Set in the hinterland of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur — a high-on-testosterone world of gangs and guns — is one of the first Indian shows to distinguish between the creator and the director. With a stellar cast — Pankaj Tripathi, Vikrant Massey, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu Sharma, Rasika Dugal, Shweta Tripathi, Sheeba Chadha and Shriya Pilgaonkar — the series is Amazon Prime Original’s latest Indian production that releases today. The Hindu spoke to co-creator Karan Anshuman and director Gurrmeet Singh about Mirzapur ’s characters, why there’s a need for strong women onscreen and what the lack of censorship means to filmmakers.
Keeping it real
Singh is delighted that strong women actors like Dugal, Shweta Tripathi and Pilgaonkar play pivotal roles on the series. He emphasises, “They know the world they are in and the kind of limitations this society has put on them, yet are very clear on what they want and they’re going for it.” Sensitive to the times we are living in, Anshuman continues, “We have a responsibility to empower women and create characters with agency, who even in this extremely patriarchal world, can hold their own. It was a real challenge in a setting like Mirzapur and still keep it real.”
Talking about the male counterparts in Mirzapur , Anshuman says, “Guddu and Babloo Pandit, played by Ali Fazal and Vikrant Massey, come from simple middle-class backgrounds. One is studying very hard and trying to take a shot at the IAS. The other brother’s dream is to open a gym and be a bodybuilder. Suddenly, they’re thrust into this world of crime and violence and have to make some difficult choices.” Singh’s insight into the men of the Tripathi family — Kaleen Bhaiya (Pankaj Tripathi), Munna (Divyenndu Sharma) is succinct —“They’re the business tycoons of Mirzapur. The way they deal with their businesses — both lawful and unlawful — is very similar. Kaleen Bhaiya has a strong moral code. He wants to conduct his business genuinely and responsibly. His son, Munna is a spoiled brat. He’s entitled, wants the power but has no check on reality. Yet, he’s doing it all for his father’s love and approval.”
Free from the scissors
The lack of censorship on OTT platforms has bestowed unwarranted freedom to content creators. But when it comes to colourful language, violence and sex, how much is too much? “Since there’s no censorship, the onus is on the makers,” shares Singh. “What we've decided is that we will treat the violence, the language as we would any other tool in a story. Wherever we felt it’s not working for the story and was just sensationalising the content, we pulled back.” The concern, he says was to stay real, “The world is violent and the people we are portraying have a certain way of talking, which can be colourful. We wanted the show to seem as authentic as possible,” he adds. Anshuman reiterates, “In terms of violence, we have pushed it a little bit. It’s going to be interesting to see such visceral images coming out of an Indian production for the first time.”
When asked what about Mirzapur will appeal to a global audience completely unaware of such a milieu, pat comes Singh’s reply, “It’s about these young men and their aspirations. They’re all looking for a better life, a better footing in the world. And that is just universal. It’s a story of survival, which everyone can relate to, no matter what part of the world you live in.”
Mirzapur will stream on Amazon Prime Video, from November 16
