Showing posts with label The Freelancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Freelancer. Show all posts
In Morocco, we didn’t have to settle for set-pieces; we could construct an ISIS village from scratch-Bhav Dhulia
9:05 AM
With Morocco serving as the ideal setting to film Mohit Raina-led show, director on how team took over African country to depict life under ISIS rule
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 2, 2023)
Although a lenient analysis will reveal that the action genre has found favour among web show-watchers, content creators know that novelty is still a key factor in making an OTT series, a success. Tasked with the job of creating yet another action venture, the makers of The Freelancer, we are told, decidedly worked towards creating sets that were de-glamorized.
Director Bhav Dhulia, of Rangbaaz and Khakee: The Bihar Chapter fame, says his priority while creating the backdrop of the show, set against the rule of ISIS, was to make it appear “as though one has simply dropped the camera in Syria”. “We didn’t want it to feel unlived-in. It was important for us to stay true to the story, which has been adapted from a book. Visually, there was no need to glamorize the show; we wanted to keep it rooted.”
Morocco served as the ideal location to film the Mohit Raina-starrer, for more reasons than one. “Because it is conducive to storytelling, and has a thriving movie industry, we found ample support from local authorities. About 300 technicians flew from the Middle East to work on the show. Also, the Moroccan military helped us immensely. So, we didn’t have to settle for set-pieces; we could construct an ISIS village from scratch,” he shares, adding that he strayed from adding the cosmetic touch that has now come to be expected of an action film.
“By virtue of the format, we could dig deeper into the socio-cultural references. We leaned towards war photography, not war movies. We referenced Nat Geo documentaries to guide us in keeping the story rooted,” he says, adding that the team shot at the same locations where classics such as Gladiator (2000), and Game of Thrones were filmed.
Raina, who became a fan-favourite after his act as a deity in an Indian television series, is known to successfully pull-off characters that require sufficient gravitas. “He is devoid of inhibitions, and has the sort of versatility that is unmatched. While he can pull-off action [scenes] with grace, it was important to keep him emotionally grounded as well. The beauty of storytelling in India is that though people may come [to cinema houses] for large set pieces and whistle-worthy action, it is the heart of the story that holds them back.”
My male friends said they loved that I didn’t do an ‘abla naari’ representation in Made In Heaven 2-Sarah Jane Dias
8:18 AM
With audiences praising her Made In Heaven 2 episode, Sarah-Jane Dias on how it represented her personal ideology of self-love
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; August 29, 2023)
Cathartic—that comes closest to how Sarah-Jane Dias felt when she delivered the now-popular monologue in the second season of Made In Heaven. In the final episode, her character Julie says her marriage vows to herself after calling off the wedding.
“I have been an advocate of mental health and self-love. Cathartic is the word that aptly described the experience,” grins Dias, proud that writers Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Alankrita Shrivastava subverted the idea of happily-ever-after.
“My male friends said they loved that I didn’t do an ‘abla naari’ representation, going ‘Poor me, I got left at the altar!’ [Instead, my character said], this is hard, but I love myself, he loves me, and I promise that I will love myself, no matter what.”
The episode struck a chord with the actor as it represents her personal ideology of self-love. “Whether it’s my podcast or my social media interactions, my theme is ‘You aren’t alone in this.’ There is so much power in that statement,” she asserts.
Dias follows up Made In Heaven 2 with the actioner, The Freelancer. Thrilled as she is to have fulfilled her wish of doing an action role, she notes that getting diverse parts is far from easy. “If I am offered only certain kinds of roles, I have only those many things to choose from. I haven’t done a single acting job all year because it hasn’t come my way. What have come my way are hosting stints and advertisements. So, honestly, a lot depends on what I get.”
I write biographies about my character; where she was born, sun sign, family background-Manjari Fadnnis
8:17 AM
Manjari on exploring and studying dissociative disorder for her character in The Freelancer
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; August 29, 2023)
The process of prepping for a character is different for every actor. While some engage in workshops, a few prefer gaining insight from conversations. Manjari Fadnnis, who is set to appear in Disney+ Hotstar’s The Freelancer, has the habit of writing the biographies of her characters.
“It’s just for myself. [I write details] from the time my character was born, including her sun sign, family background, dreams as a child, her inner world, and little moments in her growing-up years that would become emotional triggers in the present,” she says, adding that she uses those moments as flashbacks in her mind to emotionally prompt the performance.
The extraction series, directed by Bhav Dhulia with Neeraj Pandey as creator-showrunner, is based on the book, A Ticket To Syria by Shirish Thorat. The Freelancer revolves around Mohit Raina’s character, who is on an extraction mission for a young girl held captive in a war-torn, hostile environment in Syria.
“However hard a human is, he needs someone in his life with whom he can let his guard down. That’s where Mrunal [her character] comes in. She is Avinash Kamat’s emotional anchor and his only family. However, Mrunal is coping with a past tragedy, [which makes her] mentally unstable, emotionally volatile, easily triggered, and vulnerable. She is on the road to recovery at a behavioural institute. [Despite] the turmoil, the love they share is strong and deep,” says Fadnnis.
The actor says that to understand dissociative disorder and perform it authentically, she had a sit-down with a counsellor, who gave her more insight. “I spoke to an accomplished psychological counsellor and friend, Kanan Khatau. I also did a little study on what a person deals with emotionally and mentally in this condition. And then, of course, I used my imagination. Besides that, the scenes were well-written [and researched], which has been a boon.”
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