Before the country was put under lockdown, Shashank Arora was occupied with Dibakar Banerjee's Freedom, which is still underway
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; August 16, 2020)

Often among the cast members who like to loiter around the set to get comfortable with the surroundings, Made In Heaven actor Shashank Arora found himself bound to his vanity van when filming in Delhi, amid the Coronavirus pandemic. "It's scary and has definitely taken a toll on me. I'm sure it will affect all the actors. Shooting is getting tougher, and actors need to work harder," says Arora.

Before the country was put under lockdown, Arora was occupied with Dibakar Banerjee's Freedom, which is still underway. "The Netflix Original features Naseer sir [Naseeruddin Shah], Manisha Koirala, and a wonderful bunch of actors. It will be shot in Mumbai this year. I have to devote five to 10 days to it," says Arora, who collaborated with Banerjee for the second time after they initially worked together in Titli (2015).

"Dibakar was the producer on that project, and he rarely came on set. When I met him for Freedom it felt like a fresh interaction. I love collaborating with him because he is one of the most gentle, and clear-headed directors I have worked with. He knows exactly how to take the story ahead."

Neeraj Kabi returns with the web series Taj Mahal 1989 and renewed interest to create talent as acting coach
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; February 16, 2020)

Known for his acting chops, Ship Of Theseus (2013) and Talvar (2015) actor Neeraj Kabi, features in Netflix's new series, Taj Mahal 1989, which takes on love and relationships in the pre-Internet era. Kabi plays a professor whose marriage is on the rocks. "The Taj is symbolic, it's a monument of love, but the show takes on all its manifestations beyond romantic love. There is this scene in which I am talking about Faiz Ahmad Faiz's poetry. It is a romantic poem but the Urdu poet had written it for the motherland. The show weaves it through four different stories."

Kabi, who will be seen next in Dibakar Banerjee's Netflix film Freedom, says he is part of several projects which people may not know about "as he is not in the business of making people aware of what he is up to." Nor does he believe in having a PR machinery. "A lot of the projects may not have a big commercial release or do the film festival rounds, like Gali Guleiyan (2018), a film I am proud of."

When he is not tied up with his films, Kabi turns acting coach. He also does theatre "as it helps you grow as an actor." He adds, "We need to create performers. Senior actors should evince interest in creating talent by imparting knowledge about the craft. Instead of talking about the weather, they should help the younger lot hone their skills. We [industry] churn out mundane stuff because we lack actors of calibre. First, generate quality then work will happen."

Anil Kapoor in a working still of AK vs AK

As part of its 2020 slate, Netflix announces Anurag Kashyap's thriller, Vikramaditya Motwane's drama starring Anil Kapoor, and an anthology from Karan Johar
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 16, 2020)

A fortnight into 2020 and Netflix is ready to take Indian stories to the world. The streaming giant has called upon Bollywood's brightest and its favourite filmmakers — Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Karan Johar and Dibakar Banerjee — to roll four new films for the year. Kashyap, who has given Netflix India an Emmy-nominated series in Sacred Games, is thrilled to return to the platform for Choked. The film revolves around a bank cashier whose life takes a turn when she finds unlimited money hoarded in her kitchen.

The film features Saiyami Kher and Malayalam actor Rohan Mathew. Kashyap says, "I have found a home in Netflix and with every project, I do with them, I'm able to push my creative boundaries a little more. Choked is a story that will appeal to a varied audience."

Johar brings an anthology of four films, tentatively titled The Other, that showcases the complex nature of relationships while focusing on the third person in the equation. Currently, in production, the Dharmatic venture boasts a powerful cast that includes Shefali Shah, Manav Kaul, Nushrat Bharucha and Fatima Sana Shaikh, among others. "An anthology allows us to bring together diverse creative minds to showcase different facets of the same concept. Each director will bring their unique vision to the table, amalgamating in a piece that many viewers will resonate with," states Johar.

After receiving glowing reviews for his short in Ghost Stories, Banerjee explores another facet with Freedom. The film is set 25 years into the future and traces the history of a family in three stories interwoven with the ideological histories of India. "As a filmmaker, I want to move away from cinematic stereotypes. Working on Lust Stories and Ghost Stories gave me renewed hope about creative expression in India. Freedom is the next step forward," says the director. The cast includes Manisha Koirala, Naseeruddin Shah, Huma Qureshi and Kalki Koechlin, among others.

Rounding off the stellar line-up is Motwane with AK vs AK, which stars Anil Kapoor and Kashyap (as reported in mid-day in the Dec 26 edition). The drama revolves around a brash film director who kidnaps the daughter of a well-known movie star. Motwane says, "Netflix is the perfect platform for the film because of the platform's organic disposition to take creative leaps of faith." Kapoor, who makes his digital debut with the drama, acknowledges that trying his hand at a new medium is "exciting as well as daunting". "Being able to take this leap with Vikram and Anurag promises to be an exceptional experience. I can't wait for these stories to come to life."

Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; January 10, 2015)