Showing posts with label Vinay Waikul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vinay Waikul. Show all posts
Mothers on OTT are more complex, layered and pivotal to the story than ever before
8:26 AM
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 7, 2022)
They are strong, fierce, vulnerable, spirited, ambitious, and even vengeful if need be. Mothers in recent web projects can be described as all this and more. From actor Sushmita Sen entering the narcotics business to protect her kids in Aarya, and actor Sakshi Tanwar out to find the killers of her daughter in Mai, to actor Rasika Dugal exploring the complexities of motherhood as she deals with her husband’s infidelity in Out Of Love — the characters of mothers we are seeing now are more complex, nuanced and layered than they were ever before.
Dugal is elated that motherhood is no longer glorified or oversimplified. “A mother-child relationship is no longer shown as perfect or devoid of conflict. In many stories, we see the fears, anxieties and confusions of being a parent, co-existing with the joys of it. Even though I have no experience of being a parent in real life, Dr Meera Kapoor and her relationship with her son Abhi, especially in season two of Out Of Love, gave me a glimpse of how demanding yet beautiful parenting can be,” she shares.
Actor Raveena Tandon in Aranyak and actor Madhuri Dixit Nene in The Fame Game, are other such characters who drove the narratives with their courage and fearlessness when it came to their children. “For a long time, we had a very fixed notion of how a mother needs to be portrayed on screen. Now, the writing has caught up with the times and we are showing women of today, and that stands true for my show, The Fame Game, with Madhuri,” says director Bejoy Nambiar.
To this, director Vinay Waikul, who helmed Aranyak, adds, “Life is not unidimensional, and that stands true for the characters of mothers on screen. This realisation has changed the whole narrative.” And this is something screenwriter Charudutt Acharya agrees with, adding that the “concept of a stay-at-home mom is also changing”.
According to actor Sahher Bambba, who played the role of a mother to a 33-year-old on screen at the age of 23, the change is empowering in many ways. “Now, cinema is reflecting the reality, which is that there are many facets to motherhood. Back in the day, after a woman hit a certain age, it would be the end of her career. Now, it doesn’t stand true, and it is because of such diverse roles,” she says.
However, there is still a long way to go, feels actor Kitu Gidwani, who recently played a mother in the show, Potluck. “We don’t believe that older women can be hot, happy, successful, vibrant, intelligent and path-breaking. We still have a big fear of older women in this country. Maybe the younger ones have more scope, but not older women. For instance, we are still [predominantly seeing women play] a mother supporting her kids’ decisions, and stuff like that. Where are the guts to show women breaking and finding their own? I want to see that, and hope it comes soon,” ends Gidwani.
My first film Patthar Ke Phool was with Sippy Films, and now, my OTT debut is with them-Raveena Tandon
8:55 AM
Glimpses of the cast were depicted using projection mapping
As she forays into web with Aranyak, Raveena launches trailer with a special visual experience in Lonavala
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; November 24, 2021)
Imagine 25 people in the heart of a forest plunged into darkness. Somewhere not too far away, eerie music begins to play. As if on cue, the trees around start lighting up, one by one. Sounds like the opening scene of a thriller? Here’s the twist though — the 25 people are journalists, and the forest, in reality, the lawns of the Hilton Shillim Estate in Lonavala.
On Monday, Netflix India launched the trailer of Aranyak, which marks the OTT debut of Raveena Tandon, in a special event. It won’t be wrong to say that the makers brought the fictional town of Sironah — in which the series is set — alive in Lonavala. Before we had a dekko at the two-minute trailer, we experienced the spooky universe of the crime thriller. Glimpses of the cast and the trailer were projected on the trees around, using 100-feet projection mapping, as the play of light created imagery of a dense forest around, all set to a spine-chilling score. We weren’t the only ones impressed by the experience — Tandon, who came on stage soon after, summed it up: “Earlier, we used to have mahurats. Today, when I saw this, I was overwhelmed.”
The actor, who was joined by Ashutosh Rana, Meghna Malik, director Vinay Waikul and producer Rohan Sippy, said she felt like a debutant all over again. “My first film Patthar Ke Phool [1991] was with Sippy Films, and now, my OTT debut is with them. Life has come full circle. Since 1991, I’ve been in front of you. I hope [this] will mark [the beginning of] another 30 years of you tolerating me,” she laughed.
At odds with their supernatural thriller, the mood was light-hearted as Sippy joked, “I have aged 60 years. But she still looks like she did in 1991.”
Tanya Bami, series head, Netflix India described Aranyak as a “propulsive thriller”, adding that every woman will identify with Tandon’s character.
Raveena Tandon starts shooting for Rohan Sippy and Vinay Waikul's web-series in Dalhousie
8:18 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; October 18, 2020)
Among the early artistes to commence filming as soon as the lockdown was lifted, Raveena Tandon has followed a string of ad film shoots with her first web series. Work on the female-oriented psychological thriller started in picturesque Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, six months after it was initially meant to kick off.
A trade source tells mid-day, "It is a two-month start-to-finish schedule. The producer [Sidharth Roy Kapur] is following all safety protocols. The cast and crew are being tested, and are practicing social distancing. The web series is being directed by Rohan Sippy and Vinay Waikul, who has earlier made Mission Over Mars. While there were reports that Raveena would start shooting after the pandemic ended, the makers decided to begin now, given that many production houses have resumed shooting."
Tandon, who has also written the series, has four other scripts in her kitty, each of which is suited for the OTT medium. Discussing her foray into digital entertainment, the actor had previously told mid-day, "You can be experimental on the web. The story doesn't have to be limited to two hours, and thankfully, it's not censored."
M.O.M. - Mission Over Mars's story is told from a different viewpoint-Palomi Ghosh and Sakshi Tanwar
7:59 AM
Sakshi Tanwar and Palomi Ghosh discuss why M.O.M. finds takers despite dealing with the same subject as Mission Mangal
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; September 24, 2019)
A month after Mission Mangal delved into the Mars orbiter Mission, the subject has got a digital adaptation in M.O.M. - Mission Over Mars. In a chat with mid-day, lead actors Sakshi Tanwar and Palomi Ghosh discuss the joys of playing scientists and why they are unperturbed by comparisons.
What made you greenlight M. O. M.?
Tanwar: Director Vinay [Waikul] showed me a documentary based on the scientists [who had worked on Mars Orbiter Mission]. Two minutes into the documentary, I knew I had to do the show. After reading the script, I was all the more convinced. Ever since Dityaa [daughter] has become a part of my life, I have become choosy. A show has to be good enough for me to leave my daughter home and head out for a shoot. Ekta [Kapoor, producer] did a smart thing by not telling me that the series was for ALT Balaji, I got to know that after I took on the project.
Ghosh: Since I have been a space enthusiast, it was an easy decision for me once they liked my audition. I had never played a geek before and it was fun doing it. My character is low on emotional quotient and has a high IQ.
Before taking up the project, were you aware that women were instrumental in making Mangalyaan successful?
Tanwar: I remember seeing the photograph of a group of women hugging each other after Mangalayaan was launched successfully. That image had stayed with me. It was the first time there was so much media coverage for the mission.
With Vidya Balan and Akshay Kumar’s Mission Mangal having released last month, comparisons will be inevitable.
Ghosh: The core subject may be common, but the storytelling is from a different point of view. Our narrative is centred around four women. Having said that, I do not want to take away anything from the men in the show because they set an example of what it is to be equals.
The female actors in Mission Mangal had emphasised that they needed Kumar to get a strong opening for the film. Luckily, in television, women enjoy a stronger position.
Tanwar: TV is a medium by women, for women and of women. I am glad that there are female producers, writers, directors and of course, the shows are predominantly about women. Since they are the target audience, the remote is in their hands, too. I am sure some male actors think that we get all the importance. Luckily, I didn’t have co- stars who felt that way.
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