Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 12, 2016)

The American sci-fi web series Sense 8 wrapped up a schedule in Mumbai recently. The series is now in its second season and the team, lead by Matrix-director Lana Wachowski, was out to capture the glamorous side of the Maximum City. The cast includes several Indian names like Anupam Kher, Purab Kohli, Tina Desai, Darshan Jariwala and Sid Makkar. Anupam plays Sanyam Dandekar, a chef from Mumbai who owns a restaurant. Tina is his daughter, a pharmacist, who is set to marry a man she doesn't love. The series revolves around eight strangers from different parts of the world who discover that they share a psychic link which connects them mentally and emotionally.

Sid, who had auditioned for Season one but missed out on the opportunity, is part of the series now, and plays a charmer with a hint of wickedness. Speaking about the Mumbai shoot, he informs, "Most of the film was in SoBo. When I was on top of a tall tower in Lower Parel, I realised that the idea was to showcase a snazzy, new age Mumbai as opposed to the dark, dirty and dingy city you see in many international films."

He recalls standing in front of an art gallery wondering about a particular painting and not understanding what it depicted till Lana walked across and gave him a crash course in art. "Her interpretation put things into perspective. Along with being a great director, her understanding of true artistry is amazing," he raves.

Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; November 1, 2014)

The famous Wachowski siblings, who created The Matrix trilogy, are all set to shoot the first leg of their upcoming American sci-fi drama in the city. The show has been titled Sense 8 and will feature Bollywood faces. A source says, “The duo, along with the entire crew, will be coming to Mumbai soon to start the shoot. Many actors from the our industry will be a part of the series.”

A source in the know of the project adds that the series revolves around eight strangers from different parts of the world. “Since India is one of the countries being highlighted on the show, many actors including Anupam Kher, Purab Kohli and Tena Desae have been taken on board. The show will be streamed on Netflix,” the source suggests.

Kher sounded excited about his involvement in the project. “I am happy and proud to be part of the series.
I am an admirer of their (Wachowskis’) work. I look forward to work with them,” the veteran actor says.