Palash Vaswani on directing Rajshri’s first OTT series, 'Bada Naam Karenge'
Palash Vaswani, the director of Rajshri Productions' first OTT venture, Bada Naam Karenge, opens up about bringing classic romance to the digital age. In this candid conversation with Indulge, he shares his journey, inspirations, and the challenges of adapting Rajshri’s signature warmth for a modern audience.
Rajshri Productions is a legacy in itself. How did you react when you got the call?
It was overwhelming—almost like a dream come true. Sooraj Barjatya is a legendary filmmaker, and I’ve learned so much just by watching his films. I never went to film school; I was an engineer who wanted to tell stories. When Sooraj sir told me he loved Gullak, it was a huge moment for me. The script was in development since 2013, and we took almost two years to shape it for the screen.
What was the casting process like?
It took nearly seven months. We weren’t chasing big stars but looking for actors who truly embodied their characters. OTT initially gave a platform to fresh faces, but now everyone is running behind stars. We wanted actors whose emotions could shine through and create that “boy-next-door, girl-next-door” charm.
Your projects often focus on human relationships with a deep emotional core. What draws you to such narratives?
Simple, everyday stories are the hardest to portray on screen. Thrillers and horrors have plots with twists and turns, but my work is purely driven by human emotions. The challenge is to keep audiences engaged without relying on high-concept storytelling.
What are the key elements that make a romance story truly timeless, in your opinion?
Older films had real conflicts—families didn’t accept partners, couples eloped—these were authentic struggles. Today’s love stories need to have similarly compelling, grounded conflicts to remain timeless.
If you had to describe Bada Naam Karenge in one sentence, what would that be?
True classical family romance.
