Ashutosh Rana, Paoli Dam and Shashank Arora are gearing up for the release of their upcoming murder mystery series The Great Indian Murder that stars Pratik Gandhi and Richa Chadha in the lead. The series will release on Disney+Hotstar on February 4 and is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by Ajay Devgn and Priti Sinha. The series also stars Raghubir Yadav, Sharib Hashmi, Amey Wagh, Jatin Goswami and Mani PR.
In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon.com, Ashutosh, Paoli and Shashank spoke about the USP of the show, what sets it apart, their characters and adapting Vikas Swarup’s best-selling novel Six Suspects in a credible series.
Excerpts from the interview:
There have been a number of good thriller shows on the web lately, what do you think is the USP of The Great Indian Murder that will keep the audience hooked?
Ashutosh: I feel it will be up to the audience what they take from this because we actors feel that the series have everything- drama, action, emotion, suspense, all the elements that are needed to keep an audience engaged is there in The Great Indian Murder.
Paoli: I feel this is a genre that people love to watch whether it is a film or a series and as Ashutosh Sir said it will be up to the audience to figure out the USP of the show. As far as I am concerned being a part of the show is such an honour and privilege, to be directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by Ajay Devgn and Priti Sinha and fantastic production and being a part of this fantastic set of actors, so everything for me is plus. It has been a fantastic journey for all of us. As an audience I would feel that coming from Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vikas Swarup’s story the show will be good.
The Great Indian Murder is an adaptation of Vikas Swarup’s novel Six Suspects, how true have you been to the story and what creative liberties have you taken?
Shashank: I haven’t read the book so I wouldn’t know that. I hope we’ve done justice to the book but how much we’ve stuck to the writing I think only Tigmanshu Sir would be able to tell. Also, I feel the text or the literature should not bind us, but I hope people who’ve read the book like the show too.
To Paoli: You’re coming back to web series after two consecutive hits of Bulbbul and Raat Baaki Hai and both were in the suspense-thriller genre same as The Great Indian Murder. How different is your role here, can you tell us what to expect?
This role is extremely different from my previous ones and that is something that I try to do as an actor that I select roles that are different from what I’ve done before. I don’t know whether I am successful all the time but I try at least from whatever offers I get. So I can say Shabnam Saxena is very different from what Binodini or Vasuki was. The plot or the genre of the series can be same as thriller-crime but the character shades are very different and that is what I like about Shabnam Saxena, about her psyche, she comes from a simple middle class background from there she becomes very successful and the path that she chose to climb and that itself is also very rocky, and she goes through several obstacles and hurdles that everyone growing in their field feels they go through the same thing. What is interesting about her is that she is a very insecure person so that dichotomy, the dilemma, the conflict was always there in the character and when I read it I fould it extremely interesting.
To Ashutosh: You’ve been a part of some really stellar murder mysteries right from Dushman to the last one Aranyak as well as the supernatural beat. What is your fascination with the world of crime, murder, unsolved mysteries, supernatural questions and theories?
Ashutosh: I like action-suspense-drama to see as well as to do. So all these things that have come my way have been in such a space and I don’t like to do simple characters as I feel that life is never plain black or white but is full of varied colours and as there are different notes in music and I’ve always liked playing with all the seven notes so that is something that I love and like to continue doing.
To Shashank: Your role in the series seems to be of a sceptic who has no love lost for the victim. Your thoughts on it?
Shashank: I can’t give you any spoilers but I don’t like Vicky Rai much in the series. I love my character of Munna, he is a mobile thief and a very colourful person. People will love to watch him on screen, he has everything that a young guy has- the anger, the love and the hapless feeling that all of us feel in this country towards the injustice that we see around but we can’t do anything about it. I try to break down my characters into his body language, his relations, his mannerisms and I did the same for Munna. I do the same for all my characters.
The series is produced by Ajay Devgn and directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, which automatically makes the series highly anticipated- is it added pressure or a safety net?
Ashutosh: Add Disney+Hotstar here as well because they also has very loyal fan base. So we have these three factors- Ajay Devgn who is a prolific actor and has millions of fans and lots of credibility, Tigmanshu Dhulia who himself is immensely respected and a platform that people swear by. And the fourth thing here is Vikas Swarup’s best-selling novel Six Suspects on which the series is based on, so we feel that we are immensely lucky to be a part of The Great Indian Murder.
Will we see a sequel to the series?
Ashutosh: This question can only be answered by Ajay Devgn, Disney+Hotstar, Priti Sinha and Tigmanshu Dhulia. However, all said we would love to be a part of the sequel if it comes out.
