With Homeland coming to a close, director Nikkhil Advani discusses why its Indian adaptation POW - Bandi Yuddh Ke is not available on any streaming service
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 23, 2020)

With the multiple Emmy Award-winning drama Homeland winding to a close last month, there has been renewed interest in Nikkhil Advani’s P.O.W.: Bandi Yuddh Ke. It may be recalled that the 2016 offering was based on the popular Israeli series Hatufim, which, in turn, served as the source material for the Claire Danes-starrer.

While the Purab Kohli and Satyadeep Mishra starrer enjoyed a long run on Star Plus and its OTT counterpart Hotstar, it has been missing from the streaming giant's roster for the past three years.

Ask Advani about the show not being available on the Internet, and he says, "Its rights rest with the Israeli media house, Keshet Media Network. Hotstar had struck a deal with them to adapt Hatufim in Hindi, but it was restricted to only one round of airing. Now, Keshet has an India office too, so Hotstar or any other network that is interested in the show can buy the rights from them."

While the series had a 110-episode run on television, Advani had specially made a 40-episode cut for OTT viewers. The director hopes that the political thriller is acquired by a streaming service, giving ardent fans of the genre an opportunity to rediscover the show. "I always envisioned it as a close-ended miniseries. I knew how the story would end when I started working on it. Despite being a TV show, it had the tonality of a web series. Had it released now on a streaming service, the audience's response would have been different."

Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; October 16, 2019)

Capturing ‘the flavour of India’ has been one of the main agendas of most foreign films and TV shows shot in India. However, till around a couple of years back, delays in getting visas for foreign crews, the red tape stretching the permissions process to three-six months sometimes, and hassles in the temporary import of shooting equipment, among other issues, meant very few foreign projects were actually shot here. The India producers of international projects say that whenever the script has an India connect, foreign filmmakers want to shoot in India. However, when shooting here seemed impossible, the makers would either scrap the India portion of the shoot or recreate it in another country.

But now, with an easier permissions process, thanks to the Film Facilitation Office (FFO), and a special visa category for foreign crews filming in India, the number of projects being shot in the country has gone up. From three-four projects in a year, the number has gone up to over 10 projects in 2019 alone till now, including Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which he shot in Mumbai last month.

Currently, five major foreign projects are being shot in different parts of the country. Line producers and India producers of foreign projects tell us what has changed in the permissions process and what more can be done to attract foreign filmmakers to India.


CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S TENET GOT SHOOTING PERMISSIONS IN A WEEK
A foreign filmmaker, on an average, has to get over 31 licences to shoot a film in India. However, in the last four years, the I&B ministry, through FFO, has worked to reduce the time taken to procure permits for foreign crews.

Pravesh Sahni, India producer of films like Slumdog Millionaire, Lion, and Hotel Mumbai, says, “The FFO has smoothened the process for international projects and it has helped more international filmmakers shoot in India. After getting permits to shoot in India, we have to apply to local agencies for shooting at that particular location. The facilitators and infrastructure scenario is improving in India. These days, the permits are being issued faster. In the last couple of years, they’ve brought tremendous change in the filming for international films in India.”

Last month when Christopher Nolan came to shoot his upcoming film Tenet in Mumbai, he got the permission within a week. Dileep Singh Rathore, the India producer of Tenet, says, “I recently completed a seven-day schedule of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet in India, and it was only possible because we got the permissions in time. As someone who has faced a lot of trouble in getting permissions in the past, now, it feels like a red carpet has been rolled out for foreign projects in India. I have four other international projects in the pipeline to shoot in India, but I can’t disclose their names.”

As foreign filmmakers often want to capture aerial scenes, a separate department has been introduced to cater to these requests. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) provides permission for aerial shootings in the country. Dileep Singh Rathore adds, “A few years back, to get permission to shoot a helicopter scene for Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises (which had some scene shot in Jodhpur), I had applied five months in advance, but I never got permission. But for Tenet, we got the permission to use a helicopter very quickly.”


The crew shooting a scene of Garth Davis’ Lion , starring Dev Patel, in India

NO VISA ISSUES FOR FOREIGN CREWS NOW
In 2017, the I&B ministry consulted the MHA and the MEA, and introduced a special visa category for foreign filmmakers.

Alan McAlex, the India producer of two international projects, one being shot in UP and another film scheduled for shoot in Ahmedabad next month, says, “Quick visa clearances for the foreign crews is one of the reasons why more foreign filmmakers are coming to shoot in India. For shooting in India, foreign filmmakers have to get clearance from the I&B Ministry. The ministry officials coordinate with the Indian embassies abroad, and help in getting visa clearances faster.”

For foreign filmmakers, getting the permission to shoot in India used to take five-six months, which has now reduced to three-four weeks.

TEMPORARY IMPORT OF FILMING EQUIPMENT AT CUSTOMS USED TO BE A HUGE PAIN
For foreign filmmakers, the biggest hurdle to shooting in India is customs clearance because they have to import film shooting equipment temporarily. Dileep Singh Rathore says, “For Tenet, we had to bring IMAX cameras and other equipment as filmmaking process abroad is more advanced. When foreign filmmakers bring equipment to India they have to spend a lot of time in getting customs clearance. While this time the process was very smooth, the temporary import of filming equipment has been a big problem area for us.”

‘ASI, DGCA, RAILWAYS CAN FURTHER IMPROVE PERMISSION PROCESS’
When we asked India producers of foreign projects about the departments where the permissions process can be improved, the most common reply was the airports, the ASI and the railways. Pravesh, who has also worked on Homeland, and is currently working on two international shows, says, “We have been discussing the timelines of shoots with the ASI. The official time is from 6 am, but to capture the sunrise at 6 am, the crew needs to set up at 4 am. Similarly, for airport shoots, the permissions process takes weeks to months. Another problem that we face is that multiple permissions are needed from railways because it is divided into different zones — a centralised system will help filmmakers.”

To shoot at a railway station or on the railway tracks, permission is needed from the zone the station or the track falls in. For some areas, permission is needed from two zones which doubles the fee. During the shooting of Lion at Khandwa, the producers had to get permission from two zones. A security clearance from the Railway Board in Delhi is also needed.

Talking about incentives, Pravesh Sahni says, “Countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Sri Lanka offer incentives, but we don’t have as many incentives in India. I have been discussing it with the I&B officials that if a filmmaker is spending over Rs 2 million in India, he/she should be offered some incentive to shoot here.” The production houses say that incentives also help in attracting a number of independent foreign filmmakers who submit their work to film festivals, and it can position India better on the map of shooting locations.

IS INDIA A DESTINATION FOR FOREIGN FILMMAKERS?
Alan McAlex says, “We can definitely say that more foreign filmmakers are interested in filming in India, but India is still not a shooting destination. One of the reasons is that international filmmakers won’t get extras here. They can easily go to East Europe and replicate New York there, and they will get a crowd of 2000 extras, but if they want to do it in India, they’ll have to bring those extras along with them.”
--------------------

MAKING SHOOTING IN INDIA AN EASIER PROCESS FOR INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKERS

Myriad clearances would often scare, confuse, or simply tire out international filmmakers looking to work in India. To remove the red tape involved in obtaining filming permits in India, the Film Facilitation Office (FFO), operated by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), which is the single window clearance system for international film shoots in India, subsequently went online. In 2017, at the Cannes Film Festival, India specially focused on promoting film tourism and encouraging international studios to shoot in the country.
--------------------

PREVIOUS PROJECTS WHICH EARNED INDIA A BAD REPUTATION

In 2012, the Ministry of Railways did not give permission to shoot an action sequence on top of a moving train for the James Bond movie, Skyfall, because they felt that India would be shown in a poor light. The 2018 release, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, the sixth in the series, which opens with a scene in Kashmir and ends with it too, didn’t get the required permissions to shoot in the valley. So director Christopher McQuarrie created Kashmir in New Zealand. He was quoted as saying, “It was a pretty crazy sequence. People were very nervous about us coming there and doing that. So while we were shooting in New Zealand, we still had this (feel)... We liked the flavour of India, so (somehow) we managed to put it in (the film).” Line producers tell us that for every film which doesn’t get permission to shoot in India, or its shooting gets disrupted, it stops five other filmmakers from shooting in the country.
--------------------
PERMISSIONS PROCESS SMOOTHER BUT MORE CAN BE DONE, SAY INDIA PRODUCERS OF FOREIGN FILMS

From three-four projects a year to over 10 international projects being shot in India in 2019 alone, an easier permissions process has boosted India’s image as a shooting location. While the Film Facilitation Office is giving shooting permissions faster, a special visa category has been introduced for foreign crews filming here and customs clearance of filmmaking equipment is also a smoother process. From five-six months, the time frame of getting permissions has now reduced to three-four weeks. However, line producers say that the permissions process in departments like the Indian Railways and the ASI, and in airports could be further improved, along with offering incentives to foreign filmmakers.

Deepali Singh (DNA; February 7, 2019)

A couple of days ago, Nimrat Kaur tweeted, ‘Mean never tasted sohhh gooooood. Statutory warning: Strap up. It ain’t for the faint-hearted...’ She was referring to her role in the award-winning American TV show Homeland. The Lunchbox actress had played ISI officer Tasneem Qureshi in the fourth season of the spy thriller in 2014 and now, she is gearing up to reprise her role in its eighth and final instalment.

From her tweet, we gather that she had quite a blast shooting for it the first time around and can’t wait to sink her teeth into it once more. “Oh, yes, I loved it! In fact, I loved it so much that I didn’t even have to think twice before saying yes to coming back,” says the 36-year-old, about playing the antagonist. The other thing that’s got her excited is the fact that it’s being shot in Casablanca, Morocco, this time. “It’s my first visit to Morocco. I know that Spain is just a boat ride away and I’m waiting to explore all those areas!” she laughs. Nimrat will be travelling back and forth to Mumbai for work and other commitments, but before that, she gives us a lowdown on being back on the espionage series...

Being asked to return for the final season of Homeland is a compliment in itself, but what’s the most special compliment you have received for your role till date?
My favourite one always has been that ‘We loved to hate you’. I have never quite got over that because that’s something I have never heard for any other part that I’ve played. People keep saying that Tasneem is so badass and that while she looks angelic, she is actually so devious and devilish. I got a lot of appreciation for playing such a strong girl in a man’s world and taking tough decisions in a place where you would normally not see women in that position of authority.

What’s going on in your mind as the final season unfolds for you?
The journey will be unpredictable. As I go forward, I will understand how the script unfolds and see what they are going to do with the character. I know it’s going to be an emotional journey for the cast and the crew because they have been on it for such a long time. They will put their best foot forward because the world will be watching. Even people who trail off usually come back to watch the last season of something which has been so successful.

You have acted in three series — Homeland, Wayward Pines and The Test Case. Are there more offers coming your way and would you like to explore them?
I’m only looking forward to The Test Case 2. It’s being written as we speak. There are some exciting propositions that are around, but nothing that I want to take on.

What about Bollywood? Your last filmi outing was in 2016 with Airlift...
I know! I want to correct that soon enough. I really want to get on with something exciting. God willing, I will be able to find a nice story and do something fun this year. There were many interesting scripts that came my way, but things didn’t fall into place. I’m really hoping things work out in a more rapid and dynamic way this year.

Excited to kick off Homeland’s final season shoot next month, Nimrat says eighth edition of international show to offer insight into her character
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 16, 2019)

“I had been reading about their final season for months, way before they approached me,” beams nimrat Kaur, ecstatic that she has earned a place again in the eighth season of the popular show, Homeland. The actor, who played Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence officer Tasneem Qureshi in the fourth edition, will reprise the role in the Claire Danes starrer.

She says a chance visit to Los Angeles late last year played an integral role in her bagging the series. “The makers wanted to meet me when they were in the process of scripting the final season. Luckily, I was in Los Angeles at the same time. They wanted my character to return because it did well for them,” she says.

Even though she had limited screen time in the previous outing, Kaur asserts that the show — that has won universal acclaim and multiple awards — opened new avenues for her. “It was the first time I played a negative part. The show helped me foray into the international circuit. I am drawn to quality. Sometimes, one can have many scenes and yet, not make an impact. I am sure the makers will go ahead full throttle this time, given that it is the finale.”

The Airlift actor adds that her character too has evolved in the past four years. “Tasneem is at a different rank in the Pakistani Army. Plus, this time, we will focus on her personal journey as well — it may not necessarily be a romantic angle, but more of where she comes from and who she is as a person.”

Before she faces the camera next month, Kaur is busy brushing up on her knowledge of international affairs to gain a better perspective on the political thriller. “I live in a bubble, so I have a lot of reading up to do. Understanding the socio-political scenario is crucial to absorbing the part.”

In the eight years since its inception, Homeland has been set in different countries, with its narrative moving from Lebanon to Germany to Pakistan across seasons. While the fourth edition saw the makers recreate Islamabad in Cape Town, the latest 12-episode instalment will be shot in Casablanca. Though the makers were considering shooting in India, Kaur adds, “Geographically, the narrative lends itself to Morocco, given that the series will be set in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”


Nimrat Kaur in the fourth season of Homeland

Harshada Rege (DNA; March 21, 2018)

Though Nimrat Kaur has been lauded for her acting prowess, she has had full-fledged roles in just two movies — The Lunchbox (2013) and Airlift (2016) — in Bollywood. She was also part of two international shows — Homeland and Wayward Pines (both in 2015) — and made her digital debut with The Test Case last year. Now, she wants to connect with the audience on the home front on a regular basis.

After Hrs caught up with the actress who spoke about dabbling in different mediums and her future plans. Excerpts from the interview...

You have been part of movies, Hollywood shows and series. What has been the most demanding of the lot?
Doing a web series was the most gruelling experience for me. That was also because in The Test Case, I wasn’t part of a story that was based on various characters. As I was essaying the protagonist, the amount of work that I needed to put in was monumental.

Go on...
It was extremely demanding. Sometimes, we would shoot for almost 15 hours a day and I would barely get any time to rest as I was present in practically every scene. The part required both mental and physical effort. Some days would be a blur. There were times when I couldn’t sleep because I was so wired with all that had happened on the sets. And then there were days when I would return battered and bruised.

You played an army commando in your first web series. You also hail from an army background, so did that help?
That world was familiar to me because I have grown up in an army environment. That’s my natural habitat (laughs). I was raised in cantonments, and have had people in uniforms around me. So, in that sense, there was a huge comfort level. But I had to work hard to understand the character emotionally and physically. She is not like me.

The digital space has created a lot of buzz these days...
I think this a super exciting phase. There’s suddenly so much more that people can lend themselves to – both on and off the camera. They are able to find a voice in a different medium, which does not have to conform to the norms of cinema as a medium. You don’t have to think about what you can or can’t say. You are talking to a global audience. Anyone anywhere will have access to it at any point in time, so in that way, it’s a seductive medium. It’s a great avenue to express themselves on. It’s not the future but the present. Everyone wants to be a part of the digital medium.

It also doesn’t have any censorship. Does that make it more appealing?
It does help when you get to express like a character would in real life and don’t have to think if you can show or say certain things. It brings you as close to reality as possible.

Does it take a lot of effort to get a break in the foreign market?
I was fortunate to be introduced to that market because of The Lunchbox. The makers of Homeland had seen my films and they wanted me for it. Wayward Pines happened as I was a part of Homeland. That’s how the ball gets rolling. I feel it’s great to be associated with a film that people across the world can relate to. That’s a great starting point.

While working in international shows is a great opportunity, it does keep you away from home. Do you feel that every time you come back, you have to work towards making your presence felt or get noticed by filmmakers?
Yes, for sure. For me, it does take time to come back, meet people and let them know that I’m available for work. People often wonder, ‘Oh, do you live in Mumbai or in Los Angeles?” That kind of a gap can be long...even four or five months sometimes. You feel disoriented even mentally. It takes me a little while to come back and get into the groove of things. But once you are here, then it’s just a matter of time before you crack the next project.

Having worked here as well as in Hollywood, do you ever make any comparisons?
Of course, working abroad is different because their culture is different from ours. But as an actor, it’s all been the same for me. I always approach my work from the character’s point of view rather than what medium it is meant for.

There has been a huge debate in Hollywood as well as here about the pay-scale disparity between male and female actors. What’s your take on it?
I have a slightly different take on this. Your remuneration is directly proportional to the number of people who come to watch you in the theatre. If you have a strong audience base, your pay-scale will keep graduating. There are female actresses who get a lot more than their male contemporaries because they are bigger stars. In my career, I know that today I can command more than what I could five years ago. Of course, there is a disparity, I am not denying that, but I also feel that if you, as a star, have the power to bring people to the theatre, then you will be given what you ought to be given, regardless of whether you are a guy or a girl.

You have always received critical acclaim for your work. What’s your motivation when you take up a new role?
I have never worked for critical acclaim, money, or fame. For me, I live my life through the parts that I play. Before you know, a year has passed and you are a year older than when you took up a certain role. I love to be an entertainer and be a part of a story that I would want the audience to see. Those experiences are priceless to me.

A lot of actors are moving away from the one-film-at-a-time format. Do you also feel the need to put out more work?
Yes, I want to work much more now. I want to connect with the audience at a better frequency. I’ve been a little too patient with some projects that I have been a part of, sometimes you just learn your lesson. I’m going to make some corrections on that front as well (smiles).

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; March 18, 2018)

Nimrat Kaur could well be defined in one word: unconventional. Few would know that this Punjabi girl grew up on a heavy dose of commercial entertainers and fancied dancing like Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. Ironically, serious roles like the ones in the American shows Homeland and Wayward Pines and in films like The Lunchbox and Airlift, threw the spotlight on her acting talent. For now, her dancing skills have been brushed under the carpet. Yet, she’s not one to live with a compromise. She’s fierce and outgoing, but in moderation. In conversation with BT, Nimrat speaks about her search for stimulating roles and what feminism and gender equality mean to her. Excerpts:

Airlift was a success, but you didn’t follow it up with a mainstream Hindi film. Why?
After Airlift, I took up Wayward Pines, which was a leap of faith for me. After I shot that, I realised that it takes time to re-plug into the system back here in India. I embrace that because that’s a price you pay for not being on the scene temporarily. Then I took up a project, which we stopped shooting midway because of some unforeseen reasons. Eventually, it took the entire year to complete that. It threw my other work plans off track. I went through a lot of ups and downs and at times, I even slipped into self-doubt, but things are fine now.

Often, being out there on the socializing network translates into better opportunities for work. How often have you been tempted or advised to do so?
Advised? Yes. Tempted? Never! I can’t do it, it exhausts me. It’s important to put yourself out there, but I don’t think everyone who does it has a job and vice versa. It’s like social media… Some celebrities don’t want to be out there because they don’t see the need to sing songs about their private life. Besides, I don’t have much to contribute to gatherings. I don’t drink much and I am a bit of an early bird. I usually don’t know what to do at a party. If you are intoxicated, it’s fine. There are times when I drink water and pretend its vodka… I have tried blending in, but after a point, it’s very confusing. Half the time, I’m thinking at the back of my mind that the person I’m interacting with should not feel that I am hankering for work just because I’m holding a conversation. I don’t want to be misunderstood.

You’ve steered clear of the usual commercial fare. Is unconventional the right word to describe your career choices?
I didn’t come to Mumbai to become a star or a heroine. I don’t think I knew enough to even want that. I did B.Com Honors before coming here. I’ve been through several rounds of auditions. What I know today is because of a lot of research. I learnt how to read scenes and dialogues and what to make of a script while I was at work. For me, being in showbiz is a life-long PhD. I feel like I’m always studying and giving exams, and I choose the ones that interest me more. I don’t have this means-to-an-end kind of mentality. This is my life and I chose to do this because I wanted to do only this and nothing else. I choose stories that stimulate my mind. The show, the razzmatazz is very entertaining and I love it, but it doesn’t define the profession for me. I enjoy it for the people I get to meet, the emotions I experience and the strange mental situations I go through while playing parts. It’s a different sort of a hunt for me. If I don’t take risks, it’ll be a shame. If I don’t do something that lets me be elsewhere, then what’s the purpose of being an actor? When I did Homeland, a lot of people asked me, ‘Why TV?’ They clearly don’t get it. They don’t understand the canvas a project can have. Homeland gave my career an edge. I don’t know if another project here could have done the same. And honestly, in India, your talent is appreciated more once the West recognizes it. Otherwise, it’s ghar ki murgi daal barabar. Look at Irrfan.

For people in India, it’s sometimes difficult to gauge what really happens in the West. There’s limited access to that industry. What’s their current perception of Bollywood?
Bollywood is colours and vibrant songs for them. They think we are a big, Broadway show and I don’t blame them for it because that is a picture we have proudly put out for the world. Music and dance is a part of our film culture, and we celebrate it. I’m proud of it, too. Indian films have their roots in the nautanki format, which I learnt while doing theatre. Lip-synced songs aren’t as common in world cinema as they are in India. At the same time, Hollywood has woken up to the fact that South Asians are a big part of the movie-watching world and the talent pool of their artistes is growing faster than ever. That is one of the reasons why Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan are embraced by the West and are cast in extremely believable characters that don’t necessarily play on their nationality. They have recognized that we are the largest industry, loaded with competent actors. How many of our actors really fit into Hollywood is a different story.

Are Bollywood actors open to the idea of screen-testing in the West, because it’s not a regular practice here?
You don’t get to know when people from here give screen tests for a role in the West, because they are fearful of being judged. Some of them actually see auditions as an act of reducing their stock value in the domestic market. They perceive it as a process meant only for amateurs. With auditioning, they feel they’re relegating their status. We’re not cast in films on the basis of our capability alone. I’m not saying auditions don’t happen here, but casting is more of a decision based on likes, looks, pairing and the math of the business. Given a chance, everyone would like to diversify. I wouldn’t take names, but a lot of our actors do audition for roles in the West. Everyone wants to give it a shot, but they’ll do it only if they know they can swing it and won’t end up making an ass of themselves.

There was a time when a thinking woman was not an entity that a male-dominated industry was ready to accept; that seems to have changed to a large degree.
(Cuts in…) I ask this question to myself all the time. While we have all this talk around feminism, are all the women just so capable and competent, and are they always denied? I have seen incompetent women who want to take advantage of their gender and get credit for things that they haven’t quite done. Women often fail to understand that gender has nothing to do with their voices being heard or credit being given to them. Twinkle Khanna was an actor who became a homemaker, a mother, a writer and is now a movie-maker. If you have the capability and a distinct voice, it will be heard irrespective. Smaller cities that lack basics and don’t allow women their share of freedom are a separate issue. In urban India, if you are capable, you will most likely get your due. I don’t come from a place where I think that I should get importance because I am a woman. I don’t like people being unfair to a man or to a woman because of their gender or the fact that they can’t speak decent English. Prejudice doesn’t come with gender alone, but I guess it’s fashionable to talk about one kind of prejudice.

Often, women do go through a lot of difficulties before their voice gets heard…
It’s always going to be tougher for girls. We are required to look after the home and the kids essentially because that’s the social design we live with. We are here doing that while having a career, which makes it hard to achieve a balance. It’s a challenge we put ourselves through because we are girls. I don’t have any delusions of living in an equal society because the world and the society are imbalanced, especially in India. We come from a different mind-set. Women have to work harder at a job than a man and I accept that, but I also feel that if you are capable, you’ll get there. For instance, someone like Ekta Kapoor stands apart as a force of nature because she is a woman. I don’t know if I would pay as much attention to her if she were a man. I look up to her as an icon because she’s a woman who has toiled against the forces to create a kingdom of her own.

Homeland creator Gideon Raff with POW director Nikkhil Advani on the sets of the desi show

Hindi version made me forget my own show
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 25, 2016)

Tucked in a corner of Kamalistan Studios is the set of India's most expensive television series. Nikkhil Advani's P.O.W.: Bandi Yuddh Ke hasn't aired yet, but has found a fan in the two-time Emmy-award-winning director Gideon Raff, whose Israeli series Hatufim is the original from which both POW and the American series Homeland have been adapted.

Talking to hitlist from the sets of his show's Hindi version, Raff frequently excused himself to go check what is being shot. "I cried my eyes out when I saw the first episode. It is colourful and beautifully told. I drowned in the storytelling, and almost forgot it's my show," he says.

He is immensely proud of Homeland that sparked off a dialogue. "I am very proud of what Homeland has achieved. Discussing P.O.Ws is a taboo and earlier there was deep shame attached to it. Homeland put the spotlight on dialogue, discussion and debate. I hadn't even realized how controversial was the show until it first aired," he says.

Raff adds, "Nikhil's show has passion, much at odds with the TV culture in America, where people work sincerely but rarely invest their heart into the production." He says the emotions that Homeland and Hatufim trigger in the first season are similar, but the former takes on a different route.

"Americans like the word franchise, which practically means that once the story of its prisoner of war, Nicholas Brody, wraps up, the other characters then investigate more cases so that the story goes on and everyone can keep making money (guffaws). The story of Hatufim and even Homeland is essentially about POWs and their families; with the interrogation being a suspenseful through line, which exposes their horrific experiences. The problem with an infinite series and franchises is that if people go on without reinventing as fantastically each time is that the viewers get a sense of depreciating quality."

Raff admits to having met many prisoners of war in his home country. "Discussing the prisoners is a taboo too. The country pays a high price to get them back and release the terrorists who have blood on their hands. These soldiers find enduring captivity easier than returning home. Physical torture isn't as harsh as their loneliness and hopelessness," he emphasizes.

Raff confesses that he was criticized for "exploiting a painful story to make a profit". However he adds, "there'll be people to back the intentions of the maker. My moment of glory was when Stephen King told me this is his favourite show," he signs off.

Sandhya Mridul on love, relationships and her return to television
Neha Maheshwri Bhagat (BOMBAY TIMES; April 28, 2016)

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 18, 2016)

Nimrat Kaur on The Lunchbox's prospects at the BAFTAs, her red carpet encounter with Ethan Hawke and sharing a designer with Michelle Obama
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 5, 2015)

Nimrat Kaur, who has been touring the world, including Zagreb in Croatia, with her debut film, The Lunchbox, is back in Mumbai.

She has just returned from Los Angeles after the Screen Actors Guild Awards and on Friday flies out to London for the BAFTAs.

"I walked the SAG red carpet with Ethan Hawke whose films I've never missed, Can you imagine!" she says excitedly, sounding like a starry-eyed fan. "I told him Great Expectations is my favourite. I also met his sister."

Besides exchanging pleasantries with the Before Sunrise star, she befriended 12 Years A Slave Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o. "But I was too shy to talk to Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Julianne Moore. I used to watch their movies when in school and college. I could have never dreamt then that one day I'd be seated next to them. Notting Hill's Anna was right there besides me and I couldn't work up the courage to say Hi," she admits.

At the pre-awards party, Nimrat wore an outfit designed by Bibhu Mohapatra, who had dressed America's First Lady Michelle Obama during her recent Indian visit. "Quite a coincidence that,"quips Nimrat.

Ask her what she's wearing for the BAFTAs and she informs that she's shortlisted a bunch of designers but the final fittings will happen in London, a day before the ceremony on February 8.

"I am going crazy, I don't enjoy this part of stardom. It stresses me out. I remember in the early 2000s, Aishwarya Rai was torn apart by the so-called fashion gurus for her Cannes wardrobe. I understand that as a public figure, you are constantly under scrutiny. But red carpet fashion shouldn't score over films representing India at the fest," she grouses.

What are the chances of her film winning a BAFTA in the foreign film category? "I am not hopeful of a win since some really good films are also in contention. But just to be a part of the incredible night will be an unforegttable moment. And this time if I see Meryl or Julia, I'll definitely go say Hi!" she laughs.

Nimrat's international turn as ISI agent Tasneem Qureshi in Homeland's fourth season drew much praise. "If they set the show in Pakistan next season, I may return. But shooting for the show is very time-consuming and my return to it will depend on availability of my dates too," she says.

Her second film will be the Akshay Kumar evacuation drama Airlift. Will it be a worthy followup to The Lunchbox? "We'll know next year,"she quips "It's diametrically opposite to The Lunchbox. I just had my first script session with Akshay yesterday."

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 2, 2014)

When Nimrat Kaur, who has won accolades all over the world for her debut film, The Lunchbox, left for London in early June, little did she know that she would land a plum role in the fourth season of Emmy winning American series, Homeland.

"It was my first time in London and I heard that there were auditions going on for Homeland close to where I was staying. I hadn't seen the show but decided to give it a shot anyway," says the actress from Cape Town, South Africa, where the unit is currently filming.

At the audition, she was given a couple of "intense, dramatic" scenes. Nimrat rose to the occasion. "The casting director loved my tape and said that if the producers like it even half as much as she did, I would have to block my dates for the series. Within a week, I got a confirmation," she exults.

Talking about her character, Tasleem Qureshi, Nimrat admits that it has some grey shades. "I play a top ISI agent who is the CIA's enemy. In a way, she could be Carrie's (a CIA officer with a bipolar disorder in the same series) counterpart, but Tasleem is a Pakistani agent," says Nimrat.

She adds enthusiastically that there will be hi-octane action sequences. This will be a departure from the subdued, neglected wife act in the Ritesh Batra debut directorial.

However, the actress is still unclear about whether it is meaty role or a brief appearance. "Its an important part. The writers and director change with every episode, so I know only the details of the current episode. We've just shot the introductory parts. I hope they don't kill me anytime soon!" she laughs.

Nimrat is stunned by the meticulous set-up and is bonding with lead stars, Clare Danes, Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin. "They've seen me in The Lunchbox and have been insisting that I make some delicious Indian food for them," she reveals. "I decided to take them out for lunch at a local Indian restaurant in Cape Town."

Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; May 30, 2014)

If sources are to be believed, actor Ali Fazal might just feature in the upcoming episodes of popular American TV series, Homeland. The actor, who was recently in the news when he bagged a role in The Fast and the Furious 7, has apparently been offered a part in the TV show. What’s more, actress Sapna Pabbi, who played Anil Kapoor’s daughter in the Indian version of the show, 24, may also be a part of Homeland.

Says a source, “Ali Fazal and Sapna Pabbi auditioned for the show, Homeland. Sapna has apparently been offered the role of a medical student while Ali too has been offered a role in the show.”

But the source adds that the two actors are still in talks with the show’s production house. “The auditions are currently on and nothing has been finalised as yet. In any case, both of them have other commitments lined up, so they are still figure out their schedules and confirm anything,” says the source.

Ali Fazal remained unavailable for comment whereas Sapna Pabbi’s spokesperson too remained tightlipped about the news. “It’s too early to say anything right now,” was the spokesperson’s response.