Having directed Mayar Jonjal, Phoring, Ekti Bangali Bhooter Goppo with connectable themes, director Indranil Roychowdhury now makes his debut in web series with a crime-thriller Chhotolok, set to premiere on November 3 on Zee5. The series stars Priyanka Sarkar, Daminee Benny Basu, Gaurav Chakraborty, and Ushasi Ray as lead characters while paving the way for Indrani Halder's web debut as well. Indulge caught up with him on his new experience.
Congratulations on your web series debut. Is the creative process similar or different from your other works?
It’s a different process. Storytelling skills are majorly important and there is always the challenge to make the audience sit through. The web format is new and we are all learning. There are some myths like at the end of every episode if you don’t present a hammer-breaking suspense the audience does not stay. It is not so. The audience today is intelligent. Since they watch a variety, it is impossible to fool them. The only road to success then is hard work; maybe even write the same thing 20 times over. We have done that and one has to see if we have succeeded in it.
What can you reveal about Chhotolok?
A dead body is found in a flat, and sub-inspector Sabitri Mondal (Daminee Benny Basu) arrives to investigate. On the face, she understands it’s an open-and shut-case. But when she starts pursuing it, she realises it is a situation beyond her imagination. From there emerge several stories and instances.
Can you spill the beans on the title – Chhotolok?
The name has come from power or might. It’s a story about the abilities of various people, whether it is a police officer, a politician, or anybody. Everyone uses the person below them to their advantage.
What do you think works in the web space for a contemporary audience?
We have just started discovering this space. The formulae we are applying are primarily that of television. I think that is not a very intelligent thing to do. What is available on television, a person will watch it via TV only. The web audience now has a variety at their disposal. If they don’t like something they will stop watching it after some time. Because of this everyone wants to proceed with a roller coaster speed in nine episodes, but the technique of this roller coaster in reality is different.
Do you think an ensemble cast makes it click on-screen today?
Cast was never a challenge. I love working with actors and I think they too love working with me. I take a lot of time to prepare before shooting. Sometimes we have a situation where we have to finish the work in a day which could have otherwise been done comfortably in one and a half days. But that’s a reality.
What inspires you to keep going?
I observe. That is my reference point. Also, I am surrounded by a lot of common people. So maybe that reflects in my work.
Photo: Pritam Sarkar