Attempt is to focus on reinvention: Viacom18 Studios Pictures COO Ajit Andhare

Mumbai, Dec 12 (PTI): Riding high on the success of “Drishyam 2”, Viacom18 Studios Pictures COO Ajit Andhare says the aim of the film studio is to explore newer stories and build franchises simultaneously. Through their filmography which includes titles like “Kahaani”, “Pyaar Ka Punchnama”, “Special 26”, “Queen”, and “Padmaavat”, Andhare said the Mumbai-based company is dedicated towards delivering unique content across genres.
“The main attempt at the studio is we should not get trapped into a certain method or formula. You have to constantly reinvent.
“You have to ask questions: Are you becoming irrelevant? Are there any stories that you haven’t told? Storytellers today are exploring different themes and the environment has compelled them to explore different themes and that always enriches cinema,” Andhare told PTI in an interview here.
Touted India’s “first fully integrated motion picture studio”, the upcoming movie line-up of Viacom18 Studios Pictures boasts of a entertainers like “Govinda Naam Mera” featuring Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Kiara Advani; Hrithik Roshan-Deepika Padukone “Fighter”, billed as India’s first aerial action film, and the romantic film “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani” starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt with Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi in pivotal roles.
These titles are nothing like what the content company has offered to the viewers in the past, Andhare said. While the team is developing films with theatrical experience in mind, the plan with OTT platforms is to go looking for “rooted” stories.
“We haven’t done this kind of top-fighting action film so we are doing ‘Fighter’. ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’ is a mainstream entertainer. Then, there is the sequel to ‘Oh My God’.
“‘Dhak Dhak’ is a story of four women who go on a road trip and discover themselves, we have ‘Single Salma’ with Huma Qureshi, ‘Suspect’ with Nana Patekar,” he added. Andhare said the company is also actively working towards developing content for the digital medium via its digital arm Tipping Point.
Some of the web series under development include crime thriller “Parallax”, investigative drama “KaalKut”, “Transition” which is described as a ground-breaking reality show, murder mystery “Mahim”, and “Boots, Belts & Berets”, a series based on Army cadets’ life.
“For series, the approach is very different, you go for rooted and dense stories, for example the world of ‘Jamtara’ and ‘She’. You will see similar things in ‘Parallax’, ‘KaalKut’, ‘Mahim’ and ‘Boots, Belts & Berets’.
“We have an exciting series in ‘Transition’, which talks about trans queen of 2021 Shaine Soni,” he added. The record-breaking run of the studio’s latest big-screen offering “Drishyam 2”, starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu, is a shot in the arm for Viacom18 Studios Pictures, added the senior executive.