Kaala Paani actor Ashutosh Gowariker, co-directors Sameer Saxena & Amit Golani on the survival drama

Ashutosh Gowariker in 'Kaala Paani'. (Image courtesy of Netflix © 2023)

Touted to be an exciting survival drama, Netflix’s new show Kaala Paani which airs from October 18 marks filmmaker and actor Ashutosh Gowariker’s return to acting after seven years. With an ensemble cast of Mona Singh, Sukant Goel, Amey Wagh and Vikas Kumar among others, the series co-directed by Sameer Saxena and Amit Golani is set in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and tells the story of a mysterious illness that descends upon the islands and the only way to survive is to escape the place. Gowariker, Saxena and Golani chat about what makes the show a must-watch. Edited excerpts:

As makers, you have been associated with more light-hearted content prior to this, including Permanent Roommates and TVF Tripling. As creative people, do you think it is important to keep trying different genres? 

Amit Golani: Absolutely. Nobody likes to eat dal chawal every day. Just the way actors like to do new things, even creators like to explore different things. It is important for our own growth as creators. We want to challenge ourselves, in terms of scale and genres.

Sameer Saxena: What also happens if you continue doing a certain type of stories is that you figure out the tropes and then there is nothing left to explore as a maker. The minute you have a new genre, it excites you and you put in your best.

Sameer Saxena, co-director of 'Kaala Paani'. (Image courtesy of Netflix © 2023)

What was the inspiration for the story?

Saxena: The idea came from our writer Biswapati Sarkar who has been to Andaman and Nicobar Islands twice. He saw what a beautiful place it was and wondered how it would be if people got stuck there. One is aware of the history of Kala Pani or Cellular Jail where prisoners were taken because there was no way to escape the island. The place in itself gave him this idea.

Ashutosh, it has taken you seven years to return to acting after the Marathi film Ventilator in 2016. For that movie, you had reportedly made the makers wait for six months before agreeing. How long did it take for you to agree to this? 

Ashutosh Gowariker: This was instant. The title spoke to me and I was attracted to it. I wanted to know what is the story for something called Kaala Paani which is not about Veer Savarkar or the Cellular Jail. I was absolutely intrigued to learn that it is a survival drama because nobody here has thought of doing them. Coming from these guys who have already created such great content, I thought it would be exciting to be a part of it. The actor in me is always excited by who the director is. I have seen their work as actors and I have liked it. I was comforted because an actor understands another actor very well. As a director, I always understand what the discomfort of an actor is. They were so confident of me playing this, I had to say yes.

Does your director instinct ever kick in when you are acting for other directors?

Gowariker: No, I try my best to follow the written word and the instructions of the director. Everything about how my character is going to come across is not because how I think he should be but how the director is looking at it. It is not just about taking a shot, but also other elements including what is the light design, what is the music going to be etc. An actor doesn’t have to know all this. In cinema, there are so many elements coming in to enhance your emotions. The larger picture is in their heads, so I don’t want to give any suggestions which have no actual bearing on the product. They are the creators.

There is so much happening in the OTT space with different genres and stories and powerful ensemble casts. In such a scenario, how does one make a clutter-breaking show? 

Saxena: There is no formula for sure. You cannot focus on what others are doing. You just need to pick the story you are most excited about because you are going to give your life’s next two-three years to it. Not everything you make will be a success, and you learn from the mistakes as well and improve upon them. It is about trusting your instinct and then going full throttle with it.