Ram Gopal Varma, a filmmaker, recently produced the online series ‘Dhahanam,’ and he discusses why he decided to do so.”So far, all of the criminal dramas and political dramas that I have made as a filmmaker, be it ‘Satya’ or ‘Company,’ they have all been set in an urban environment,” Ram told IANS. One of the things that drew me to this narrative is that it takes place in a rural, nearly distant area that is lawless.
“One of those places where even police fears to step in, even though criminal activities are happening there. When a story is set in a specific region, the place becomes a character itself as well as it impacts every character of the narrative. So, overall I found the story very interesting, demands a long format storytelling and web series is the best format for that.”
Agasthya Manju directs the show, which also stars Abhishek Duhan, Ashwatkanth Sharma, Naina Ganguly, Parvathy Arun, and Ravi Kale.
When asked why he chose to produce rather than direct the play, Ram stated, “As I mentioned that the region and culture is a crucial part of the story, I wanted a voice from there to direct the show. Now, Agasthya who is working with me for a long time also hails from that region of Andhra. I think he is the right voice for the show to direct.”
He went on adding, ” We must understand also that for a web show, the showrunner plays the most important part than just the director. For instance ‘Narcos’ has 19 directors, but the audience only knows the name of Chris Brancato, the creator of the show! That is how it works!”
As the show is also a milestone for Isha Koppikar who is making her web debut with the series, talking about casting her, Ram said, ” I think her character is the most relatable one, because she is the police investigating officer, coming from outside, entering the lawless land to resolve the criminal case. She is like the audience and the narrative unfolds through her lens to the audience. It couldn’t have been better casting.”‘
Dhahanam’ released on MX Player on April 14.
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