home by Amazon. While India, like most of the world, was under lockdown — desperate for distraction from a 'Groundhog day'! These three shows equal over 15 hours of life. Plus, there was the first season of The Forgotten Army, that dropped earlier this year, raising the bar on scale for an Indian war-drama. In terms of quality, they pit Amazon Prime, arguably, if not convincingly ahead of all its competitors in India.

The fact that they've got it right across genres makes one wonder, seriously, what's the strategy? "Strategy is the same everywhere. India is the best example," says Farrell. "[As a service], we're lucky to be bundled as part of Amazon Prime. We're not a standalone video/music app. We don't have to create a large volume, or hours [of content]. Somebody's going to avail of other benefits on Prime as well. This gives us the time to focus on quality. So long as we can present one great show a month, we're super happy. You don't have that kind of luxury, if you're a broadcaster, or a stand-alone streaming service."

Of course the Indian market with its own multiple languages allows for greater depth, something Farrell says he's exploring, "ramping up teams for Tamil, Telugu [content]." Note that content in Amazon's case essentially means series. Unlike Netflix and others that also roll out a bunch of original films, as against acquired productions alone.

Farrell says, "The reason we haven't produced films in India in a real sense is because we have such good relations with [Bollywood's big production houses] Yash Raj, Excel, T-Series, Dharma and all these folks. We license their films, right after theatrical release. We're happy with that. Producers and theatre owners are happy with that too."

It's a win-win, yes. Just not sure about the relationship between theatre owners and Amazon for the time being. On June 12, the platform released Shoojit Sircar's Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurana starrer Gulabo Sitabo, making it the first hardcore Bollywood film to drop directly on an OTT platform, indicating a commercial coup of sorts. This shook up the cinema/exhibition industry at once, with at least two multiplex chains, PVR and Inox, publicly shooting off angry letters, screaming blue murder.

"Well, COVID is a tough spot [for everyone]. The filmmakers were in a tough spot. And we tried to help out," Farrell reasons. What that move also momentarily upended, again, was the Bollywood star-system. Which is based on box-office figures of films. And OTT platforms principally do not reveal viewership numbers. So how do I know, in a conventional sense, if Gulabo Sitabo was a hit, given that there's been a parallel industry in place, tracking this data for decades?

"Good question. If it's a series, I guess you'll know soon as we announce Season 2," Farrell smiles. "But there are independent tracking systems like Nielsen for the US broadcasting industry. They didn't start the day TV started. Likewise, it will take some time for a system to develop [for OTTs]. There are already research agencies that make estimates of how many viewers we, or Hotstar, have. Can't say if the numbers are accurate. But they aren't that far off."

Farrell is perhaps referring to research-agency Media Planner Asia, recently quoted in Forbes US, that pegged Prime Video paid subscribers to 17 million in India, by year-end. Second to Disney+ Hotstar at 18 million (thanks in part to live sports, and 'catch-up TV'). Netflix India, with a much higher subscription rate, is seen lagging for now, at 5 million.

While green-lit sequels are indeed indicators for surefire popularity of a series, Amazon Prime did, perhaps for the first time, officially announce in May that Four More Shots Please was the most watched Indian show on their platform, thus far, in 2020. Why make the exception?

Farrell admits, "It is not a common thing. But the [central] question nearly nailed on our [office] doors is: Is this good for the customer? Just bragging about certain numbers is not. This was just a good story to tell, and we can help the show. It's always about that."

Also, shows tend to organically grow in scale/budget as a franchise, with subsequent successes. Case in point: Money Heist on Netflix. Case Two? Four More Shots had Goa for its only outdoor location. The sequel travelled to Istanbul and Udaipur. The third one, I'm told, will travel to Europe.

"That's speculation," Aparna Purohit gently interrupts. Purohit heads Indian original content, based in Mumbai. She's been on shadow-mute, throughout this video-conference call with Farrell. Clarifying at another point, when asked why the original author Tarun Tejpal — on whose book (The Story of My Assassins), Paatal Lok was based — wasn't credited at all on-screen, Purohit says, "We've stated our position. The creators were inspired by the book. But the author had no role in the development of story, characters, or production of the show."

Paatal Lok is Farrell's favourite series from the Indian slate. And he's equally excited about Breathe -  Into The Shadows: "People are going to be shocked by the twists and turns on that one." In another rare instance revealing numbers, Farrell points out that of the entire audience of Breathe—the first season, starring R Madhavan—around 40-50 per cent came from outside India. "With the second season coming back (on July 10), with Abhishek (Bachchan), think it'll go even bigger."

Given the platform is the same, and already paid for; and story, location, scale and casting top-notch: Does it matter so much if an established star Bachchan is the lead in a series (Breathe 2)? Or Jitendra Kumar (in Panchayat), or Jaideep Ahlawat (in Paatal Lok)? Akshay Kumar is slated for his OTT debut on Amazon. Their forthcoming show Bandish Bandits stars only new faces in main roles.

Farrell argues, "There are only three pieces of data we look at: One, how many people watched the show? Two, how many people signed up [to the platform] to watch it? Three, how many people finished it [watched it till the end]? Big stars will incentivise more people to click on the show, and/or sign up for the service. But after that, it's really up to the show, or film. Also, they aren't stars for no reason—they're actors, who've got charisma, and are uniquely suited to some roles." And Amazon's video section is doing well enough to afford them. Fair.


A still from Pataal Kok


A still from Four More Shots Please

Amazon Prime content head explains how the OTT giant will have to rejig its slate as Saif Ali Khan's Dilli, Abhishek Bachchan's Breathe 2 are shot but await post-production
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 12, 2020)

From devouring new releases to catching up on old acclaimed shows, homebound citizens, over the past three weeks, have turned to OTT platforms for their daily dose of entertainment. But with the Coronavirus lockdown being extended, the key players rule out the possibility of churning out new shows. While Amazon Prime is winning praise for its latest release Panchayat and readying to launch the second season of Four More Shots Please, Aparna Purohit, content head, Amazon Originals India, tells mid-day that their slate will have to be reworked amid the current scenario.

"We are trying to put out shows as soon as we can. At this point of time, shoots have been stopped. Many of our projects have gone into hiatus. There's nothing we can do except work with our partners and find a way around it," says Purohit, who called off shoots 10 days before other cine bodies called for the shutdown. "It's the safety of people that comes first at a time like this."

Even though many of their eagerly awaited prestige dramas—including Saif Ali Khan's Dilli, Abhishek Bachchan's Breathe 2 and gangster drama Mirzapur 2—have been shot, the post-production work is pending. "Offline edits can happen from home, but for everything else, we require a dubbing studio. Most of these things require multiple people in the same vicinity. We are yet to assess the impact and negotiate how we will meet deadlines. We are in no hurry to put out content. We have Four More Shots Please 2 and Pataal Lok lined up. Mirzapur 2 and other shows will be out at some point this year."

It is evident that superlative content takes centrestage in their storytelling. The platform is using the time to develop robust new ideas. "At this point, we have opened up the kids' content, so they have some respite. We need more content for 16 to 24-year-olds. We need to find more themes that resonate with them. We are also focusing on horror stories and docu-series."

Saiyami Kher on perfecting her kicks and punches for the role of an undercover agent in Special Ops
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; March 11, 2020)

While her training as a runner certainly came handy, Saiyami Kher admits that in order to kick and punch for her role of an undercover agent in Special Ops, she had to undergo intense training in Mixed Martial Arts. Neeraj Pandey's upcoming espionage thriller has heavy action sequences, making it the kind of project that Kher "always wanted to do". "I had to get the action, including the punches and fist fights, on point. There was a special action team employed for it, so, working with them was quite an experience," she says of the show, which was shot in Turkey, among other locales.

Pandey, with films like A Wednesday (2008), Special 26 (2013) and Baby (2015), was on Kher's bucket list of directors to work with. "This was my chance to work with someone known for his action films." The desire to associate with someone versed with the genre is only fitting, given that Kher has taken a while to find her bearings in Bollywood, after the debacle of her debut film, Mirzya (2016).

"It was a big launch-pad, and despite the hype, didn't make money at the box office. The going gets tough when your film does not work. The roles that come your way are either less exciting, or leave you with little to do in the film. It takes time to get back." Special Ops, she hopes, opens more doors for her.

On her plate are two other web offerings, Breathe 2, starring Abhishek Bachchan, and Anurag Kashyap's Choked. "I remember reading an interview of Akshay Kumar, in which he was quoted saying, 'Kaam se kaam milta hai'. That stayed with me," says Kher, who is also shooting for the Telugu film, Wild Dog, starring Nagarjuna. "That is also an action flick, so there will be more chances to showcase stunts."

Kher counts actor Tanve Azmi as her aunt, but doesn't consider herself a star-kid who has been afforded privileges. "I don't bag offers because of [my association with film folk]. I like to do stuff by myself. They will know [of my films] only when the announcement is made. I want to experience success and failure on my own accord. At the same time, they are always there when I need them."

Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; February 25, 2020)

Even as Abhishek Bachchan's fans look forward to the second season of Breathe that marks his digital debut, there has been a development with regard to the crime thriller. Buzz is that the top brass of Amazon Prime Video have sanctioned three more seasons of the web series.

A source tells mid-day, "In Breathe 2, Amit Sadh will be seen reprising his role of Kabir Sawant as he investigates a new case. The producers want to continue the format in the upcoming seasons, where Amit's cop character will be seen solving new cases, and a new star will be roped in for each instalment. It is heard that the head honchos of the streaming platform have given the go-ahead to the narrative style. Now, the creative team is hard at work, developing the material for the upcoming editions." The first season that dropped in 2018 featured R Madhavan alongside Sadh.

mid-day reached out to Amazon Prime and Sadh, who remained unavailable for comment.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 31, 2019)

“Digital shows have a massive reach globally which is why I love them,” says Sapna Pabbi, who has appeared in digital series such as Breathe, Four More Shots Please, and The Trip, among others. “I am really grateful for the opportunities I have been blessed with in my career so far. I came to Mumbai without a plan and it’s been seven years and I’m still enjoying the projects I get to be a part of. I think, it’s the best time to be an artiste, thanks to the web. It has opened so many doors for me. Though, I believe that it is the content that matters over the platform, overall,” she says.

After her last web show, Bombers, Sapna wrapped a cameo for a movie, which was recently shot in London, UK, and earlier shot for a short film with Aparshakti Khurana. “Apar is such a natural entertainer. We had a lot of fun on the shoot. He is so talented. He kept us up through the night shoots with his acoustic sing-alongs,” says Sapna, who is also excited that her film Drive co-starring Sushant Singh Rajput finally releasing on an OTT platform tomorrow.

Ask the actor if she has been typecast in the industry and Sapna says, “I really haven’t thought about that. But I do get that ‘series girl’ often, and, of course, the Khamoshiyan (2015) actor stuck for a bit. The songs of the film are still very popular. Personally, I feel all labels are temporary assumptions, so I try not to take them seriously. I make the choice whether they stick or not. Working on the web show, The Trip, changed things for me. I went for content that I enjoyed and believed in rather than thinking about the platform. And I’ve continued to work by that motto ever since,” she signs off.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 17, 2019)

As the distraught father of four children in the digital film, Barot House, Amit Sadh has been winning rave reviews. The ZEE5 original is a suspense drama about a family that’s caught in a series of murders. The actor likens the viewers’ response to what he received for his first web outing, Breathe. “To be honest, I didn’t know it’s making such an impact — the calls, the messages and reviews that I am getting are similar to what I got for Breathe. I am a little numb. I am happy as an actor that it is unanimously accepted by everyone. This doesn’t happen often. It happened with Kai Po Che! (2013) and Sultan (2016). It’s like a rainbow, which doesn’t come every time and I am enjoying it,” he smiles. The Gold actor tells us how he prepped for the role, his upcoming projects and why after Super 30 he hasn’t signed any film yet.

Both, in Breathe and Barot House, you have played complex characters. Why are you drawn to such roles?
I am a huge fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey. When you are starting your career, you are pushed to do so many different things. But now, I think I have found a corner, a groove of what kind of stories I want to be part of and what type of characters I want to play. I have a soft corner for damaged people or those who are not supposedly quintessentially perfect but have the instincts to be protective. Like Kabir Sawant in Breathe was a protector, even in Barot House, the father is a provider. I want to do real-life characters from real-life situations.

How did you prep for the role?
It was a hell of a ride because I had to dig in a lot. I had to be in the zone for hours, day in and day out so that the consistency of the character and the draft was constant. When you lose someone, you don’t eat properly, don’t sleep and you are grieving. There is a certain method to show that — how you do it is up to you — don’t drink water, food, or torture yourself by remembering your bad past. I wanted people to feel my pain. We all have untapped or locked emotions. I had to stretch them and dig into things that I have healed from. It’s a taxing process, but when you finish it, you feel light. There is a psychological cleansing. Now, when people see it and give their interpretation, it brings a smile to your face.

You are part of the web series, India Strikes Back, but there’s a film on the subject. How will your show be different?
I am a huge fan of that film (Uri: The Surgical Strike), too. It’s a great movie. But that is a movie format and this is a web series. You will get to see more details here. It’s an intriguing subject, so, I am sure people will be interested in watching all the details which are difficult to show in a film. We have about 10 episodes — you’ll get to see how special forces function, the democracy, the decision making when you are at war, etc.  We have really worked hard — I literally hurt and bent my back with 40-kg armour, shooting the entire day. After this series, my respect for the services and people in uniform has doubled.

You have worked with Abhishek Bachchan in the second season of Breathe. How was the experience?
It was great fun working with him. I always call him big bro. I have looked up to him in films like Guru and Yuva. Those were actually my learning curves before I even entered movies. I feel privileged and happy that he has brought new energy to Breathe. He is a talented actor and his fans will love him for what he has done in it.

Have you signed any films after Super 30?
Honestly, I don’t have any film right now. I am gearing up for India Strikes Back followed by Breathe 2. Let’s see, after watching all these if the producers and directors will think of giving me something special. This time I am going to wait, and not sign anything. I have done enough guest appearances; I want my fans to watch me in a full-fledged role in a film.

Do you feel you haven’t got your due in movies?
I don’t think like that. I have movies like Kai Po Che, Sultan and Gold. Everyone has their own interpretation about what is due to them, but yes, my fans keep messaging me on social media saying I am an underdog, or that I haven’t got my due. I came with Rs 200-300 in my pocket to Mumbai and aaj Hindustan mujhe janta hai. But, I do feel why I am not getting the parts that I want and somewhere I am grateful to the digital platform which has given me a new ray of hope. I am proud of my work here and I will continue to be on it. However, I am an actor and I want to do movies. The way I go to watch The Rock in Fast And Furious, I want people to come and watch me. I had three scenes in Super 30, but I got a good response. Still, as of now, I am not going to do guest appearances. I am waiting for that right film.

Commuters affected as makers of Abhishek Bachchan's web show Breathe 2 set up capital's market at Versova
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 8, 2019)

What would you do if you went to bed at your Mumbai pad at night only to wake up in Delhi the next morning? Residents of Versova's Panch Marg found themselves in a similar plight after their street transformed into the capital's Deen Dayal market yesterday, complete with a signboard that defined their new address. Delhi's ubiquitous yellow and green autos zipped around the street that was lined with golgappa, chaat and momo stalls that punctuated a busy sabzi mandi. A poster of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit too found a spot here.

As the eyes of passers-by raced to comprehend this development, Abhishek Bachchan's familiar face caught their attention. the actor, in character to play his part in Amazon Prime's Breathe 2, moved around freely on this newly created set. But even as regular city folk were only happy to catch a glimpse of Bachchan, he invited the wrath of commuters. As though the dotted street with its make-believe stalls was not enough for them to navigate, Bachchan managed to bring the traffic to a standstill each time he moved from stall to stall, seemingly inquiring about someone's whereabouts as the cameras rolled before him.

At the time that this reporter captured the goings-on, there were no cops in sight, with the crew's security folk running the show, seemingly instructing onlookers on navigating the chaos. While some fans waited patiently to take selfies with Bachchan, the actor was busy, braving the blazing noon sun as his makeup team rushed to his aid, every now and then.

But why re-create this small part of Old Delhi in a bustling city lane? mid-day reached out to the makers of the show, but they did not respond till the time of going to press.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; December 16, 2018)

After impressing critics and audiences alike with his performance in Manmarziyaan, Abhishek Bachchan will foray into the digital arena with Amazon Prime Video’s original Breathe 2. While the first season featured R Madhavan essaying the primary role, the second season will have AB Jr taking up the top spot. The actor discusses the idea behind his move and what makes it special.

‘A PERFECT FOLLOW-UP’
Ask Abhishek what prompted him to take up Breathe 2 and he says, “The story and vision of the director and the entire team excited me. I had also immensely enjoyed watching season 1 and felt this was a perfect follow-up.” But prod him on what his role would be and he hesitates, “Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to discuss that.”

Though over the last two years several actors like Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rajkummar Rao and Vivek Oberoi have jumped on to the digital bandwagon, there still aren’t too many leading men who are open to the idea. AB has a simple message for them. “They are sadly mistaken,” he rues.

‘COMPARISONS DON’T BOTHER ME’
The first part of the thriller, which also featured Amit Sadh along with Madhavan, got rave reviews. Now, for the second part, the makers have got Saiyami Kher opposite the Housefull 3 actor. Quiz him how he plans to handle the comparisons between both the seasons and he replies, “The first part was brilliant. I’m sure everyone will already start making comparisons. Nonetheless, it doesn’t bother me. I have to do my job to the best of my ability.”

‘PLATFORM DOESN’T MATTER’
Today, more and more filmmakers are telling varied stories on the web. With so many of them working well, in terms of numbers and viewership, the Indian audience has taken to the digital renaissance rather well. AB asserts, “I feel they always have (given that respect to these shows). Viewers like to watch anything that is engaging, regardless of the platform. It’s an exciting space to be involved with as it has cutting-edge storytelling.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 22, 2018)

Amid reports that Abhishek Bachchan is set to make his digital debut with the second season of Breathe, mid-day has learnt that the makers have zeroed in on the leading lady for the Amazon Prime thriller. Saiyami Kher, who made her Bollywood debut with Mirzya (2016), has been brought on board for the series, that saw R Madhavan and Amit Sadh in its first edition.

A source reveals, “The second season will not be a continuation of the first. For the lead actress, the creative team at Abundantia wanted a young girl who hasn’t been over-exposed. When the makers reached out to Saiyami, she was happy to audition. She came on board last week; the contract is expected to be signed soon.”

Director Mayank Sharma will helm the second instalment as well. The series is expected to go on floors next month.

Rinky Kumar (DNA; February 5, 2018)

With his boy-next-door looks, toothy grin and candid demeanour, it’s hard to imagine Amit Sadh as an alcoholic cop who is battling his own demons. But the actor has managed to infuse life in his role of Kabir Sawant in Amazon Prime Video’s new show Breathe. The 34-year-old’s performance as an inspector, who is caught between grappling with the accidental death of his daughter and solving a series of murders, has been appreciated.

It has been a long and arduous journey for the actor, who started off from television with shows such as Kyun Hota Hai Pyarr (2002-2004), Bigg Boss (2006), Guns & Roses (2005) and transitioned into cinema. Though he shot into the limelight with Kai Po Che (2013) and was seen in one of the biggest hits of Hindi cinema, Sultan (2016), his other films such as Guddu Rangeela, Akira, Running Shaadi and Sarkar 3 failed to make an impact at the box office. 

Ask the actor if Breathe has been a redemption of sorts and he jokes, “Der aaye durust aaye, main toh apna bag pack karke gaon wapas jaanewala tha.” In a freewheeling chat, Amit talks about venturing into the digital space, his film choices, and how he has bounced back from failures.

How tough was it for you to play a scarred man in Breathe?
This has been one of my most difficult roles till date. Kabir is a protector, a saviour but ends up losing his daughter when she is playing with his revolver and gets killed accidentally. This guilt haunts him consistently. He lives in darkness but he’s not a dark guy. And that’s what makes him endearing and compels you to root for him.

I too have had a challenging past. So, I understood his pain. While filming the series, I didn’t socialise for almost three months. Before the shoot, I didn’t sleep for days together, so that my eyes looked red and swollen. When we were shooting, I felt Kabir’s pain every day.

What prompted you to take up this role? The fact that you would play such a complex character or you were getting an opportunity to foray into the digital space?
I react to stories and Kabir’s story is powerful. Today, we have more compassion and empathy for people who are damaged. Ten years ago, if anyone would commit a mistake, we would discard that person so he/she would be apprehensive about coming out into the open with their true emotions. Having said that, when I learnt that the series would be presented in over 200 countries and people would watch an Indian story, I was blown away. And that is the power of the digital platform. When you are watching a show on a streaming channel, the effect is immediate. It affects your psyche and the relationship that you share with a character on screen is much deeper and intense.

Kai Po Che had won such great reviews but somehow it didn’t materialise into lucrative roles for you later on...
Everyone had liked my acting in the film but no one was upfront about it. I was upset at that time. Also, I realised that in this industry, there are people who have already made up their minds that they will endorse you. There have been instances when they have told me that they’ve liked my performance but haven’t tweeted or endorsed me on social media. Behind my back, they would say, ‘Amit is a theek-thaak actor but not hero material.’ Now, these things no longer affect me. My funda is, ‘If you don’t like me, I don’t have to hate you.’ I don’t want anyone’s endorsement. If the public likes my work, they will support me. I have immense confidence in myself. I consider myself lucky that I have had a slow journey and there have been ups and downs in it.

You must have had high expectations from Sarkar 3, as you had an important role in it and were sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan. How difficult was it for you to come to terms with the fact that it didn’t do well at the BO?
It all depends on how you perceive things. For me, it was an honour to get to do a film with Mr Bachchan, stand in the same frame as him and play his grandson on screen. Today, when I meet him, he recognizes me. What more can I ask for?

After featuring in multi-hero projects like Kai Po Che and Guddu Rangeela, Running Shaadi had you in a solo lead. Did its dismal box office performance upset you?
If it would have fared well at the box office, then you would have called me ‘a hero’. Unfortunately in Bollywood, if your film is a flop, your acting is considered flop too. I don’t think my performance was bad in it. Also, the movie was stuck for four years. It was shot in 2013 and was slated to release on April 14, but it finally opened in cinemas in 2017. By then, the audience was already exposed to a diverse content on various platforms. Moreover, it wasn’t promoted too well before it finally hit the marquee. But you know what? I don’t want to make any excuses.

How do you deal with failure?
Mr Bachchan often recites a line by his father Harivanshrai Bachchan which is, ‘Mann ka ho toh accha…na ho toh zyaada achcha.’ I follow this saying to the T. When a film doesn’t do too well at the box office, I just get up the next day and work harder. I know that as a human being, all of us will get our due. Pondering about your past isn’t going to take you anywhere. It will only make you less fruitful towards what you have in your hands currently.

What is your take on nepotism? Do you feel star kids have it much easier as compared to others who have to make a mark on their own? 
Whether it’s Bollywood or politics, nepotism is rampant in India. Now, there should be fair trade. People who are talented should get their work and due. And it’s happening gradually. The proof lies in the fact that I’m doing such an important role in Gold. I auditioned for it and got it. Unfortunately, I can’t talk much about the part right now. 

Will we see you on television again? You started off your career with it…
I don’t think that kind of content is being made on television right now which I would like to be a part of. Having said that, I don’t look down at television. After all, that’s where I started off from.

You have worked in TV, cinema and digital. They are different yet alike in many ways…
It’s good to be part of different mediums so that you are engaging with different kinds of audience. As an artiste, I’m happy that I have the ability and opportunity to be a part of all these three mediums. Now, I also want to do theatre.

Breathe is an Amazon Prime original series that’s going to be unveiled on January 26. It was a great pleasure to binge-watch its first 4 episodes on the big screen, courtesy the #JioMAMIFilmClub! Breathe is the story of a father whose son is terminally ill and how he decides to move heaven and earth to save his life. The first episode starts with a bang and even the opening credits are brilliant and appealing. No time is wasted in introducing the characters and director Mayank Sharma comes straight to the point. Episode 1 ends on a high note while Episode 2 is even better. The pace sadly drops in Episode 3. But with Episode 4, the narrative picks up again and it ends on an unexpected point, making me eager to know what happens next. R Madhavan packs in a solid performance, different from what he has attempted in Bollywood before. Amit Sadh wins hands down. He plays a very challenging part and doesn’t speak much but his expressions and his nods do most of the talking and that’s great! Sapna Pabbi gives a decent performance and hope to see her character having more meat in the next four episodes. Hrishikesh Joshi (Prakash Kamble) is hilarious and does very well. Shriswara (Dr Aruna Sharma), who left a mark in D Day, does a fine job. Jayashree Venketaramanan (Anita Sahani) has a small role but gets to play one of the most memorable characters. Gyan Prakash (Sudhir Verma) is highly convincing. Neena Kulkarni (Juliet Mascarenhas) is decent while Atharva Vishwakarma (Josh) is sweet. Chetan Chitnis (Rahul Pradhan) is okay. Kali Prasad Mukherjee (Shankar Patil) and Ajit Bhure (Nilesh Mohite) are fine. Alokananda Dasgupta’s music is exhilarating. S. Bharathwaaj's cinematography is neat and also edgy at places. Sumeet Kotian's editing is slick. All in all, the first 4 episodes of Breathe are quite thrilling and here’s hoping the next four episodes are also as entertaining!

My rating - **** out of 5!

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; January 24, 2018)

R Madhavan, who started his acting career on TV before venturing into cinema, is now all set to make his debut on the digital platform with the web series Breathe. “I’ve played a baddie in Tamil films. But this will be my first outing as a dark character in the Hindi space. I don’t want to reveal much about the character except that it will be difficult for the audience to choose sides. You will be driven by conditioning and what is socially correct to decide,” he says mysteriously.

For those who have seen the trailer, it is evident that the 47-year-old plays a distraught father whose son is suffering from a terminal disease and needs an organ transplant. Consequently, people of a particular blood group get killed randomly.

As Madhavan has a son in real life, was it difficult for him also to choose sides? “Yes, because I know my character’s actions may not be morally correct, but what do you do when you are faced with something like that? God forbid anybody who has to make a choice like that, but epics are based on conflicts and this is one,” he reasons.

Ask him what prompted him to try the digital medium and he confesses that he wasn’t keen to embrace it so soon. “I always knew this is another big avenue for entertainment as India and China are two of the largest consumers of smart phones and digital right now. But I was waiting for the right opportunity because everyone who is watching web content is seeing international content as well. If we have to give them something, it has to be as good as if not better than foreign content. When I heard the script, I was impressed. I decided that if I have to take this huge step, it has to be with this series,” he explains.

However, Madhavan found that shooting for the web was tougher than that for cinema, so much so that he would write notes and maintain a diary! “For a film, you only have to prepare for two hours of content. This was 360 minutes that is equivalent to four movies and you are shooting at the same time frame as that of a feature. Hence, it was tough to keep track of the emotional graph, the story and performance. The story is so wide that the growth in the emotion has to be minuscule but apparent. So, I wrote notes in a diary and made sure I picked up (expressions) and dropped them at the right places. It was challenging and exciting,” he says.

The actor has also been in the news for the remake of his Tamil blockbuster Vikram Vedha. Speculations were rife that Shah Rukh Khan would play one of the lead roles — either a cop or a gangster — in the Hindi version. “I don’t know where this news came from. All I can say is that the remake is happening and right now, the dialogues are being written. It is backed by the same man who has produced the Tamil film, in association with somebody else and will be helmed by the director of the original,” he clarifies.

Ask him if he will reprise his role, that of an inspector in the remake, and he says, “It’s a tough call to take. Once I have done a film in another language, then I should look at the reasons for doing it in Hindi. And I’m still trying to justify to myself about how inventive it would be? In any case I don’t even know if they will approach me,” he shrugs. So, who would suit the roles of Vikram and Vedha? “Any of the top stars can play it. It requires a lot of studying of the characters and flair to play Vikram or Vedha. The casting has to be appropriate as it was in Tamil,” he states.

The 3 Idiots actor also has three Hindi movies lined up — a biopic on the controversial rocket scientist S Nambi Narayanan, the space odyssey Chandamama Door Ke and an untitled movie, which will see him as the main antagonist.

In the spotlight for his debut web show —revolving around a father’s plight after his son is faced with a fateful incident — RMadhavan says he’s “exceeded his expectations”
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; January 17, 2018)

Given that you are a father in real life, was it difficult to play this role for reel?
Honestly, when I kicked-off this series, I treated it like another project. But, as we progressed, I realised we were making something big. The director [Mayank Sharma] and I got along like a house on fire. That’s when I started focusing on the role. I have a son, and I began to questions what would happen if I was faced with a similar scenario. That’s when it became difficult as well as interesting, to play the role. I had to make things look real. That unnerved me. Fortunately, I was able to disconnect from the character before returning home. I’d have a drink before getting home so that I could transcend the morbid thought.

What were the challenges you faced?
Keeping a track of your expressions and emotions for such a long schedule was challenging. There are eight episodes, each being 40-minutes long. So, this was like shooting for four films. On the second day, we shot the climax. On the fifth, we canned the first episode. So, keeping the expressions on track was tough.

What do you take back from the project?
I believe this is the best piece of work that I have done in my life. So, I have this drive of further excelling in my next venture. When you exceed your expectations, and have to cross this yardstick, it is frightening.

How does it feel to be part of the web space?
Digital is going to be the next big thing, and I want to be a front-runner in that space. You don’t have to worry about [the project] every Friday night, like you do in films. When I accepted Breathe, I was doing Vikram Vedha [Tamil film]. To my luck, the film turned out better than expected. So, people won’t opine that I have taken up a web show because my films are not doing well.

We believe you and Amit Sadh got along really well...
He came on the set with a reverence for my work, which was frightening. He is the kind of guy I would have liked to be when I was his age. He has exceeded himself.