Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma recently made his debut as a web series producer with Dhahanam. Starring Isha Koppikar Narang, Sayaji Shinde and others, it began streaming on MX Player on April 14. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
How different is your production venture Dhahanam compared to the underworld-crime dramas you have previously helmed?
I started my career with crime drama. All the crime dramas like Satya and Company were set in Mumbai. But the story of this particular region that is shot is almost like the Wild West, and the kind of people have something of the region. The terrain will be the main difference, I thought. When I told this story to the creative team of MX Player, they also got very excited, and that’s how the collaboration happened.
You first cast Isha in the item song Khallas, and now, she plays a tough cop in Dhahanam...
When I offered her Khallas, she was just starting her career. The height of innocence is, she asked me, ‘Do you think I can do this?’ I said, ‘No one can give that guarantee. The point is, it is not a regular item song. It has a scope for a lot of expressions. The way she says, Khallas, that is the soul of the film, and you will get a lot of exposure’. She took two minutes to think and said yes instantly.
Go on...
Isha is the only person who is to put on a performance in Dhahanam. She comes as an outsider into this region as a police officer, and it’s through her eyes the story unfolds. She can’t believe something like this exists.
Sayaji Shinde seems to be one of your favourite performers. Could you explain?
He is wonderfully talented. He was once thought to be wrongly cast in Shool. They felt he was overly dramatic. The film was shot in Bihar. When I saw the rushes, I felt this guy is the best.
Do you feel Dhahanam will rule OTT?
Whether it will rule OTT or not, only time will tell. Actually, it’s the storytelling that matters. At the moment, it is told in a different manner that may create a few layers. It is a very revengeful and volatile kind of story. The fight is between the landlords and the Naxalists, and the rivalry of the families is also predominantly involved.
Comparisons between Dhahanam and your earlier works are inevitable. Do you have any pressure?
I’m not showing any comparisons to my previous crime projects. When I made Bhoot, it was the first one-of-its-kind horror film to be set in an apartment. Usually, such stories are set in a mansion, forest or a weird place. But since I shot in an apartment, you change the entire dynamic of what one thinks about it. I can’t be compared to what I have done earlier.
Why are you not directing Dhahanam?
Direction is eventually about taking decisions about the story... How and where it has to be shot? Also, as a director, I have to decide about the technicians and cast. I wanted to see from the top and look into all the departments. This is the reason I decided not to direct Dhahanam.
