‘The world is now our stage,’ says Tigmanshu Dhulia whose directorial The Great Indian Murder hits OTT space on February 4

Mona

Vicky Rai ko kisne maara is what Tigmanshu Dhulia’s latest OTT offering The Great Indian Murder explores, following six suspects through the length and breadth of the country. With Richa Chadha and Pratik Gandhi in the lead roles, the show is based on Vikas Swarup’s novel, Six Suspects.

Dhulia helms the project and lists his reasons to take on The Great Indian Murder (TGIM). “To be honest, I couldn’t resist it as the show is based on Vikas Swarup’s book, the man who has given Slumdog Millionaire. Also, Vikas and I both belong to Ilahabad (Prayagraj), though we never met back then. Add to it, my association with Disney+Hotstar has always been amazing. So, I had to make it.”

Richa Chadha and Pratik Gandhi are the lead pair of the show. Interestingly, the two characters were not a part of the original book. “It’s so amazing how the book, a page turner, is turned into a screenplay that leaves each episode on a cliff-hanger. I was curious to see how my character turns out and so I read the entire script in one go,” says Richa. 

I couldn’t resist it as the show is based on Vikas Swarup’s book, the man who has given Slumdog Millionaire. —Tigmanshu Dhulia

When I work with Tigmanshu neither do I ask about the character nor the story. Ours is just like Rana Pratap and Chetak’s jugalbandi. — Ashutosh Rana

It’s amazing how the book is turned into a screenplay that leaves each episode on a cliff-hanger. I read the entire script at one go. —Richa Chadha

It is a challenging character and I haven’t done something like this before. — Pratik Gandhi

Joining her is Pratik Gandhi, the famous Scam 1992 protagonist, only this time he is on the right side of the law. “It is a challenging character and I haven’t done something like this before,” says Pratik. Ashutosh Rana plays Vicky Rai’s father in the series. “When I work with Tigmanshu neither I ask about the character nor the story. Just like there was Rana Pratap and Chetak’s jugalbandi. Also, Vikas Swarup writes about psychology of the character which is universal,” says Rana. 

“Something is always lost when a book transitions into a film, but something is also gained – a fresh perspective that comes from the director and his team. The Great Indian Murder is not just a mystery but human drama at its best. It brings something totally new and different element to the OTT universe,” says Vikas Swarup, author of Six Suspects, who is amazed, how the series has brought the the story so beautifully on the screen.  

Some 8 or 10 years back, Dhulia had predicted that OTT would take over films. “I had already said so, only coronavirus has given it speed.” Very happy in this space, he says, “The discipline is exactly the same as the film, only we probably get more days of shoot. Add to it, the new actors are quite disciplined. We have the latest technology and the world is now our stage.”

Ajay Devgn and Priti Vinay Sinha are the producers, both debuting in digital space. But it’s just the beginning. “Lots of projects are currently in the scripting stage and by the end of the year, you will see a couple of films and shows on OTT with me as producer and as an actor too,” promises Devgn.

Swarup has shown a very interesting, intriguing, exciting and thrilling Hindustan, deems Dhulia, who also makes a case for his cinematographer Rishi Punjabi. “The very look of the film comes from Rishi Punjabi.  You will see everything, from Kashmir to Chennai and Chhattisgarh, through his work,” says Dhulia, claiming the series to bring to the fore a kaleidoscope of Indian culture with characters from different strata of society, including a heroine, a politician, an IAS officer and a slum dweller!”’

The Great Indian Murder streams on Disney+Hotstar from February 4