JOIN USEverything is a thumbnail on OTT: 'Undekhi 2' director Ashish R Shukla on clash with 'Rudra'
Director Ashish R Shukla says that he has no issues with the fact that his latest web series Undekhi 2 premiered on OTT alongside Ajay Devgn's much-hyped Rudra, an adaptation of the British series Luther.
"I never had any thoughts about this as everything is just a thumbnail on OTT, something that does not happen in films. Plus we already had an audience as the first season was a bonus hit without stars," he told DH.
Undekhi, which premiered in 2020, emerged as a sleeper hit due to its dark narrative and intense performances. The thriller revolved around the Atwals, an influential family from Manali, and highlighted the consequences of their actions. Its cast was headlined By newcomer Surya Sharma, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and Harsh Chhaya. Undekhi 2 took the story forward and dealt with the clash between the Atwal scion and Bhattacharya's Barun Ghosh, a cop.
"The first season was about the promise of revenge. This time the focus was on delivering the same. The idea was to take it beyond the marriage setting that was shown earlier," added Ashish.
It, however, was not easy for him to work on the series due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown.
"Unlike the first season, this was filmed in Covid times. The challenge was that every actor and technician had a backlog at one level or the other," said the director
Undekhi 2, which featured Meiyang Chang of Indian Idol 3 fame and Nandish Sandu as the new additions, received mixed to positive reviews with critics lauding the performances. It ended on a cliffhanger setting the scene for a potential third season.
"There will be more drama in the new season," said Ashish.
Rudra, on the other hand, has emerged as a 'digital blockbuster' much to the delight of Devgn fans. The biggie revolves around what happens when a cop tries to tackle crime while dealing with challenges in his personal life. It features Raashi Khanna, Esha Deol and Atul Kulkarni in key roles