Showing posts with label Sameer Nair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sameer Nair. Show all posts
Ranveer Singh personally convinced Kalyani Priyadarshan to play lead in Pralay
9:35 AM
Sources say Ranveer Singh, who is turning producer with ‘Pralay’, called ‘Lokah’ star Kalyani Priyadarshan to convince her about leading the zombie thriller
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; January 16, 2026)
Stories of Ranveer Singh’s single-minded focus when acting are famous. Expectedly, he is no different in his new role as a producer. mid-day has exclusively learnt that the actor, who is turning producer with Pralay, played a key role in roping in Kalyani Priyadarshan as the female lead of director Jai Mehta’s zombie thriller.
The actor caught everyone’s attention with her superhero turn in the Malayalam blockbuster Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra (2025). It turns out she was in two minds about making her Bollywood debut at this stage, until Singh stepped in.
A source revealed, “Though her father Priyadarshan is well-known in Bollywood, Kalyani doesn’t have much knowledge about the Hindi film industry. The actor, who is on a career high after Lokah’s success, was taking her time to discern whether she should step into Hindi movies and if Pralay would be the best launch vehicle. Since it’s his home production, Ranveer picked up the phone on her and convinced her. After a long chat, she understood that Ranveer and Jai are bringing a novel world with the movie, and excitedly came on board.”
Pralay is envisioned as a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, with Singh and his wife — essayed by Kalyani — fighting for survival. The film, co-produced by Sameer Nair and Hansal Mehta, is expected to roll in April.
The source added, “Kalyani is currently in Mumbai. She is in the process of locking the deal and finalizing her dates with the makers.”
Sandeep Singh slams Scam 2010 team; reveals that Sahara India Pariwar to take legal action
8:31 AM
Revealing that Scam producer had approached him to turn Subrata Roy’s story into series’ third chapter, filmmaker Singh slams team for adapting book on the business tycoon while his biopic is still in the making
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; May 18, 2024)
A young man, who apparently sold salted snacks on his scooter in Gorakhpur, rises to establish a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. But his dramatic rise is soon eclipsed by an equally dramatic downfall. The life of the late Subrata Roy, the Sahara Group founder, was in equal parts fascinating and controversial. No wonder then, it has caught the attention of two filmmakers. While producer Sandeep Singh had announced the business tycoon’s biopic, Saharasri, in 2020, filmmaker Hansal Mehta announced Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga on Thursday. The third edition of Mehta’s successful OTT series is based on Tamal Bandyopadhyay’s book, Sahara: The Untold Story.
The recent announcement has sent Singh into a tizzy. “I was shocked when Hansal and Sameer [Nair, Applause Entertainment, producer] announced Scam 3 based on Saharasri’s life. Regardless of what the world may think or say about Subrata Roy, I hold him in the highest regard as he is the only business tycoon who remained in India to face all allegations and be jailed for them. He had given me the official rights to make his biopic when I had met him at his Lucknow residence in 2019. His was an interesting zero-to-hero story. He also gave his team to work with me; that’s how I met people—from Kapil Dev to Lata Mangeshkar ji, from Akhilesh Yadav to Sachin Tendulkar. I also met his wife and family. He had not only signed the formal agreement that said I possess the legal rights to his story, but also read the script and signed off on it.”
Since the 2010s, Roy was under scrutiny after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) found that his company had failed to repay billions of dollars to investors in bonds. He was subsequently arrested in 2014, and released on bail in 2016. Considering the script was monitored by the late tycoon, will the biopic show his chequered past? “Saharasri had said that I had to show the uncompromising truth.”
He told me not to lie, so, the movie is an honest account,” says Singh. He says he met Nair last November when Scam 3 was at the inception stage. “[It’s sad] when friends do this to each other in spite of knowing that I have the rights. When I met him with my writer Rishi Virmani and co-producer Zafar Mehdi, Sameer told me that he wanted to make the Subrata Roy story as Scam 3. My director and I flatly refused and left, as it is not a scam story. We will make it like a Deewaar [1975] about a man who started with a capital of Rs 2000 and how he built an empire. Now, Sahara India Pariwar plans to take legal action against the Scam 3 makers. [The company] and I will jointly fight against them. They have no right to make anything on him.”
As per its announcement, Scam 3 promises to “reveal the dust-to-diamonds story of the maverick businessman, who was caught in accusations ranging from chit-fund manipulations to fake investors, ultimately leading to his arrest in 2014. With approximately Rs 25,000 crore lying unclaimed with government authorities, the repercussions of the scam continue to reverberate even today.”
mid-day reached out to Mehta, who did not wish to comment. Nair did not respond till press time.
Sahara India Pariwar issued a statement objecting to the making of Scam 3 and questioning the use of the word ‘scam’ in a case that is still pending. An excerpt from the statement read, “The aggrieved members are seeking advice to take suitable legal action against the producer, director and all those involved in making the illegal portrayal.”
It has taken 20 years to shed the Marathi actor label and be cast in meaty roles-Priya Bapat
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Garnering attention for City Of Dreams 3, Priya Bapat calls out Bollywood for bracketing artistes
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 12, 2023)
Does talent alone assure you a successful run in showbiz? Priya Bapat rues that it doesn’t, although it ideally should. The actor is having a busy summer, with the third season of City Of Dreams having dropped on Disney+ Hotstar last month. Next up is Jio Cinema’s con drama Rafuchakkar. While she has become a frequent face in OTT offerings now, Bapat notes that talent is not the only factor determining an actor’s inclusion in a project.
“I feel disappointed because eventually what lasts is talent. If you can’t work on your craft, how long will you stretch yourself? Five projects, maybe? People should have faith in the actor. Everything else is immaterial — be it which region you belong to, or what your first language is,” she states.
The actor, whose filmography includes a mix of Marathi and Hindi offerings, observes that the Hindi entertainment industry is quick to label artistes.
“I was labelled a Marathi actor for the longest time till Nagesh Kukunoor saw merit in my work, Sameer Nair [producer] backed him, and City Of Dreams happened to me. I want people to see my worth as an actor. Language is not even a barrier anymore; it’s merely a tool for expression.”
Shedding the label was challenging, but Bapat had faith in her craft. That filmmaker Sanjay Gupta cast her in Visfot after watching the second season of City of Dreams further boosted her confidence. “He was blown away by my performance. Then came Rafuchakkar in which I play a lawyer from Delhi. I hired a coach and worked on my diction. I have been working since 2003; I did a role in Munna Bhai MBBS. But it has taken 20 years to shed the Marathi-actor label and be cast in meaty roles.”
With Tanaav, We aren’t trying to copy, or be better than Fauda-Sameer Nair
8:07 AM
Stating that idea behind Tanaav was to reach wider audience, maker says show stands tall despite source material Fauda’s popularity
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; November 22, 2022)
In the past few months, producer Sameer Nair has often been asked why he chose to make Tanaav when its source material, the popular Israeli series Fauda, is available to stream in India. His reason is simple — he wanted to take an important story to a wider audience.
“Often, people ask us, ‘What about those who have seen Fauda?’ I tell them, ‘If you don’t want to, don’t watch Tanaav.’ You don’t have to see it, and then make comparisons. That’s not the reason why we made it. In India, only the upper-class audience has watched international shows. Reimagination [allows us] to take it to a wider audience. We aren’t trying to copy, or be better,” begins Nair, whose Applause Entertainment has backed the political thriller starring Manav Vij, Arbaaz Khan, Rajat Kapoor and Ekta Kaul.
The journey of Tanaav began three years ago when Nair’s production house initiated a conversation with Yes Studios that backed Fauda. It was decided that Nair and his team would prepare a presentation about their vision to adapt Lior Riaz and Avi Issacharoff’s story in the Indian setting. While the original explored the Israel-Palestine dispute, the Sony LIV offering focuses on the conflict between state-run Special Task Group (STG) and militants in Kashmir.
“The beauty of formats is that a story can get a new life and identity,” says Sharon Levi, managing director, Yes Studios. She adds that Fauda on Netflix India only serves as a promotional tool for Tanaav rather than competition.
The makers of Tanaav had to not only tell a distinct story, but also address the volatile geo-politics of Kashmir accurately. Nair assures that they have been mindful. “Sudhir [Mishra, director] and I had numerous discussions about this. There’s nothing to be offended about. We have made the show thoughtfully and sensitively,” he states.
Sameer Nair to take ambitious Pratik Gandhi-starrer web series Gandhi on floors by June 2023
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Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; November 7, 2022)
In May, creator Sameer Nair and showrunner-director Hansal Mehta announced Gandhi, which aims to be a definitive series on Mahatma Gandhi. Five months on, work on the first season has picked up pace.
“Writing is underway. Our soft prep begins in December, going on till March, followed by hard prep. The soft prep will include production design, costumes and locations. We are hard at work, and hope to start shooting by June-end,” says Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment.
Retelling the story of the leader at the forefront of India’s freedom fight is no mean feat. Nair and Mehta have found the perfect source material in author-historian Ramachandra Guha’s Gandhi Before India, and Gandhi: The Years That Changed The World, two of the most comprehensive books on Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. While Pratik Gandhi of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) fame leads the multi-season series, casting for other key characters has begun.
Siddhartha Basu serves as the creative and historical consultant. “The team takes his help from time to time. Of course, we will run everything past Mr Guha,” states Nair.
The first edition will reportedly trace Gandhi’s early years, focusing on how his experiences in South Africa impacted his ideology.
In Fauda, the terrain is dry and brown. Kashmir is jannat, so the look was changed in Tanaav-Sameer Nair
8:20 AM
Reimagining Fauda for desi audience, Tanaav creator Nair on how the Israel-Palestine conflict has been adapted in the Indian milieu
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 22, 2022)
Israeli journalist Avi Issacharoff and actor Lior Raz created the popular series, Fauda, based on their experiences in the Israel Defence Forces. Director Sudhir Mishra has adapted the political thriller for the Indian audience with Tanaav, featuring Manav Vij, Rajat Kapoor, Arbaaz Khan, Zarina Wahab, Ekta Kaul and others.
When Sameer Nair’s Applause Entertainment bought the adaptation rights of the series, the primary need was to reimagine the milieu. The team decided to set the political thriller in Kashmir. “The original is a tale about Israel and Palestine, distinctly a story of Jewish-Muslim conflict. When you set it in Kashmir, the tendency is to make it an Indo-Pak story. We decided that we’ll depict a political scenario happening in Kashmir,” says the producer.
Nair asserts that the team steered clear of religious broad-stroking. “Our hero is a Muslim, working for the Indian intelligence agency taking on another Muslim, who works for an independent organisation. Around them are a whole set of people who may be Hindu or Muslim.”
At its heart, the upcoming Sony LIV series is a story about identity. Nair cites an interesting example to establish this. “We have two characters called Malik in the show — one is a Punjabi Malik, the head of an intelligence bureau in India. The other is a man in Pakistan. These nuances were important to establish the idea of how identities are derived from the same nation. Bringing the local Kashmiri culture was pivotal. In Fauda, the terrain is dry and brown. Kashmir is jannat, so the look was [changed].”
He is not worried about comparisons with the original that has become immensely popular around the globe. “The idea is to take the germ of the same story and tell it to a wider and new audience. If someone has watched Fauda, they aren’t my audience. The idea is to bring in our actors and our cinematic syntax.”
(With our Mahatma Gandhi Series), we are designing a story akin to The Crown or The Tudors-Sameer Nair
8:21 AM
Sameer Nair, Ramachandra Guha, and Pratik Gandhi/ Instagram
From pursuing historian Guha for book rights, to exploring the Mahatma’s bond with Jinnah, creator Nair discusses making a definitive biopic with his web series Gandhi
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 16, 2022)
In May, to mark five years of Applause Entertainment, creator Sameer Nair announced Gandhi, the magnum opus based on Mahatma Gandhi’s life. The multi-season series will be based on Indian historian-author Ramachandra Guha’s books, Gandhi Before India and Gandhi — The Years That Changed The World. It’s not surprising when Nair begins the chat by admitting that getting Guha on board was not easy. “I pursued Mr Guha for three years,” he smiles, before recounting,
“I first reached out to him in July 2019. I met him without reading the book in its entirety, and he sent me back. Then I read the whole book, and went back to him. I reached out to him again during the pandemic. [The conversation] went from a straight ‘No’ to ‘Let me see’, to ‘Let’s talk.’”
The series, with Pratik Gandhi of 'Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story' (2020) fame in the titular role, will see Hansal Mehta serve as director-showrunner, and Siddhartha Basu as historical and creative consultant. It’s easy to see that Gandhi is Nair’s passion project. The idea, he says, is to tell an all-encompassing story that sees the parallel growth of a nation and a leader.
“I don’t want to draw parallels because that has its own pitfalls, but we are designing a story akin to 'The Crown' or 'The Tudors'. There has been a single story made on Mahatma Gandhi [in terms of a biopic]. Richard Attenborough’s 'Gandhi' (1982) is a two-and-a-half hour movie about one man. Freedom fighters like B R Ambedkar and Subhas Chandra Bose don’t make memorable appearances in the film. We are attempting something more ambitious. We want to tell the story of Gandhi and the Indian independence struggle with all 150 characters since we have the advantage of time. In 25 hours, we will explore the whole gamut.”
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s story begins as a tale of an angry young man, which will be the focus of the first season. It will go on to trace his learnings in South Africa that impacted his ideology. Nair elaborates, “When he went to South Africa, he realised the on-ground impact of racism. The journey plays out from there — how he comes back to India, gathers forces, and becomes Mahatma. The people he meets for 30 years before independence is what we are telling. People tell me they know the story, but do they really? They don’t know the million stories of the freedom movement. Gandhi’s friendship with Muhammad Ali Jinnah remains untapped. The story of the birth of a nation is at the heart of it. The politics of the story adheres to the book Guha has written. This is not a pro or against story. Mr Guha has questioned a lot through the book. For instance, he wrote that Gandhi went on to be the father of the nation, but could he be a father to his own children? It is a human drama, not a political story.”
A show of such magnitude relies as much on the principal cast as on its writing. “I knew the lead had to be Pratik Gandhi because he already does a play on him [Mohan No Masalo]. A range of new actors will be in the show; we want no one with baggage to come. This show is a multi-season commitment, so we need actors who will subscribe to it.”
The drama will go on floors next year.
Tanaav promises to be a thrilling watch; check out the exciting star cast
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Applause Entertainment reimagines Fauda as Tanaav for a larger Indian and global audience; series to stream on Sony LIV
BOMBAY TIMES (June 14, 2022)
Applause Entertainment, the content studio of the Aditya Birla Group, is all set to reimagine and retell a story of conflict and struggle, with the Indian adaptation of the globally acclaimed Israeli drama series Fauda. Hailed as one of the best Israeli shows, the Indian version of the show, produced by the content studio in association with Applause Productions, is titled Tanaav (which means tension, chaos or stress). The series will be helmed by National Award-winning director Sudhir Mishra and co-directed by Sachin Mamta Krishn.
Set against the idyllic backdrop of Kashmir in the year 2017, the series tells the story of a Special Covert Ops Unit, their bravery and courage. Delving into the human drama behind the ideologies, dealing with complex emotions and flawed characters, all of whom share the same feelings of love, loss, betrayal and revenge, the series is a socio-political action drama with family at its core.
Shot extensively in real locations in Kashmir over 100 days, this fast-paced drama is told over 12 episodes. The cast is an eclectic ensemble of talented actors and performers cast by Mukesh Chhabra. The show features Manav Vij, Sumit Kaul, Rajat Kapoor, Shashank Arora, Arbaaz Khan, Zarina Wahab, Ekta Kaul, Waluscha Dsouza, Danish Hussain, Satyadeep Mishra, Sukhmani Sadana, Sahiba Bali, Amit Gaur, Arslan Goni, Rockey Raina, M K Raina, Sheen Dass and Aryaman Seth, amongst others, in prominent roles.
Created by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz and distributed by yes Studios, Fauda has received praise internationally. While staying true to the original format, its Indian adaptation has been reimagined for a larger Indian and global audience.
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, said, “A global sensation, Fauda was always a story waiting to cross borders and be adapted in a new setting. We find it immensely gratifying to bring an edge-of-the-seat drama of this calibre to Indian audiences, offering a new perspective to the human stories depicting all sides of the conflict. With filmmakers like Sudhir Mishra and Sachin Krishn at the helm, backed by a stellar cast and talented writing, creative and production teams, we are excited to partner with Sony LIV to bring this show to the world. This partnership only strengthens our already strong relationship after successful collaborations on Scam 1992, Avrodh, Undekhi and Your Honor.”
Sudhir Mishra said, “Applause Entertainment discovers some of the best international stories to be reimagined and adapted for the Indian audience. As a filmmaker, Tanaav allowed me to explore a variety of characters and delve deep into their psyche. It is a true Indian story weaved into a tightly-knit action drama that highlights human emotions and the dilemmas they face. I cannot wait for the audience to binge-watch Tanaav, soon to launch on Sony LIV. ”
Pratik Gandhi to star in an epic series to be made on the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi
7:41 AM
Applause Entertainment has acquired the rights to two books on Mahatma Gandhi, authored by historian Ramachandra Guha, for the series
BOMBAY TIMES (May 19, 2022)
Truth, love, non-violence and an iron-willed determination, the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi are timeless and have impacted generations of leaders all over the world. Bringing alive the period of Indian Independence, Applause Entertainment is all set to present a biopic on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Based on the writings of renowned historian and author Ramachandra Guha, a premium, multi-season series will be adapted from his two books — Gandhi Before India and Gandhi — The Years That Changed the World. The series will be produced for a worldwide audience and shot extensively across several Indian and international locations. Pratik Gandhi has been signed to essay the role of Mahatma Gandhi.
From his earliest days to his actions in South Africa to the struggle in India, the series will tell the lesser-known stories of Mahatma Gandhi’s life. It will also tell the stories of his compatriots and contemporaries, the incredible personalities who, along with him, played an integral part in the shaping of what became free and modern India.
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, says, “Ramachandra Guha is a historian and storyteller par excellence, and we are honoured to adapt his classic books — Gandhi Before India and Gandhi — The Years That Changed The World — to screen. We couldn’t think of anyone better than the incredibly talented Pratik Gandhi to bring alive the Mahatma and his philosophies of peace and love that shook the world. We believe that only a richly-layered, multi-season drama series will do real justice to Gandhi and to all the great personalities that embed the proud and illustrious history of India’s freedom struggle. This is a story of the birthing of modern India for a global audience.”
Ramachandra Guha says, “Gandhi’s work transformed the world and his legacy still sparks the most intense debates. His life was an epic journey that played out across three great countries — India, England and South Africa. Along the way, he made many friends and a few enemies too. I am delighted that my books on Gandhi are now being adapted for this ambitious and exciting series being produced by Applause Entertainment.”
Pratik Gandhi shares, “I deeply believe in the Gandhian philosophy and his values that echo simplicity in its purest forms. Personally, too, I strive to achieve and imbibe many of his qualities and teachings. Moreover, playing the role of Mahatma has been very close to my heart ever since my theatre days, and now, it is a huge honour to yet again essay the role of this legendary leader on screen. I believe it’s a huge responsibility to essay this role with dignity, grace and conviction.”
When I joined Excel Entertainment, it was understood that I was on my own path, and my father, on his-Rahul Nair
8:19 AM
As he debuts under Farhan-Zoya’s banners, Eternally Confused... director says he doesn’t pitch ideas to producer-father Sameer Nair
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; March 24, 2022)
Those who have seen Eternally Confused And Eager For Love will agree that director Rahul Nair, who presents the dilemmas of modern dating in the series, has a fresh and relatable style. It is refreshing to see that Rahul — son of content creator and Applause Entertainment’s CEO Sameer Nair — chose to make his directorial debut under Zoya Akhtar’s banner Tiger Baby Films, instead of collaborating with his father. A result of the nepotism debate that has rocked Bollywood over the past few years, perhaps?
Far from that. The debutant director says that he was always determined to carve his own path. Asked if he ever pitched a story or idea to his producer-father, Rahul offers an emphatic “Never”. “I’m never going to show anything to them. My step-mother [Sawari Alagh-Nair] works in the industry, too. But we have always kept work and family separate. When I joined Excel Entertainment as an intern, [it was understood that] I was on my own path, and my father, on his. We discuss our adjacent paths over dinner, but that’s the extent of it,” he says.
Reema Kagti, who serves as one of the producers on the Netflix series, says that it has been satisfying to see Rahul grow from an intern at Farhan Akhtar’s production house to a director. She recounts, “I first met Rahul about six-seven years ago when we had started prepping for Gold [2018]. He helped me with referencing [and research]. He has come a long way since.”
Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Rahul and Sameer Nair
Everyone was called at 9 am on the first day of Rudra's shoot. Ajay Devgn came at 8:30 am-Sameer Nair
7:26 PM
Noting that Indian audience has loved remakes since KBC days, creator Nair says Ajay Devgn’s Rudra has a different context from its original Luther
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 4, 2022)
One would assume that luring Ajay Devgn to invest in a series, when he can wrap up four movies in the same period, was difficult. But producer Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment — which has created Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, the Indian adaptation of popular British series Luther — busts the myth. “Ajay was the only one we approached. He was familiar with Luther’s universe. The character is dark, melancholic and has a smouldering vibe. No one can ace it like him. Ajay agreeing to do any show at all for a streaming platform was a big deal. A lot of credit for Rudra goes to Ajay. Everyone was called at 9 am on the first day of the shoot. He came at 8:30 am, and centred everyone’s energies to focus purely on the show,” says the creator.
The Disney+ Hotstar series, which drops online today, has been reimagined in Mumbai and was shot from July to December last year in live locations. Working with a superstar in a non-studio set-up wasn’t easy. Couple that with the Coronavirus pandemic, and Nair agrees it was an uphill task. “We were to start shooting in October 2020. That shifted to January 2021, then to April 2021. We finally started in July. The waiting periods were spent in enriching the material. We had three dialogue drafts. Jay Bansal [writer] added some cheek to the final draft. We storyboarded thoroughly with Rajesh [Mapuskar, director] and his DoP [director of photography]. It’s an introspective show. There are less moments of flamboyance, but at the same time, it is massy.”
Nair has been the mind behind many adaptations, including Criminal Justice and Hostages. He doesn’t view remakes from the prism of creative bankruptcy. “A large part of Indian audience has not seen Forrest Gump [1998]. For them, Laal Singh Chaddha will be a fresh film,” he argues.
The producer, however, asserts that reimagining the story is key to its success. “We adapt the original plot to a new culture, and reimagination plays a key role in establishing fresh context. In Rudra, we explore how cops and the legal system work in India. I did an adaptation 22 years ago with Kaun Banega Crorepati. The approach has to be: This is a great idea, which can be retold for a different audience.”
The OTT business is really the IPL of content-Sameer Nair
8:25 AM
(Clockwise from top) Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment; Nimisha Pandey, Chief Content Officer, Hindi Originals — Zee5; Madhu Bhojwani, partner, Emmay Entertainment; Pratiksha Rao, Director — films and licensing, India, Netflix; Aparna Purohit, Head, India originals, Amazon Prime Video; Arunabh Kumar, Founder TVF; Mayank Shekhar, Entertainment Editor, mid-day; Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions and Dharmatic
In the OTT head honchos’ huddle, ahead of Hitlist Awards, India’s top content bosses delve on the changing scene
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; February 25, 2022)
Not that you can time this—a day before the Hitlist Awards’ OTT head honchos’ huddle took place over a zoom call, with India’s top content bosses, Netflix founder Reed Hastings dropped a truth bomb elsewhere.
Of all major markets, Reeds reckoned, Netflix was yet to convincingly crack India. Social media handles took off thereafter, throwing up suggestions on what Netflix must do, where it had gone wrong — a swarm of SWOT analyses, if you may.
Sameer Nair (Applause Entertainment) feels this is like offering boxing lessons to Mike Tyson, going through a purple patch: “Netflix are the leaders of how streaming business is done. And India has always been a complicated, hungry, but value-conscious market, that’s also tasted blood during the pandemic. Even cable TV is pathetically cheap at $3 a month here. Everywhere else, it’s $20-30. Satellite TV has 200 million viewers, OTT platforms are at 30-40 million. We talk of ‘cutting the (cable) cord’ — why bother; it’s just there!”
Pratiksha Rao (Netflix India), on the other hand, takes this barrage of unsolicited, social-media advice rather sportingly, terming it a “huge privilege that people think of brand Netflix as passionately. We see ourselves as creative enablers, partners for as diverse stories as we can, to also make them travel globally,” besides offering global (original) content on the platform itself.
To be fair, as per estimates, Netflix holds about 5 per cent of the Indian OTT market; its revenue-share stands close to 30 per cent. There are, currently, about 75 OTT platforms in India. And of the 225 fresh shows streamed in 2021, 170 of them were in Hindi alone. A certain level of segmentation has obviously taken place in an industry that’s at best about five years old.
Nimisha Pandey (Zee5) reveals her platform delivered 40 pieces of original content (series/films) in 2021: “We plan to focus more on quality.”
Aparna Purohit (Amazon Prime Video) agrees her mandate isn’t quantity either. Given that the streaming service is part of an overall shopping mall. “The pressure is to put out something that constantly raises the bar—becomes part of cultural zeitgeist, water-cooler conversations; whether that’s Paatal Lok or Mirzapur. That’s not easy pressure; even as we placed 18 shows and 50 films across languages (in 2021).”
With its own captive subscriber/audience base, the OTT can be deemed as the new star-system for Indian entertainment. They unilaterally green-light scripts—for films, and shows that are shot like cinema. And, in return, receive both immense love and instant criticism for the choices they make.
Speaking of the star-system, which is directly related to theatrical entertainment—whatever happened to Bollywood, as it were, that took a beating from both Hollywood (Spider-Man), and down South (Pushpa, which collected Rs 80 crore among Hindi audiences alone)?
A contention behind this threat to Bollywood being that most of Mumbai’s top, traditional producers have turned into vendors for OTT platforms in the process.
Apoorva Mehta (Dharma Productions, which pretty much equals Bollywood) reasons, “Theatrical is the cornerstone, that’s where the heart lies. The South is filling a gap. Very few Hindi filmmakers, like Rohit Shetty, are great with delivering scale plus entertainment.”
The other unsung aspect of the nascent, theatrical dominance of the South in Hindi markets, as Arunabh Kumar (TVF) points out, is serious upgrade in the quality of Hindi dubbing, subtitling and translation—something that wasn’t adequately appreciated for Allu Arjun’s Pushpa.
Of course television, more so OTT platforms, and Internet access in general, have had a role to play with audiences sampling cinema/content/stardom from all over, other Indian languages included.
As for his own Hindi films, Mehta says he had to make do with the war-tentpole Shershaah (2021) on Amazon Prime Video (APV), because they had held on to it for over a year since the pandemic: “We couldn’t miss out on August 15.” Also, one’s not sure anymore what the response to a mid-range production like Gehraiyaan (also on APV) would be in a theatre: “There’s a skew towards larger than life, experiential entertainment.”
What’s the unlearning, when film studios enter the streaming fray? How are the OTT and film industries different? Bollywood producer Madhu Bhojwani (Emmay Entertainment), who delivered 10 OTT titles in 2021 (including Empire and Mumbai Diaries 26/11) likens the two financial worlds to farming and hunting. Wherein the OTT industry promises a predictable return on an input cost: “There is a cap on how much you can make.”
“The up-side, even once you dilute stakes on the intellectual property of a film,” depends on performance in theatres: “Films are like the races.”
The other changing dynamic between the two industries is again, of course, the star-system itself. Lead actors in Bollywood are notorious for cornering as paycheck a bulk of the film’s budget. Do they matter on OTTs anymore?
TVF’s Kumar says streaming platforms are democratic, in the sense that they don’t grade content on your device, based on who’s in it. The library is near infinite (for a lifetime anyway). Unlike network television, where you can only watch a show at a time; and theatres, that can only play a certain number of films.
Can’t deny the initial buzz, though, that a show/film on an OTT is likely to generate, given a legacy star in it. Rao from Netflix is clear, “The script and the creator’s vision are most important in assessing a project, yes. There is still a commercial value attached to the power of big talents, who have built a filmography and fan base, over years. While they have to deliver that value, they also have to be used the right way, as we’ve done in the US. [Conversely], you can have a [Malayalam super-hero film] Minnal Murali that generates its own fandom. The film didn’t have a big star. But [Tavino Thomas] became a national heartthrob after.”
The equivalent of the box-office, the barometer for cinema stardom, isn’t clicks on OTT platforms, as Pandey from Zee5 points out: “The click is just a vanity metric. Sampling does no good. Once you have clicked—how long you have stuck with the content matters more in the long run.”
And this is why, according to APV’s Purohit, “There is no rush. You don’t have to prove a success of a film or series over a weekend [unlike box-office]. The audience surprises us eventually.”
The reason OTT platforms are seen as parallel to the film industry, rather than television—despite the disproportionate size of screen—is clearly for the budgets involved. And indeed the cross-pollination of talents that have taken place over the past half a decade.
Unlike the US, that moved towards limited edition, quality series back in the late 1990s, Indian network TV continued to appeal to mass markets, chiefly with long-running soap operas, with little incentive to do much else. “This is India’s HBO moment,” Nair from Applause, reckons.
Having been part of all three worlds, how does Nair perceive these industries separately? He says, “There are various ways to describe it. One that I find useful is to take the movie business as playing for the national cricket team—11 players from a billion plus. Fiction on TV is domestic cricket. Those in it hope to make it from thereon. The OTT business is really the IPL of content—involves both domestic and international players, with quality on display; everybody gets their moment under the sun.”
In the food-chain on the Internet, there is in fact another competitive level, below the IPL of content. Which is where TVF’s Kumar progressed from, on a free-for-all YouTube, making spoofs and branded content—starting out with a sketch called Rowdies in 2012, peaking with Kota Factory, the second season of which made it to Netflix.
In 2022, Kumar asserts, “The lot on YouTube from a decade ago are presently subscribers of OTT platforms. That’s the cascading effect. Likewise, there’s a whole new world of 18-year-olds consuming short videos on YouTube now, that we also make content for—being the only collective from the old lot that continues to.”
This content economy is also a creator economy. Everyone is an aspirant, with an idea for a feature, short, or series; displaying talents all-day, online. Many of whom, we figure, might be interested in a conversation with these OTT bosses.
All of whom suggest their inboxes are open for new ideas. Kumar however warns the idea alone is hardly as important as the rigour and effort behind detailing a plan that ought to be 5,000 pages, minimum: “An idea means nothing. I’d value discipline over talent, any day.”
There’s also the ‘bible’, which Zee5’s Pandey defines as an elaborate presentation of sorts that captures the treatment of an idea/story, sometimes visuals included.
Whether it’s a bible or story synopsis, what’s essential, says Rao for Netflix, is “if you’re able get out, what’s in your head. Focus on explaining the story, and its emotions. Instead of saying, this is the ‘best’, or it’s India’s version of xyz!” In case you were searching for a favoured genre to sell, APV’s Purohit makes it public: she is actively on the lookout for young adult fiction.
A safe area, no doubt. Given OTT is no more quite the brave new world it used to be, only until a year back—what with the government putting in place an indisputably draconian censorship law, skewed towards accepting complaints from any viewer of an OTT platform, to be acted upon by a three-tier crime and punishment system.
Bhojwani is part of the government’s second-tier committee, that comprises industry folk and members of civil society—the first is the OTT platform itself; the third tier involves multiple Union ministries.
Bhojwani says, “Since this grievance-redress council was put in place, a lot of complaints have come in. But it’s been okay, working, so far.” So far, being the essential rider. Mehta at Dharma is taking no chances, getting scripts vetted by legal teams, desisting from anything that spells potential trouble.
Although Nair—who recently got away with Danish Sait’s smart political satire, Humble Politician Nograj—reasons, you gotta do, what you gotta do: “Creators both reflect and hold mirror to society—telling stories you’re not meant to; finding ways to. All great art progresses on these fundamentals. A danger bigger than censorship, is self censorship.”
There is a moment of silence at this point from the OTT platform bosses in this huddle. Well. Understandably so.
One pick of 2021
Sameer Nair: Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up special, 23 Hours To Kill (Netflix)
Madhu Bhojwani: Mini-series, Dopesick (Disney+ Hotstar)
Apoorva Mehta: German multi-part series, Dark (Netflix)
Nimisha Pandey: TVF series Aspirants (YouTube)
Arunabh Kumar: English-Japanese thriller film, Kate (Netflix)
Aparna Purohit: Cop investigative series, Mare of Easttown (Disney+ Hotstar)
Pratiksha Rao: The Morning Show, Season 2 (Apple TV)
Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
Log on to www.radiocity.in/hitlistawards to cast your vote.
You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.
Voting lines close on March 18.
Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, Ileana DCruz, Sendhil Ramamurthy to headline a charming dramedy about modern relationships
8:15 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (November 11, 2021)
In what could easily be termed a casting coup, Applause Entertainment and Ellipsis Entertainment are all set to collaborate to bring together a fantastic quartet — Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, Ileana D’Cruz and popular Indian-American actor Sendhil Ramamurthy. The actors will share screen space in an upcoming, yet-untitled romantic comedy-drama, which will be directed by leading ad filmmaker Shirsha Guha Thakurta.
The eclectic cast sees the supremely talented Vidya Balan with Pratik, who tasted overnight stardom with the breakthrough show, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. Ileana and Sendhil also turn up their charm and add to this cracker of a foursome. The film, a progressive, uninhibited take on modern relationships, marks Applause’s foray into the big screen experience. The film, which is their second collaboration with Ellipsis (after the Tahira Kashyap Khurrana-directed Sharmajee Ki Beti), promises to be 2022’s ultimate date movie.
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, says, “The film is a sparkling, sophisticated romance that subverts all notions of love and fidelity in modern times. While alchemy best describes the coming together of this incredible cast, we’re thrilled to collaborate with Shirsha Guha Thakurta, who has an extraordinarily perceptive understanding of human relationships.”
Producers Tanuj Garg, Atul Kasbekar and Swati Iyer, partners at Ellipsis Entertainment, state, “The subject of love remains intriguing and debated. We were keen to tackle relationship fatigue by coming up with something that is dynamic, nuanced, relatable, uplifting and humourous, all in the same breath. This is probably the story of your life or definitely one that you’ve seen one or more of your friends go through. With a formidable cast, script and director, we are truly excited about this multi-starrer.”
Director Shirsha Guha Thakurta says, “When I first heard this story, I was instantly attracted to its universe — honest, funny and so today. The actors have been a dream to work with. Their generosity is something I will always cherish. My producers have been extremely supportive and stood by me like a rock. Yes, I’m nervous, but this journey so far has been truly special.”
The film is currently being shot at locations across Mumbai and Ooty.
Sakshi Tanwar, Divya Dutta, Saiyami Kher in Tahira Kashyap Khurrana’s feature directorial debut, Sharmaji Ki Beti
8:39 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (August 19, 2021)
Post the success of its recent slate of premium drama series, Applause Entertainment is now all set to partner with Ellipsis Entertainment for Tahira Kashyap Khurrana’s feature directorial debut, Sharmaji Ki Beti. The film offers a glimpse into the lives of urban girls and women, all bearing the common surname — Sharma. A slice-of-life film, it showcases a rollercoaster of aspirations, fantasies, inadequacies, coming of age and heartbreak. This relatable, multi-generational, ensemble comedy-drama about the modern, middle-class female experience will be headlined by talents like Sakshi Tanwar, Divya Dutta, and Saiyami Kher.
A successful author, who has directed several shorts, Tahira’s feature debut is creating a lot of buzz. Talking about the film, Sameer Nair, CEO of Applause Entertainment, says, “Sharmaji Ki Beti is a charming, spirited tale that’s been written with an effusive affection for its characters and the worlds they inhabit. Tahira Kashyap Khurrana has emerged as a unique, prominent literary voice and her stories have always resonated with their sharp wit and striking attention to detail. We’re excited to present her feature directorial debut to the world.”
Managing partners Tanuj Garg and Atul Kasbekar from Ellipsis Entertainment say, “As magnets for promising new talent, we are delighted to now launch the incredibly accomplished Tahira Kashyap Khurrana as a feature director. We’re proud of what this special script has turned out to be.”
Writer-director Tahira says, “Sharmaji Ki Beti is like an extension of my personality as it is inspired by various incidents and characters I have met, experienced and observed in real life. It will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s the first feature script I ever wrote. It is an amalgamation of emotions striking the perfect balance, with a happy, relatable, emotional and inspiring narrative.” The shoot of Sharmaji Ki Beti commenced this month in Mumbai and Chandigarh.
Criminal Justice makers team up with Amar Chitra Katha to adapt its stories into animated web series
8:08 AM
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; August 17, 2021)
Those who have grown up during the ’90s will tell you that they swore by stories of Amar Chitra Katha as much as they devoured The Famous Five and Nancy Drew. The indigenous comic book series had a way of simplifying Indian mythology and folk tales, thus familiarising children with stories rooted in Indian culture. Now, Applause Entertainment, the content studio behind acclaimed web series such as Criminal Justice and Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020), is set to offer a retelling of the popular titles of Amar Chitra Katha through an animated web series. The studio has acquired the license to the comic book series’ library of 400-plus titles, including those revolving around Lord Krishna, and Hanuman.
For Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, the latest endeavour is a passion project through which he aims to “export Indian culture”. “I have grown up reading these iconic comics, and as a child, imagined them with dynamic visuals and dramatic action. This is our opportunity to realise that dream,” he says. The content creator hopes to take the deep-rooted cultural brand to screens across the globe.
While the project is in the initial stages, the makers hope to roll out the first animated series by next year. Preeti Vyas, president-CEO, Amar Chitra Katha, says it is imperative for the homegrown publishing giant to evolve with the times while staying true to their ethos. “Our mission has been to provide Indian children a route to their roots. We are confident that the team will do an amazing job adapting our stories, and providing the new generation with a crucial link to our past.”
Fatima Sana Shaikh bags Hindi remake of Tamil hit Aruvi
8:27 AM
Fatima to lead Hindi remake of Tamil hit Aruvi about woman’s journey in male-dominated world
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 5, 2021)
After Karan Johar’s Ajeeb Daastaans, another big-ticket film has landed in Fatima Sana Shaikh’s kitty. The actor has been roped in to play the central character in the Hindi adaptation of the Tamil smash hit, Aruvi (2017). While the original featuring Aditi Balan was helmed by Arun Prabhu Purushothaman, the directorial baton has been handed to Eshwar Nivas aka E Niwas for the remake backed by Applause Entertainment and Viki Rajani’s Faith Films.
The Tamil film, widely praised on its release, reflected on the misogynistic ways of society through the journey of the protagonist who is disowned by her family and tries to build a life anew in Chennai. If the satire shone because of its script, it was also elevated by Balan’s brave performance as a woman whose rage against society finds an unlikely outlet on a reality show. Shaikh admits she is excited and nervous in equal measure as she gears up to shoulder the movie. “I am thrilled to do the Aruvi remake, and am looking forward to diving deep into the character. I am glad that [the two studios] have come together with E Nivas to make this content.”
The production team is zeroing in on the principal cast before the film goes on floors mid-2021. Producer Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, says the movie is another attempt by the studio to bring strong feminine voices to the fore. “Equally funny and ferocious, Aruvi is a feminist social satire that stunned us when we first saw it. We were drawn in by its unconventional narrative, deftly balancing its black comedy leanings with the beats of a taut thriller,” he says.
India’s top web bosses confess how the cloud of COVID had a silver lining that no one could’ve predicted
8:23 AM
Ahead of mid-day & Radio City’s Hitlist OTT awards, India’s top web bosses weigh in how the cloud of COVID had a silver lining that no one could’ve predicted
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; February 6, 2021)
Towards the end of 2019, Saugata Mukherjee, then with Disney+ Hotstar, switched job to head original content for rival, Sony LIV. Except, Sony LIV as a streaming app wasn’t quite Hotstar’s competitor in a real sense.
Because they had yet to develop a single web-only, original show or series. Which is strange, if you consider that Sony LIV is probably India’s first OTT platform - they’ve been around since 2013!
What was Sony LIV playing, up until early 2020? Catch-up TV - basically Sony broadcasting network’s shows downloaded on the app.
And then the pandemic struck. Production came to a halt. There was no new TV episode - only audiences with an insatiable visual appetite, sitting at home, staring at a screen, when not out of the window.
Mukherjee recalls, “Sony LIV re-launched right in the middle of the pandemic [with original web content]. One couldn’t have planned for the frenetic pace at which we had to recalibrate, from technology, business and content development point of view - [lead time on] all of which had to be crunched dramatically.”
Likewise for Ferzad Palia, from Voot, which as an app was also simply an advertising-led digital arm for Viacom as a TV broadcaster: “We’d been meaning to play the subscription game for sometime. We had to bring all the plans forward by about a year. Voot Select is a COVID baby. We launched on March 3, 2020. By March 16, we were working from home. To get tech like that so early in the game? It was chaotic as well, of course.”
But it paid off, as Palia points out, with audience numbers outgrowing estimates they’d made for both Year One and Two; and viewers from beyond top 10 Indian cities willing to pay for online entertainment, even post unlock!
Monika Shergill from Netflix, the nascent OTT industry’s first-mover in India, calls 2020 the year of “intense connection, with an acceleration in adoption [of streaming services]; a whole new set of audiences [coming in].”
The thriller Asur was the flagship show for Voot Select. Like Scam 1992 was for Sony LIV. Both of which have earned nominations at the mid-day and Radio City’s Hitlist OTT Awards that this discussion is a heads up for. Netflix has totally dominated the films and non-fiction nominations. They had 28 Indian original releases last year anyway, besides international productions, making Netflix an entertainment industry of its own! Rather than just a streamer/app.
The best instance of an independent producer inadvertently benefitting from Coronavirus might well be Sameer Nair, from Applause Entertainment, who delivered 11 shows in 2020 alone, across platforms, including the nominated Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors on Disney+ Hotstar.
Hungry eyeballs were all there. Library shelves on OTTs needed constant replenishment. While Nair denies there was a hard-sell on among platforms to pick up shows, rumours suggest the big Bollywood films were indeed up for top dollars, at astronomical rates, over a fierce bidding war, since theatres had shut down!
Shergill clarifies, “There is in fact a lot more juicy speculation around this; very little truth. What really happened is that with most services, there is already a pipeline of films you look at for a post theatrical [premiere]. Barring a couple of [mainstream] titles, most platforms that premiered [Bollywood] films [during pandemic] had already been signed up [from before].”
Which doesn’t take away from the bad blood between the OTT and cinema/theatre industry, as we speak, with the latter accusing top Bollywood producers of leaving the traditional exhibition sector in a lurch. Having sold off their major releases directly to web.
To a point that in a chicken-egg situation, theatre owners argue that, sure, cinemas have re-opened; and people aren’t still coming in. But even if they did, what’s there to watch?
Some of this drought was of course unavoidable. For example the Tamil event pic Soorarai Pottru that Guneet Monga co-produced: “We had a big music launch on a plane in February, 2020. And then with the lockdown and pandemic, we just kept sending out press releases for updates. We didn’t know how long this would continue?”
Nair reasons, “You really can’t fault anyone. Cinema is a heavily cash-flow business. And it’s not like movies will stop getting made. You can fight another day, once you survive.” Shergill is glad that Netflix and other OTTs stepped in to partner with Bollywood at this hour of need.
Rangita Pritish Nandy admits, “Surely there was job-loss in cinema business; even theatres that have shut down may never open again. But for a producer, [investment on a] film is a [financial] ticking bomb, until the [point of] release.”
Nandy should know, having been a film producer for almost a couple of decades. Her nominated show Four More Shots Please 2 was declared the most watched Indian content on Amazon Prime Video during the early part of pandemic.
While much is made of the current fracas between OTTs and cinemas, the impact of the pandemic on the television industry — a more direct competitor, with people’s changed viewing habits — isn’t perhaps highlighted enough. Also given that traditional TV is dependent on advertising, which in turn relies on the health of the economy.
Nair says the ratio between earnings from subscription and advertising had already reached 50:50 ratio by 2020. As for advertising revenue, Palia (Voot Select) and Mukherjee (Sony LIV), both broadcasters in the OTT space, contend the numbers have nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels already.
This is no time for media obituaries whatsoever. Whether TV, cinema, web, broad consensus at the Sit with Hitlist huddle is that they will all co-exist. Both audiences and their options are potentially limitless.
Right down to an app like Mubi that shows only world cinema and art-house titles, and that Monga helped launch in India in 2019: “That library has completely captured the imagination of cinephiles.”
And, why, even Netflix could become network TV, no? Shergill says, “Taking our shows back to a linear feed on TV in France is something new for us. Either way, choice and ease for consumers will determine audience behaviour. Linear TV versus streaming, versus cinema, are all slightly different spaces.”
Hardly five years old, the Indian OTT industry has clearly outdone itself in terms of globally competitive content. Rare happy news of 2020 was Delhi Crime (Netflix) winning an Emmy, where Four More Shots Please (Amazon Prime Video) was also nominated. Some of this has to do with how, unlike cinema and TV, web platforms in India (like with other democracies) have so far grown without the restrictive shadow of external control/suppression/editing.
Panelists don’t deny that this might just change, for the worse; who knows, with cloud of COVID-19 receding, and the darkness of state censorship looming instead. OTT content bosses, I suspect, would prefer to sit out this part of the discussion.
Nair says, “We’ve grown up watching flowers kissing instead of humans, but we grew up, right?” Palia says, “Take heart from the fact that we’re still better than a lot of countries.” Monga says, “Iranian cinema is so beautiful, and then you see Korean content that’s travelling across the world.” “She’s just drawn those parallels straight, and given you the best quote,” Nandy suggests. Well.
Showing too much in Criminal Justice 2 would have made the series voyeuristic-Apurva Asrani
3:40 PM
With some noting that Criminal Justice 2 didn’t delve deep into abuse, writer Apurva Asrani on approaching subject sensitively
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 13, 2021)
With Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, writer Apurva Asrani brought the uncomfortable truth of marital rape into our living rooms. While the writer had the blueprint in Peter Moffat's British series of the same name, he says that developing the story in the post #MeToo world demanded that the women’s characters be better evolved.
“The original BBC drama was aired 13 years ago. The position of women has shifted by leaps and bounds,” begins Asrani, who gave us a quiet but steely survivor in Kirti Kulhari's Anu Chandra, who is accused of stabbing her husband to death. "The core of Anu's journey comes largely from the original. But we took forward elements from the first season of Criminal Justice like Nikhat [Anupria Goenka’s character] being affected by her father’s polygynous marriage. Pankaj Tripathi's marriage to Ratna adds layers to the series."
Many felt that the Disney+ Hotstar series did not delve into the abuse inflicted on the protagonist by her husband, portrayed by Jisshu Sengupta. Asrani states they deliberately stayed away from depicting it in greater detail, instead approaching the subject with sensitivity. "To have a sensitive producer is half battle won and I found that in Applause's Sameer Nair. It was a conscious call to not titillate. Kirti gets full marks for performing the suppression perfectly. We didn’t want to lay her pain bare, but leave it to the audience’s imagination. The daughter spills out how the husband kept a tab on Anu, cut her off from her family, and encouraged her to take medication to suppress her. Showing too much would’ve made it voyeuristic, which we wanted to avoid."
While BBC didn’t go on to make a third edition of the much-loved drama, will he develop a fresh season? “I hope there’s a third instalment. I am talking to the same producers for another show. I love justice as a theme, and want to explore it from different angles.”
I had to put my hand into commode for a scene-Vikrant Massey
8:20 AM
In the running for Best Actor (Male) gong for Criminal Justice in the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards, Vikrant Massey discusses his toughest sequence in the thriller
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 20, 2020)
We start our chat with Vikrant Massey by mentioning that the jury of the mid-day and Radio City Hitlist Web Awards was divided on whether he should be nominated for his act in Criminal Justice, or Broken But Beautiful 2. "This is so heart-warming. We actors are so unaware of what works for people. When I was watching the cricket World Cup in England last year, many belonging to the NRI diaspora came up to me and spoke about this show," says Massey, who is in the running for the Best Actor nod for his heart-wrenching performance in Criminal Justice.The show is an adaptation of the 2008 British series by the same name, which was also reimagined as The Night Of in the US. The gripping plot lends itself beautifully to adaptations, reasons the actor. "I remember watching both the original series. My friends and I would often talk about how the show should be made here. I wanted people in UP and Bihar to know this story; they wouldn't have watched The Night Of. I grabbed the opportunity when it came my way. Sameer Nair [producer] has been guiding me since 2007 when I was working in TV, so I had faith in his instinct. Since it was an official adaptation, I knew the show will be of high quality."
Essaying the role of a cab driver who is accused of murdering his passenger, the actor acknowledges that several scenes drained him emotionally. "The toughest sequence was where my character wakes up to find out [that the woman has been murdered] and convinces himself that he has lost his memory. In another scene, I had to put my hand into the commode to pull out the smuggled drugs. These sequences took me out of my comfort zone." Massey adds that director Tigmanshu Dhulia maintained the fine balance between extracting subtle performances from his cast without losing out on the whodunit flavour of the story.
More About Criminal Justice
- Criminal Justice marks the web debut of Jackie Shroff, who played a prison inmate on the show.
- Vikrant Massey bowed out of the second season of the thriller as his date diary was filled with film commitments.
Cast Your Vote For The Hitlist Web Awards
Vikrant Massey has been nominated in the Best Actor (Male) category for Hotstar’s Criminal Justice.
The other nominees are:
- Manoj Bajpayee (The Family Man; Amazon Prime)
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Sacred Games S02; Netflix)
- Dhruv Sehgal (Little Things S03; Netflix)
- Mohit Raina (Kaafir; Zee5)
- Arjun Mathur (Made In Heaven; Amazon Prime)
- There are 14 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www.hitlistwebawards.com to cast your vote.
- You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c/d as on the website) to 57575
- Voting lines close on March 8.
Applause Entertainment announces a dark thriller drama series, Your Honor
7:54 AM
(Clockwise from left) Yashpal Sharma, Sunjoy Waddhwa, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sameer Nair, Suhasini Mulay, Mita Vashisht and E Niwas
MUMBAI MIRROR (September 12, 2019)
Close on the heels of successful drama series like Criminal Justice, City of Dreams and Hostages, Applause Entertainment, the content studio from the Aditya Birla Group, led by Sameer Nair, announced the completion of their latest drama-thriller, Your Honor. Adapted from the Israeli series Kvodo, distributed by Yes Studios, Your Honor has been produced for Applause Entertainment by Sphereorigins.
Dark, gripping and morally complex, it tells the story of Bishan Khosla (Jimmy Sheirgill), a judge known for his uncompromising honesty. His attempt to protect his son Abeer Khosla (Pulkit Makol) who is involved in a hit-and-run accident triggers a disturbing downward spiral of events, as Bishan uncharacteristically obstructs justice to hide the truth.
The series, directed by E Niwas, is adapted by writer Ishan Trivedi and produced by Sunjoy Waddhwa. It also features Mita Vashisht, Varun Badola, Yashpal Sharma, Parul Gulati, Suhasini Mulay, Richa Pallod, Kunj Anand, Pulkit Makol, Mahabir Bhullar in key roles.
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment says, “At Applause, we aim to create premium content that will appeal to the discerning mass audience in India and across the world, and Your Honor is a perfect example of this vision. E Niwas has helped us craft a stunning thriller, and we are excited to have on board a dazzling array of talented actors, led by Jimmy Sheirgill”.
Jimmy Sheirgill adds, “The substance of the story is what convinced me to take up the part. The length an individual can go, burning all the bridges and principles for the ones he loves, is truly compelling.”
Director E Niwas says, “I am excited to mark my digital journey with Your Honor, a show packed with intense emotions and depth of characters. I am glad to have worked with creative minds like Sameer, Deepak and Sunjoy to re-create this adaptation.”
Sunjoy Waddhwa, CMD of the production house Sphereorigins says, “E Niwas has helmed the Indian adaptation brilliantly which has resulted in a truly gripping drama. Our entire team is very thrilled to have associated with Sameer Nair and Applause Entertainment.”
Your Honor will be streaming soon on a leading OTT platform.
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