Coming soon, Nograj sequel on digital platform
Danit Sait and Saad Khan are all set to leave you in splits. They are getting ready with a sequel to Humble Politician Nograj, which is now going to be on a streaming platform.
The 10-episode web series is being made by the production house, Applause Entertainment. The team has completed 95 per cent of the shoot, and is left with two days of work. The content has been created by Danish Sait and the Applause team.
It is co-produced by First Action and the producers include Sameer Nair, Danish Sait, Maaz Khan and Saad Khan. The latter has written the screenplay and is also directing it.
Meanwhile, the makers are working on the post-production too. The film is currently in the editing stages.
Danish Sait, who had camped in Mysuru with the team for 45 days and completed the shoot, tells CE that the series has shaped up well with contribution from multiple actors and good storytelling.
He says he is happy to learn from Bharat, the editor, that he is finding it difficult to use the scissors because he finds every scene funny.
“Recalling the shooting of the entire episode in Mysuru, I find that the City of Palaces is so quiet and warm. It helped us complete the shoot in time. I did have withdrawal symptoms once I completed the shoot and came back to Bengaluru,” says the writer, actor, Radio host, Emcee, and presenter.
Danish says it is unbelievable to see what Saad Khan has done.
“We realise that with Saad and me on the sets, with both of us being good with improv, a lot of jokes happen then and there. It is obvious when you look at the script. Over and above everything, that extra line and action was a motivation, and it looked funny.
They say experience makes us better and bitter. It is great to come back together and work as a team, with Vijay Chendoor, Disha Madan and 20 artistes as part of the cast,” says Danish, adding, “ When we did Humble Politician Nograj as a movie, it made us better, and everyone enjoyed the film. However, we enjoyed making the series more.
"Roles are more defined, and we had clarity. I remember, we had the film screened in the United States, and everyone gave inputs. But I gave the staple answer that there’s nothing I could edit at that point, and they have to just watch it for what it is.
"It was not a live play, it was a film, which cannot undergo any changes once we let it out on the silver screen.”
Ask him if Nograj will be released soon to cash in on the current demand for OTT platforms right now, with people hooked to home entertainment because of the coronavirus outbreak, and he says, “I don’t think so.
The world is currently at a distance from everything, and everybody is indoors. Having said that, everything on the internet with good content is thriving.
"When you make a binge-watch show, which is out on a Friday, people watch it the same night or the next day and the word is passed around. But good content does not demand a certain time, and the production house and the team will take a call on this.”
However, Danish is happy that unlike films, a web series does not make him face distributors. “There is a world of difference. Movies need a superstar or big presentation that can bring people. We have seen people watching the trailers, teasers and songs, but how many of them go and watch the film,” he asks.
Danish also has a movie coming up. The yet-to-be-titled film, directed by Pannaga Bharana and made under PRK Productions, has been completed, and is getting ready for release. “I am very nervous with my second outing, and I am getting jitters. Considering that I am possessive about what I do, this film is giving me more tension, which is not the case with the series,” he signs off.
Everyone is turning towards digital platform: Saad Khan
Movie Humble Politician Nograj created a good buzz. However, everyone is turning towards web series and digital platform for entertainment.
"Keeping this trend in mind, I think we took a good call on getting the sequel on the OTT platform,” says director Saad Khan, adding that Danish Sait is quite active on the social media. “When both of us talked about it, we reached a clear cut decision to venture into the direction of creating a web series.”
“We are excited. It got a similar thrill when we did the feature film, but the treatment has changed quite considerably, keeping in mind the digital audience. The driving language of Humble Politician Nograj sequel is Kannada, but there are characters talking in Hindi and English too.”