Filmmaker Samit Kakkad's debut series Indori Ishq resonates well with the audience
Samit Kakkad is perhaps one of those very few filmmakers who has managed to keep the bottomline black for their financiers. “My producers have never lost money on my films because I learned the art of writing letters in telegrams — saying a lot with very little,” says the director.
Samit, known for Marathi movies like Aayna Ka Bayna and Half Ticket, debuted in the OTT platform with Indori Ishq which is currently streaming on MX Player. He is also working on another series with a major OTT platform and two feature films with filmmaker Sanjay Gupta. A small-town love story with a twist, Indori Ishq, based on the eponymous book by Kunal Marathe, is being loved by the audience for its simple narrative. We had a chat with Samit about the new show and his next big Marathi flick 36 Gunn starring Marathi star Santosh Juvekar in the lead.
How happy are you with the response to your debut series?
The response has surpassed everyone’s expectations including mine. Messages on social media, phones and mailboxes haven’t stopped trickling in. I am grateful that I got an opportunity to produce and direct the story of writer Kunal Marathe that is actually inspired by his life. People across all age groups have messaged me saying how deeply they connected with the story and its emotions. Some also suggested that I make a sequel or turn this into a small-city-lovestory franchise.
Do you think small-town stories are becoming the flavour of OTT shows?
It’s difficult to pin it down to that and it might not be fair to generalise these things. If there is anything that commonly works on OTT platforms, it is clutter-breaking content. Stories are back in vogue — it could be set in Mumbai or Matheran, as long as it’s said with complete honesty, it works.
The lessons you have picked up in all these years?
Several, one of the most important ones is to invest my time where my heart is. If my conscience and my heart are not in a project, I don’t get into it, no matter how promising the cast or the money sounds.
Indori Ishq is streaming on MX Player
sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @sharmidas