The inimitable duo of Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao is bringing Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose alive on the web. The creative director that he is, Mehta believes that there could be no better time to tell Bose’s story and make him relevant for young Indians
Does this series have seasonsIJ
Well, the first season is approximately 240 minutes. It will be a ten-part season.
Why did you choose the digital formatIJ
I think the digital medium is inevitable in our evolution as an artiste. It is undoubtedly a more democratic format and allows for innovative story-telling.
Do you think that there is too much hype and hoopla about the restrictive culturescape in our countryIJ
In an artistic sense, I think censorship is overrated and over-discussed. We have learnt to live with it and we have learnt to complain about it all the time. look at Iran, they make spectacular films with heavy censorship. We have to learn from them, of learning to work within that system. In the end, we have to tell human stories.
Because you chose Bose to make a bio series, you must have done a lot of research and referencingIJ
Well, Bose was Ekta’s brainchild. It was developed by her and her team. I read the script by a gifted writer called Reshu Nath. It is very well-researched. For me, it is about exploring a new format and within that, how do you take the story to the audience that consumes digital content and how do you make it more approachable and acceptable to them. I can’t sell India’s freedom struggle to the younger audience anymore. The idea is to sell a hero about whom not much is known. The idea is to sell that in a way that is palatable to today’s generation.
So treatment wise, how is it different for you as a filmmakerIJ
I must clarify, I am the creative producer. I am sort of responsible for the entire creative output of the show. It is being directed by a young director, Pulkit, whose film Maroon is everywhere on Netflix. The brief that I have given to him is to make Bose a rockstar. In attitude and grit though. We are getting a background rap by Q. He is a great rapper and Bose rap is something I needed to draw the youth to the story. It is very creative but not disrespectful.
When you recreate an iconic figure, you’re bound to be panned. Particularly when the subject is a revered icon who cannot be shown as anything less than superhuman. Does the digital format help you ease out a bitIJ
See, I have always done that. I have never let my work get bogged down by research, be it Shahid or Aligarh or the recently-completed Omerta. For me, my characters have always been personal. The public life, the politics of it is atmosphere, it’s environment. We have deftly mixed fact and fiction to make a very compelling and engaging screenplay.
What do you do about the epical backdrop because no story on Bose would be complete without his travelsIJ
Well, we are travelling. It is perhaps one of the biggest shows that is being made in the country right now.
What is the timeline you are looking atIJ
We are intending to release the show on August 15. The good thing about web content is an episode need not to be limited or fixed to a specific duration. Whatever engages the audience is the duration. Thirty minutes max. Not one hour. It is too much to stream.
Is this a break from you own style of filmmakingIJ
Well, every film is a departure. Aligarh was very different from Shahid. I consume a lot of digital content myself and do a lot of binge-watching. So I have been itching to get into the digital medium for sometime.
The youth demographic will certainly adapt to it easily. What about the older demographicIJ
I think I belong to that middle demographic which is 40 to 50. And I am a huge consumer. The lesson to be learnt is there is something there for everyone in that space. I like House of Cards, my daughter would like something else and my son would like Riverdale. There is something for everyone. And that’s what Ekta has done really well. It is a very eclectic mix, keeping in mind the Indian audience.
Since you are conversant with digital media, are we headed towards a revolution in popular culture, a shift of sortsIJ
I have always been optimistic. There was a middle lull in my career when I became a little pessimistic. This was between 2002 and 2010. Pre-Shahid and post Ye Kya Ho Raha Hai. I think the entertainment space is evolving like never before. What gives me hope is the kind of filmmakers that are emerging. like this boy who is directing Bose, Pulkit is very bright. It’s a new mind and has so much energy. Younger filmmakers are ready to take more risk than us.
What about story-tellingIJ
It needs to evolve further. We are unfortunately bogged down by the kind of stories we tell. Somewhere it has to do with commercial constraints but the digital medium will break that.
Your take on clampdowns on artistes...
We will tell more human stories which will blossom much more. I will only say this. Trust us to be more responsible and have faith in us. We have imposed implicit faith in you when we voted for you. Have faith in us; trust the people who voted you to power with their art.
How will economics work in a digital project of this scaleIJ
I haven’t studied the economics of it but I think it is currently an investment-heavy proposition. I think digital is going to be the permanent archive of important stories. Bose’s story is going to be there forever. And no investment is too big for that legacy.
Are you still cookingIJ
Yeah, cooking and blogging keep me alive.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar