With the success of Maa Inti Bangaaram and motherhood on the horizon, actor Samantha says she is stepping into her maternity break with a sense of fulfilment rather than urgency: “I am taking my maternity break on a professional high. It’s time to soak it all in and I’ll be back when I’m back. I want my return to be with something big.”

The actor, who is expecting her first child with filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, adds that she has no fixed timeline for returning to work. “I’m not putting that pressure on myself. I’m not running any race or pressed for time. I’ll see how it goes.”

The success of her latest female-led commercial action entertainer has also brought her a newfound calm. “I hadn’t had a theatrical release in three years, so there was naturally pressure. But now I feel much calmer. I’ve realized I don’t need to keep delivering films back-to-back. Whenever I do release a film, I just want it to be worthwhile.”

Working with husband Raj, who served as the film’s creator and stunt director, also helped her push herself as an action star. “He knows my strengths and weaknesses because he introduced me to action with The Family Man 2. The biggest challenge this time was handling guns and doing action in sarees, which gave it a fresh flavour.”

One reaction, she admits, surprised her the most: “I assumed older women would talk about the family drama or comedy. Instead, women in sarees came up to me saying they loved the action. That was a really special feeling.”

Despite the film finding audiences beyond Telugu-speaking regions, Samantha insists it was never conceived as a pan-India project. She says, “We wanted to make a good Telugu film first. It’s rooted in Telugu nostalgia and history, so it didn’t feel right to force it on a wider audience... Now that we know we’ve struck a chord, maybe the next project can be more ambitious and travel pan-India.”

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu is expecting her first child with filmmaker-husband Raj Nidimoru. The news comes a little over six months after the pair tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Coimbatore.

An insider source tells HT City, “Yes, it is true. The couple is truly delighted about this new beginning, and they will make an announcement in some time.”

The buzz began Saturday evening after videos from the success celebrations of Samantha’s latest film, Maa Inti Bangaaram, surfaced on social media. Dressed in a fitted T-shirt and denims (see right), the actor sparked pregnancy speculation, prompting us to reach out to sources, who confirmed the news.

Both Samantha and Raj were previously married before tying the knot in December 2025. Samantha was earlier married to actor Naga Chaitanya, while Raj was married to Shhyamali De.

Samantha and Raj got married on December 1, 2025, at the Linga Bhairavi temple within the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. The private ceremony was attended by close family members and friends, with the couple choosing to keep celebrations low-key. Pictures from the wedding were later shared online, confirming months of speculation about their relationship.

The couple first collaborated professionally while working on projects such as The Family Man and later Citadel: Honey Bunny. Over time, reports of a growing bond between the actor and filmmaker surfaced, though both remained guarded.

The pregnancy news arrives during a busy phase in Samantha's career. Her latest, Maa Inti Bangaaram has opened to good reviews.

With films like Animal (2023) and the recently-released Dhurandhar, Bollywood has been cashing in on the trend of anti-heroes in films. Gone are the days when leads were only romantic heroes; today, Hindi film protagonists are exploring gritty, dark, and even gory aspects.

On the trend, actor Jaideep Ahlawat, who played the antagonist in The Family Man 3 recently, says, “Ek shabd toh humein nikaal dena chahiye apni cinema ki dictionary se jo hai ‘villain’. It is only in India that we are obsessed with the terms ‘hero’ and ‘villain’, nowhere else in the world is that used. We should avoid these words as by using them, you automatically demean the amazingly written character with it.”

Having his own show, Paatal Lok, on the same platform, was Jaideep apprehensive about taking a secondary role in The Family Man 3 alongside actor Manoj Bajpayee?

“That thought never crossed my mind. I just found it as a great opportunity to play a very different role, work with one of the finest actors we have, collaborate with an excellent crew, and be part of the legacy of The Family Man,” he says, adding, “There’s nothing to lose, so what will be the apprehension? To think that why am I doing a negative role when I have my own show, is idiotic. It’s about new challenges.”

Manoj Bajpayee’s The Family Man could well be rechristened The Meme Man. Since the spy thriller’s third season dropped on Prime Video last week, the internet is having a field day with memes inspired by Srikant Tiwari’s witty comebacks. One of them is the sequence where Srikant’s son asks him if he has a code name like “Tiger, Panther, or Lion”. Straight-faced, he replies, “Beta main intelligence mein kaam karta hoon, circus mein nahin.” Many viewers assumed it was a dig at the YRF spy universe.

When we ask dialogue writer Sumit Arora, he clarifies, “The idea is to show that a spy is a middle-class guy. His kid could be growing up on the same kind of things as everybody else does. So, [he would imagine] that a spy has cool gadgets and a code name. We referred to the overall pop culture; it wasn’t a direct reference to the spy universe.”

Another scene where Srikant’s son schools him on gender pronouns — as the former takes it in, part-baffled and part-exasperated — is being talked about. Gender pronouns are a fairly new concept. Arora says the pursuit was to have fun with it.

“I relate with Srikant because I am a small-town boy, who is adjusting to the city culture. When Srikant is [relieved] that these gender pronouns are not being used in Hindi, that’s how I would react.”

But such dialogues also run the risk of offending viewers, who might feel the writing is mocking their preferences. “Humour will offend somebody or the other. Suman [Kumar] wrote it in the screenplay, and I added my own humour. We’ll take the blame if somebody is offended.”

Nagaland was a silent witness to Jaideep Ahlawat when he transformed into the lawman Hathiram Chaudhary for the second season of the acclaimed Paatal Lok. For The Family Man 3, the actor returned to the state, only this time his character was firmly on the other side of the law.

“On day one, I remember thinking that my character is nothing like Hathiram Chaudhary. How do you process that? Then I realised that you don’t; you just enjoy both sides,” begins Ahlawat, who plays Rukma, the antagonist to Manoj Bajpayee’s Srikant Tiwari in the spy thriller.

The state and its politics have been a big part of Paatal Lok as well as the Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK creation. What’s different, Ahlawat reflects, is his character’s perspective.

“There is a spot where I was standing as Hathiram once, and then later as Rukma. It’s the same place, two different men, but nobody can see [the similarity] because the art direction has changed so much. It’s an interesting feeling of being in the same place, but living a completely different life,” he says philosophically, before joking, “I’ve been shooting so much in Kohima that the Nagaland government should give me a house there!”

House or not, Ahlawat is certainly being rewarded. The actor’s portrayal of a drug smuggler and hitman in the Prime Video series is being widely praised. He shares, “I finally got the chance to let loose without worrying about conscience or consequences. It felt liberating in a twisted way to play someone like Rukma.”

The cherry on top was his reunion with Bajpayee, over a decade after they shared screen space in Chittagong (2012) and Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012). Tell him that their on-screen face-off was the most anticipated element of the new season, and he says it’s something he looked forward to as well. “Working with Manoj is like going back in time. There is a discipline that he brings. Doing an action scene together after all these years was a thrill. There is the greed to work with him, and this show is a dream come true!”

Ask Jaideep Ahlawat his most memorable sequence from the series, and he points to the elaborate action set-piece in the first episode — a gripping chase sequence between Manoj Bajpayee and him. “Manoj was driving the car, and I was riding the motorcycle [chasing him]. The camera didn’t have to cheat; it travelled from him all the way to me. There were no stuntmen involved. That’s my most memorable scene in this season,” he smiles.

When The Family Man premiered in 2019, it changed things for Priya Mani Raj. The National Award-winning actress, already a familiar name in South Indian cinema, found herself connecting with a whole new audience across India.

“Definitely, 200%,” she laughs when asked how much of a gamechanger it was. “I’m so happy, so fortunate that I got to be part of such a wonderful series,” says Priya Mani, who will soon be seen in season 3 of the web series featuring Manoj Bajpayee and created by Raj & DK.

In an industry where auditions were the norm, the opportunity to work on the show came to Priya Mani in the most unexpected manner. “It all began when Mukesh Chhabra (casting director) called me and said there’s a project he wanted to talk about,” she recalls.

“The next day, I met Raj and DK and they narrated the story to me for about half an hour. At that point, I wasn’t even sure if I was part of it. That’s because in Mumbai, the norm is that you have to audition and I was ready for that. After the narration, my husband said, ‘You idiot, they’ve spent 45 minutes explaining the whole thing to you — that means you’re doing it!’” she laughs. “And that’s how it happened.”

Talking about the audition process, Priya Mani points out that this culture didn’t exist in the South earlier. “Of late, they’ve started auditions, but not to the level of what happens here,” she explains. “Casting directors and agencies are just coming into the picture now. Until about five years ago, I don’t think there was anything like that in the South.”

She sees it as a positive change. “There’s nothing wrong in auditioning and proving your mettle. Sometimes people might know of you but not really know what you can do. It’s just showing them, ‘Look, I can also do this.’ There’s absolutely nothing wrong in that,” the actress adds.

Despite her long career, though, Priya Mani reveals that she has barely auditioned. “I have never really been called for any auditions. I went for an audition once for a John Abraham film, but I don’t know what happened to that. Maybe it didn’t work out and that’s okay. It’s a part and parcel of life. You can’t expect everything to click. I was just glad I went and gave it a shot.”

Even after carving out a name for himself in the industry, especially with The Kashmir Files’ (TKF, 2022) success at the box office, actor Darshan Kumaar says he is still waiting for makers to take a chance on him with lead roles.

After web series Aashram’s latest season earlier this year, the actor is now gearing up for the next season of The Family Man.

“Having a good producer, who can take your project to the correct channel, a passionate director to shoot it properly, a writer to give a good story, then the right team, and of course, co-stars, makes all the difference to any project. I try to choose work where all these factors exist,” the 38-year-old shares.

While TKF’s success brought him good film offers, Darshan admits that getting the whole package often still poses a challenge.

He says, “Yeh sab karna thoda mushkil ho raha hai. If I had been from within the industry, and I had done projects like The Family Man, NH10 (2015) and Mary Kom (2014), sabne mujhe apne sar aankhon par baitha liya hota. But as an outsider, I am still struggling to meet the big directors. I’ve been in talks with few people. But then the producers are not ready to invest their money on me. They insist on smaller budgets.”

This conundrum is preventing A-list directors from casting Darshan in their projects. “These big directors work on certain big budgets. They want the best writers and technicians. Yeh mere liye mil paana thoda struggle hai,” he says, adding, “Naye directors aur producers ko bhi risk lene mein darr lagta hai. Par agar media aur fans ka pyaar milega, toh producers ko bhi bharosa ho jaayega mujh par.”

Filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK raised eyebrows after a series of cryptic post on their joint X account on Wednesday afternoon.

The creators of shows such as The Family Man and Farzi, among others, wrote that they were “putting their heads down” after being “thrown under the bus” but did not specify what they were referring to. However, Raj and DK’s post comes a day after a Bollywood Hungama report claimed that streaming platform Prime Video was shelving their new show, Gulkanda Tales after their next film, Rakt Brahmand was beset by financial difficulties.

According to Peeping Moon, a Rakt Bramhand executive producer is facing accusations of financial theft on set, after an undisclosed amount (thought to be approximately Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 3 crore) was allegedly stolen from the production.

Raj and DK shared several pictures of them on various sets, accompanied by a long note. They wrote, “Every now and then something happens to shake things up. And you have a choice on how to react. For us that choice of reaction has always been clear — to just put our heads down and continue doing what we have been doing. Work harder. Do better. It is also a reminder to take stock of where we are at (sic).”

The duo also seemed to take a dig at unknown individuals. “S**t will keep happening… someone will steal, someone will throw you under the bus… To break new ground and keep coming to you with new, original stories. That’s been the promise,” they said.

The note ended with the duo addressing cancellation rumours: “Next up: Rakt Brahmand on Netflix; and Gulkanda Tales and The Family Man 3 on Prime.”

On Tuesday, Bollywood Hungama reported that Amazon Prime Video had shelved Gulkanda Tales, the duo’s ambitious upcoming show. Peeping Moon had reported separately that the executive producer of their other show - Rakt Brahmand - is now facing accusations of financial theft on set, with an undisclosed amount ranging from Rs. 2–3 crore allegedly stolen from the production.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee’s career took a dramatic turn with the release of Ram Gopal Varma’s iconic gangster saga, Satya (1998), in which he played Bhiku Mhatre, the head of a notorious Mumbai underworld gang. The role catapulted him into the spotlight, cementing his position as one of the most promising actors in the industry.

Now, with the film re-releasing in theaters on January 17, Bajpayee tells us, “There is a generation that has grown up without experiencing the magic of Satya. I am happy that they will get to watch on the big screen what they might have been hearing from their elders all these years. They can now find out for themselves why it was such a cult and unforgettable film.”

Not many know that Bajpayee sourced his outfits for the role, worked on his accent by picking it up from his cook, and devoted two months to preparation before the shoot. Reflecting on his career before Satya, the 55-year-old admits, “I wasn’t expecting anything for myself in this lifetime. However, I soon realized that God had different plans. I felt the difference in how I was treated by the industry post-Satya and I will always cherish the euphoria my character created.”

He adds, “For two years, whatever (films) I did after Satya was compared to it. For some people today, Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) has created that magic, for others, it’s The Family Man, Shool (1999) and Raajneeti (2010). I am happy that I got an opportunity to experiment.”

“Satya not only changed my life, but also gave hope to so many people to leave their comfort zone and chase their dreams,” he wraps up.

Actor Sundeep Kishan made his debut in Hindi cinema with Shor In The City (2011), but was not seen again in any Hindi projects until 2019 in the Manoj-Bajpayee-starrer series The Family Man. Now gearing up for the third season of the series as well as the directorial debut of actor-politician Vijay’s son Jason Sanjay, the actor recalls his early days in Bollywood.

“Post Shor In The City, I had signed two Hindi films with reputed production houses and filmmakers. I was very excited,” he recalls, adding, “I sat here (in Mumbai) for two years doing nothing.”

Though the 37-year-old had one Tamil and two Telugu films to his credit, he turned down other projects to focus on the two Hindi films: “(But) neither of them happened with me and it was given the last second to someone else.”

That was when the actor decided to “stay true to my southern roots” and starred in Routine Love Story (2012), Ra Ra Krishnayya (2014), A1 Express (2021), and Michael (2023), to name a few.

Ask him if he has become weary of signing a Hindi film now, and Kishan shares, “No, that’s not fair to say... So many of my friends started off with me, like Rajkummar Rao who was doing LSD (2010). Kartik Aaryan did Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011). So everybody who’s held on, it’s all worked fantastically. But I’d like to stay true to my identity.”

Now, his focus is on doing projects that come organically from a filmmaker whom he loves and in the language that he wants to do.

“Otherwise, I’m more than happy making a film which I believe will be a superb experience for the audience to watch in my language and bring it (to Hindi cinema) just like how my senior counterparts are doing,” he signs off.

The ongoing year would certainly be a definitive one for actor Sharib Hashmi, who bagged the opportunity to play the leading role in a web series. Considering the slate of diverse projects he has in his kitty, the upcoming year is only likely to get better for the actor.

Sharing insights about his line-up, he tells mid-day, “People saw me as a supportive husband in Tarla last year. If I played a ‘green-flag husband’ in that film, I will play a role that will be the opposite of that in an upcoming movie. I also have a slapstick comedy on my plate, and another project in which I play a role that is intense and serious. It’s a mixed bag of characters for me in 2025.” Hashmi also has the Manoj Bajpayee-led The Family Man season three in the pipeline.

Pick up a discussion on his next venture, Manish Malhotra’s production, Ul Jalool Ishq, and Hashmi’s eyes light up. “Bagging this film has been my biggest achievement of 2024,” he says of the movie that has him share screen space with Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

“Most of my scenes are with Naseeruddin sir. I would just look at him in admiration. It was such a beautiful experience. I hope I get to work with him again. Simply watching him perform gave me so much joy. He is lovely and wonderful.”

The moments when Shah would share anecdotes from his past offerings were special for Hashmi. “One day, I asked him, ‘Sir, you had recited a nazm in Firaaq.’ And he went on to recite the full poem for me. At this stature, people would generally reply [in acknowledgement]. But here, he completed the poem. He still has a childlike quality and humility associated with him, as well as passion for his work.”

While spin-offs have been around for a long time, superhero franchises and fantasy series have recently popularized the idea of giving fan-favourite characters their own spotlight, especially on OTT platforms. The offshoot plotlines of these characters, who would otherwise get minimal screen time in big-budget blockbusters, successfully allow makers to not only satisfy the audience but also utilise world-building. Some of the popular examples of spin-off series, which already have multiple seasons in the pipeline, include Gen V (The Boys), House Of The Dragon (Game of Thrones) and The Rings Of Power (Lord of the Rings).

Even though such offshoot productions, whether as films or shows, are all the rage in the West among the makers, the trend is yet to gain momentum in India. To understand more, we speak to some Indian makers and actors for their take on its surprising absence in India, along with pros and cons of the same.

A project includes a specific number of characters, each with a unique role to play. For actor Gulshan Devaiah, who plays Chaar Cut Atmaram in the series Guns & Gulaabs, not everyone’s story needs to be highlighted in a separate spin-off, as that might take away from the original plot.

“I have no idea why we’re not doing spin-offs but I’m not sure if it’s a good trend to follow. In my case, I’d say there shouldn’t be any spin-off for Atmaram. Some characters lose their charm if there’s no mystery to them,” Devaiah shares.

Actor Sharib Hashmi, who plays JK in The Family Man series, echoes a similar sentiment and feels that spin-offs shouldn’t be made just so that the original project remains relevant. “It should only be made if there is ample scope, and should not be seen as a mere opportunity to earn money or stay relevant.” However, Hashmi is not altogether against the idea.

He continues, “I would be the happiest if my character gets a spin-off but only if there is a good story. Look at Better Call Saul (Breaking Bad), which had such a brilliant storyline, and is as good as the original.”

While original plots might leave very little room for detours, for Kanishk Varma, director of Sanak (2021) and the third season of the cricket-based thriller Inside Edge, a spin-off is a great way to immerse in the universe whose original story has reached a certain finale.

“You have to know when to throw in the towel. You cannot keep on dragging a story. So, spin-offs are a very cool idea of coming back. You have a scope of going back to a series and working on something you wanted to do in a particular season of the show.”

While offshoot productions are lacking in India, writer Kanika Dhillon, who has been behind the story of Hasseen Dillruba (2021) and the latest instalment, Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, opines that we are soon going to catch up.

“We have already caught on to the multi-universe sequel culture, which is prevalent in Hollywood. So, I am sure spin-offs will become a thing here as well, especially since people give a lot of love to [side] characters,” she shares.

Abhishek Banerjee, whose character Hathoda Tyagi from the series Paatal Lok fetched him critical praise, adds, “A lot of characters have the potential [for a spin-off] after they become a hit with the audiences. So, I feel the audiences would definitely want that change.”

Such is The Family Man effect that you can’t talk about it without it bringing a smile to your face. We can almost hear the smile in Manoj Bajpayee’s voice as he speaks about shooting the third season of Raj-DK’s spy thriller. “It’s shaping up great. I don’t want to be flamboyant. All I will say is that each day’s experience is making us feel that the third season will be far bigger and better,” he says.

Bajpayee has another reason to be happy. The actor achieved the milestone of 100 films with Bhaiyya Ji. After its theatrical release in May, the action thriller premièred on ZEE5 last week. Had he hoped for a better box-office outcome? “Let’s not even go by theatre viewing nowadays. It did remarkably well in single screens, but multiplexes didn’t see [high] footfall. That is the case with most films in multiplexes.”

One’s 100th film can be a good point to pause and assess their career. As he looks back at his three-decade journey in the movies, the actor says that filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s recent words stayed with him. “Bhatt saab said, ‘You achieved all of this even after being so choosy. It’s a great achievement.’ I chose my films with great care. Some of them went wrong, most went right. To complete 100 films in this cut-throat industry is a miracle in itself!”

Sticking to his convictions in an industry that only chases box-office success wasn’t easy. But Bajpayee marched to his own beat, building a robust filmography that boasted Satya (1998), Shool (1999), Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012) and Aligarh (2016). Today, he stands as a success story for aspiring actors, who want to headline meaningful stories.

“Today’s actors are at an advantage. They have come at a time when things have changed. Be it me, Irrfan or Kay Kay Menon, we had it tough. We somehow navigated and found our way with stories and directors. We took a lot of beating before everything started changing. So, I envy these actors, who have come at a time when the choices are so many.”

The beating that Bajpayee took was not only professional. “I couldn’t spend time with my parents, and they passed on. You make these sacrifices when you’re chasing a dream.”

In April, we saw her as the supportive wife in Maidaan, and soon, we’ll see her as a contract killer. That’s quite a turnaround. Tell Priyamani that, and she grins, saying, “As an actor, you need to display versatility.” She is gearing up for the release of Quotation Gang, which offers a gritty take on the lives of contract killers.

The actor plays a ruthless gang leader in producer-director Vivek Kumar Kannan’s crime drama, also starring Jackie Shroff and Sunny Leone. It’s certainly a dark character after her positive parts in Maidaan and Article 370, but Priyamani is not one to segregate her roles.

“For me, it’s just a role and I can switch on and off, unless the director wants me to do homework on it. I am glad that with Quotation Gang, people can see another side of me after the positive characters that I played earlier.”

Black, grey, white—the National Award winner enjoys stepping into disparate roles. What she finds challenging, however, is being part of movies inspired by real-life events.

“Films that are a part of history like Article 370 and Maidaan are more challenging to do. These are incidents that have happened. So, it’s an added responsibility to tell them to the audience sensitively,” she reasons.

Last week, she began shooting The Family Man’s third season. After the second edition streamed, Priyamani —who plays Manoj Bajpayee’s on-screen wife Suchitra—reveals that she received hate mail from fans, who felt her character betrayed her husband.

“I must have done something right for them to hate me,” she smiles, before adding, “Suchitra is doing what she feels is right for her. In the second season, she balanced her family with her career while trying to save her marriage. People will relate to her more in the next edition.”

They are the poster boys of Indian OTT in 2023, with Farzi and Guns & Gulaabs as the two standout shows of the year. Some of the biggest stars – Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Shahid Kapoor and Varun Dhawan – have signed with them for their OTT debuts. But more than plain success, what drives filmmaker duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK is the thirst to tell new stories.

“After Shor In The City, people thought we would make a Salaam Bombay! kind of film. But we made Go Goa Gone, a zombie movie!” says Raj. But then, these two have been breaking the mould regularly – right from the time they chucked their engineering careers in the US to come back to India and make films. Excerpts from the chat:

Raj Nidimoru: When we started off in Mumbai, everything was hero-driven, and all of it was about hero worship. So, we thought we should bring the guy (the hero) down to earth, hence we made 99, Shor In The City and Go Goa Gone, where the protagonist is a nobody, and his value system isn’t black or white.

Krishna DK: While our characters are fictitious, they are inspired by real life, where no one is one hundred per cent good or bad. Even the antagonist has a story, about why they are bad. We usually try to give the bad guy one redeeming quality. Mansoor (Kay Kay Menon) in Farzi is the antagonist, but you also feel the pressure he is under and why he is doing what he is doing.

Raj: Even Atmaram (Gulshan Devaiah) in Guns & Gulaabs was abused.

DK: It’s not really pressure, since they already knew what they were getting into. OTT is an actor’s – and not a star’s – medium.

Raj: It’s a learning experience for them too, and they come with so much of energy and excitement.

DK: That’s the conversation we have with actors. ‘You have done so many films, but you will have to be the character for longer and put in that much extra effort’. These are actors who have been working for years, but now we are the experienced ones when it comes to OTT.

Raj: We were doing very well as engineers, but the cookie-cutter life and the monotony of a nine-to-five job drove me out.

DK: For my family, my life’s biggest achievement was that I went to the US as an engineer. But then we decided to cancel all of it and come back home. My mom thought it was a hobby. After we made one independent film, my family thought I would return to the engineering job. It’s when we decided to make a film in Hindi that they realized that we were serious about it.

Raj: Both of us grew up in small towns of Andhra Pradesh. We would watch every movie running in the theatres – good or bad. We’d watch Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and dubbed Malayalam films. Regional films were always a major influence, but it was in the US that we discovered American indie films and global cinema.

DK: We were especially fascinated with filmmakers’ first breakthrough movies – Russo brothers’ Welcome To Collinwood or Christopher Nolan’s Memento and Following. If you want to learn about a filmmaker’s true personality, you must watch their work in the formative years, when they don’t have the world at their command.

Raj: For our film Flavors (2003), almost everyone was from IT or similar fields. Even the DOP (director of photography) was a steady cam operator! We would hold the mics ourselves and the shoot was entirely in sync sound. We would borrow shopping carts from Walmart and use it as a trolley. Then, one of the actors had finished shooting his part and had flown off and was not accessible. But we needed to do a reshoot, so I had to wear his clothes and we had to do it in a way that my face wouldn’t show. We even learnt editing on the job. By the time we made 99 (2009) and Shor in the City (2011), we were very hands-on. And this training took away all your fears.

Raj: We had zero connections in the industry and no idea about permissions required to shoot. But we shot a short film (Shor, which is the genesis of Shor In The City) with some FTII students. That was a film that a lot of people ended up watching.

DK: Aamir Khan saw that film and he hired the DOP for Dhobi Ghat! As for Saif, he is the first person to admit he’s crazy when it comes to creative stuff. When we narrated the concept of Go Goa Gone, he couldn’t believe we were making a zombie comedy.

Raj: After The Family Man’s success, people were expecting another series in the same vein, which is also why we wanted to do something different with Farzi.

Raj: People say Farzi and Guns & Gulaabs should have been films. Our take is that regardless of the medium, our work must entertain and offer a fresh take on the genre. We plan to put our learnings from OTT into a film next year. Not having to worry about the box office in the OTT space does make a difference. There’s no studio pressure to have a song-and-dance break.

DK: There is still pressure to perform, just that it comes in a different form. There are no immediate numbers to show how much money your series made, but from the discussions on social media, you understand if people are liking it. Writing eight episodes for OTT is difficult, but it allows you to go deeper than a film. You must look at the two formats differently, just like in cricket, where you play T20 and one-day matches differently, though both require talent and a knack for the game.

Raj: There was nothing inflammatory, just the fact that the subject made some people assume it was negative. Now everybody has a voice on social media, and when you have so many voices, somebody is going to be affected by something.

DK: A lot of times the controversial voices will be enhanced, that’s just the nature of things. When the trailer of The Family Man released, some people assumed that Sri Lankan Tamilians were being portrayed badly. We immediately put out a statement. As filmmakers, one has to be responsible. We don’t set out to offend or shock anybody.

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OTT’s like we’re putting the actors on stage, in front of a live audience, something they haven’t done before. So, it’s a learning experience for them too

– Raj Nidimoru

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OTT is an actor’s – and not a star’s – medium. You cannot charm the audience for eight episodes. You need to be a nuanced, talented actor

– Krishna DK

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When we narrated the concept of Go Goa Gone to Saif, he couldn’t believe we were making a zombie comedy. In an hour, he had almost finished reading (the script) and was laughing away, saying, ‘Mujhe yeh karna hai’

– Krishna DK

Raj and DK: Go Goa Gone and Stree

Raj and DK: Kaala Paani

Raj: Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone – all really strong actors

DK: Aamir Khan and Mr Bachchan have always been on our list too

It has been three years since Manoj Bajpayee had a theatrical release, but the actor isn’t complaining. Instead, he has been making his presence felt in the OTT space with back-to-back releases. This year, his web projects — Gulmohar and Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai — earned rave reviews. As the films were screened at the ongoing 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Bajpayee is grateful for all the love and adulation. 

I have done very few films that gave me a chance to experience euphoria inside the theatre. Satya (1998) was one of them. It gave me a high. I would think that in this industry, I’d only get to do character roles, or play heroine ka bhai or the villain’s henchman. And suddenly, I had a career, which I never thought was possible. Then I got a high with Raajneeti (2010) and the dialogue ‘Karara jawaab milega’. Also, during Satyameva Jayate (2018), people whistled and cheered on my entry,” Bajpayee tells us the morning after his films were screened at a packed theatre at IFFI.

Ask why he feels he hasn’t done many mainstream films and the actor says the medium has never been a concern for him and all he’s cared for is good work. “In cinema, while I was dabbling in different genres, I just wanted to push and promote independent cinema and independent directors who I wanted to work with. And to do that, I needed that power for myself. So, I did a few mainstream films, got the power and then used it for my own independent films, which were quite a lot as I was enjoying my stint in independent films,” the 54-year-old says.

He adds, “I was looking for the directors because I realised that it was nearly impossible for any independent director to approach me. Also, it was evident that the mainstream people didn’t have a solid thing for me. They didn’t know what to do with Manoj Bajpayee. All they could think of me doing was [playing] a villain and that I never wanted to do. Such characters never excited me.”

And thanks to OTT, Bajpayee, who gave a masterclass on Crafting compelling web series for OTT at IFFI, witnessed an influx of diverse and experimental roles, which gave a new direction to his career. Saying that the web space empowered him, he adds, “It came at a time when the pandemic was at its peak and people were inside their houses. So, they got a chance to explore it deeply. Also, with streaming coming in, the choices became way too many [for actors]. And to my luck, The Family Man happened, which changed OTT’s demography. It empowered me. OTT was a turning point for me and many other talents.”

Bollywood and Marathi actor Sharad Kelkar was in Chennai recently, and in an interview with us, the Family Man actor spoke about making his Tamil film debut with the Sivakarthikeyan-starrer Ayalaan, communicating effortlessly on the set despite not knowing the language, his connection with Tamil, his thoughts on OTT and cinema, and the next season of his popular OTT show. Excerpts:

My first meeting with Ravikumar was very pleasant. When I asked director R Ravikumar why he wanted me — someone with no connection to the Tamil film industry — for the role — he said, “I have seen your work and I feel like this character is for you.” He was quite sure about me playing the role. I was surprised, but I was also very convinced with the conviction he had. Working on this film has been great, as it was a different process altogether.

I don’t speak Tamil, and Ravikumar speaks mostly Tamil. I don’t know how, but somehow, we communicated with each other so effortlessly and fluently, it was amazing. It’s probably because of our love for cinema and how passionate we both were about the project that language wasn’t a barrier for us. To me, cinema doesn’t have any language and this was proved on the sets of our film.

This film is very different with a unique format. It’s sci-fi, and it felt like we were working on the sets of a Hollywood movie. We had to have new techniques, because essentially you are fighting things that aren’t there, that’s how it is when you are a shadow fighter. This film was a new process for all of us, but we had fun. We were like kids on set, because we didn’t know what it was going to look like. We would keep asking Ravi what it would look like, and he’d say, “Don’t worry, you guys just act!” We would take multiple shots for one scene. It was a hectic shoot, but it was all very interesting, new and fun. There is a different pattern of filmmaking in the Tamil industry and I find it very interesting. And it actually caters to the audience.

My character is the antagonist who wants the alien’s superpower and is set against Sivakarthikeyan’s character, who is friends with the alien. When you are hungry for power and new technology, you get greedy for more, and that’s my character in the film.

I think we need to be smarter as an industry as to what should go on OTT and what shouldn’t. The south film industries have certain unwritten rules and regulations that they follow, and that should be the way to operate, because not everything should be on OTT. The timeline for the release on OTT has to be discussed in the industry and acted upon accordingly. I completely agree with what Ravi Teja had said in an interview... that we are all part of one industry, and we have to work towards that.

The writing for Family Man Season 3 is still happening. They should be done by December and we might start shooting in January. As for the equation between my character Arvind and Suchi (played by Priya Mani), Arvind is a sweet guy, but I don’t know what is in store for them. I don’t think on those lines, I leave it to the writers. The audience has so many theories and the writers are always looking for fresh ideas.