The dashing and talented director Abhinay Deo is on a roll currently. His web series, Brown, starring Karisma Kapoor and backed by Zee Studios, has emerged as the only Indian show to be part of Berlin Market Selects 2023, which was held during the 73rd annual Berlin International Film Festival. Currently in London, the filmmaker exclusively spoke to Bollywood Hungama about this honour and a lot more.
EXCLUSIVE: “In her prime, Karisma Kapoor played different characters but they were all glamorous. So it was a great idea to strip the glamour off and make her into something so real as a character in Brown” – Abhinay Deo
Except for Doosra, all your projects till now, be it Game (2011), Delhi Belly (2011), the TV show ‘24’ (2013), Force 2 (2016), Blackmail (2018) and Brown have had English titles. Is this intentional?
Not at all. I actually never thought about this (laughs)! But it was just the kind of scripts that I chose. In ‘24’, I could not change the title as it was the adaptation of an international series of the same name.
And what made you title the show Brown? Is it because the lead protagonist is named Rita Brown? Or is there any other reason?
It is primarily the character’s name. But yes, the series talks about the different shades that a human being has. It’s not just a thriller or a murder mystery. It makes an in-depth analysis of how people are. They are neither white nor black. While that was one of the thoughts, the show was named Brown only because of the lead character.
Was it difficult or easy to get Karisma Kapoor on board?
The kind of role that we had, the actor had to be somebody who is of a certain age, who is a fine actor and who is not a conventional choice. All her life, Karisma has done very glamorous roles. In her prime, she played different characters but they were all glamorous. So it was a great idea to strip the glamour off and make her into something so real as a character. Initially, yes, it was difficult to convince her. She was contemplating whether Brown is the right project for her. But once we sat down and talked about the character and my expectations, it was a no-brainer for her.
Brown is entirely set in Kolkata. Vidya Balan-starrer Kahaani (2012) has set a benchmark as it showed the City of Joy like never before. Did it play in your mind that you have to ensure that you show Kolkata in a way that it stands out from Kahaani or the rest of the thrillers set in Kolkata?
No, it wasn’t in my mind. Kahaani was a fantastic film and I don’t approach films that way. I consider what the script and the characters demand and how the city needs to play an important role. In Brown, there’s a reason why it’s set in Kolkata. It is a rare city which is a metro and yet, behaves like a small town in many ways. At the same time, it encompasses different cultures. Bengalis, Marwaris, Biharis, Anglo-Indians etc co-exist in Kolkata. There are a lot of varied cultures and you can see their impact on the city. That’s what interested me to go with Kolkata. It had nothing to do with the way it was shot. I am anyway not a fan of shooting a city by showcasing its tourist attractions. Agar aapko Howrah Bridge dekhna hai toh Incredible India ka ad dekh lo (laughs)! Even in Delhi Belly, we didn’t show India Gate or Qutub Minar. I feel that a city is not its monuments. The city is its people and its underbelly. That’s what I’d rather show and also culturally, what the city stands for.
Two locations that stood out for me in Brown were the tram depot where people are shown living in the trams and the scene where we see the informer operating from a very intriguing location…
The second place was Tangra (aka Chinatown). The very fact that you mentioned it is a success for us! Earlier, Tangra used to be quite fascinating but now it is a dying part of Kolkata. I wanted that to be an element. Meanwhile, every filmmaker who goes to Kolkata feels obligated to shoot a scene in trams. The tram culture, however, is almost gone. In the next two years, trams will be obsolete. So, what happens to these trams? Interestingly, they are standing in a yard and poor or homeless people have started living in it. So, we decided to focus on that.
How important is the Berlinale honour for you?
We make films not just for ourselves. We make it for a large section of the audience. And getting accolades from a reputed festival makes you feel that you are heading in the right direction. There’s a commercial side and there’s an aesthetic side to any content. Both being praised is a feat. Brown is not out to the public. So we’ll know shortly how they receive it. But having a pat on the back from the very respected Berlinale is a very big feather in our cap. It makes us feel proud and happy.
How many episodes of Brown were screened at Berlinale?
We showed two episodes. The show is under production and we were only ready with the first two episodes.
When will Brown be released to the public?
It is in process and we are at the tail end of the post-production. Shortly, we shall make an announcement in this regard.
Several web series end on a cliffhanger. Can we expect that in Brown and are there any plans for Brown’s sequel?
Certainly, there is. We would hate to have such great characters created not being used to their maximum potential. So, we have our plans for part 2. Time will tell how it goes.
You are about to shoot your next film in London. Could you share details?
Not at the moment. It is not even named yet and hence, it’ll be difficult for me to share.
Will the title be in English?
Let’s hope not (laughs)! On a serious note, it’s a drama thriller and I am hoping that the audience will find it interesting.
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