Dharmatic is the digital wing of one of many largest manufacturing homes in India – Dharma Productions. Netflix is likely one of the largest streaming platforms on the planet. The two have come collectively on a number of tasks to ship contemporary content material to the audiences – the most recent being the Madhuri Dixit starrer The Fame Game, which releases at this time. Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India and Apoorva Mehta, CEO, Dharma Productions discuss concerning the challenges of creating a present in the course of the pandemic and the strain on them to ship participating content material.
What was the imaginative and prescient behind Dharmatic and the way has the affiliation with Netflix carried that ahead?
Apoorva: Our model of storytelling has all the time been applauded by the lots. It made sense to take that to the digital house. Dharmatic is nothing however Dharma’s promise of wealthy content material within the digital house. We began our journey with Netflix, Dharmatic hasn’t been related to some other OTT platform. What we now have discovered up to now is because of Netflix. We did our options with Netflix, be it Guilty, Ajeeb Dastaans and Meenakshi Sudareshwar. We did an unscripted present just like the Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, and The Fame Game is our first scripted present.
How was The Fame Game conceived?
Apoorva: Shri Rao approached us, he’s the creator of the present. Karan (Johar) beloved the fabric, and that was the start line for us. And then he mentioned he was taking a look at Netflix because the platform for the present. We have been very eager to make a journey with Netflix, and what higher than this fabulous scripted present.
Monika: We have labored throughout codecs in a brief span of two years. Scripted content material takes longer to make. We did one thing for Sheela, a characteristic documentary, which was a brand new factor for us additionally. The Fame Game’s story could be very highly effective. Shri Rao all the time wished to solid Madhuri. It is a couple of superstar who resides underneath the highlight and what occurs to her private life due to that and the way the traces get blurred. It’s a narrative which blends household setting with thriller and suspense.
How tough was it taking pictures in the course of the pandemic?
Monika: We labored on the present by way of the pandemic, in the course of the hardest occasions. Dharma and Netflix have been actually partnering on this. Apoorva was within the thick of manufacturing throughout this time.
Apoorva: We had simply begun filming and Covid struck. It could be very daunting process when you may have so many individuals geared as much as begin working after which one thing goes flawed. Loads went flawed throughout that interval because of Covid, however we managed to do that due to the help of Netflix. When issues get delayed, cash is misplaced, however we have been by no means made to really feel any of that. The security of the crew was all the time on their thoughts. The love between the 2 firms will replicate on the present.
How does The Fame Game mix household drama with parts of a thriller?
Apoorva: In an extended format like a scripted present, simply plain vanilla observe just isn’t going to work. You are making 8 episodes almost 45 minutes to an hour. So you need to make it immersive, participating and entertaining for the viewers. At the guts of it, it’s a household drama, however it showcases all the assorted complexities of a lifetime of a celebrity, the worth you pay for stardom.
Monika: In a binge format, thrillers provide you with an emotional journey. Curiosity is an crucial emotion for human beings, they need to know, their minds need to assume forward, and you retain getting sucked right into a story. Thrillers have actually taken off on streaming.
When Dharmatic and Netflix comes collectively, what’s the strain like, to ship?
Apoorva: The strain is large, you’re uncovered to a lot content material throughout the globe, so we now have to always maintain evolving. You must make content material that breaks by way of the crowded noise of {the marketplace}.
Monika: It’s the great sort of strain. When you may have the chance to inform tales and when you may have companions like Dharma, we are able to elevate the bar and ship the most effective. That’s probably the most thrilling half.
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