Filmmaker Saurabh Bhave, who has helmed the recently released third season of the political drama show ‘Maharani’, has shared that the show’s biggest strength is making the political characters relatable to the larger audience.
Saurabh recently spoke with IANS about the fan-favourite show, its politics and his experience of working in a political drama.
Films have direct correlation of box-office numbers with its success but, how does one define the success of an OTT content?
Talking about the barometer of success on OTT, the director told IANS: “I strongly believe that any creation that delivers on its promise is a successful content. There are shows made for the wider audiences and if its grammar and narrative style makes it easier for the access of masses than the show is true to its promise. Similar is in the case of niche content. Maharani’s narrative style helps it penetrate through wider audiences. Making political characters relatable has been its biggest strength.”
The show boasts of an ensemble starcast. When asked what’s the trick to handling so many charged up creative energies on set, he said, “Thanks to the earlier seasons, the actors are so much in sync with their characters and have a set rhythm when they face each other on camera. Rather such creative energies make the job easier. One only needs to push the actors to try more variations and they are always up for it. Each variation performed by such actors in different takes is so good that it makes it difficult to choose only one from it.”
Saurabh also spoke about working in a set-up of political drama and how the genre adds to his strength as a storyteller.
The director told IANS: “I have always enjoyed political drama as a genre and loved earlier seasons of 'Maharani' even as an audience. ‘Maharani’ gave me an opportunity to traverse through the world of politics. As a storyteller you look forward to experimenting with different stories, structures and genres; 'Maharani' was an enriching experience for sure.”
Saurabh took over the reins in the third season of ‘Maharani’.
Explaining what was the journey for him like walking into an already set narrative, he told IANS: “There is certain pressure of entering into a franchise that is loved by so many but we had a great team to pull it off. Also the creator and showrunner of the show Subhash Kapoor gave us all the freedom to express ourselves that really helped. The focus was more on the visual narrative as the story and structure was already set and from the earlier seasons.”
‘Maharani 3’ streams on Sony LIV.
