For many creators, it is often a random spark of an idea that unlocks an entire world of new possibilities from which to tell the untold. For filmmaker Neeraj Pandey, this spark happened as a result of a conversation with IPS officer Amit Lodha, and as he ruminated on it, voila! A new Netflix web series was the result: Khakee: The Bihar Chapter.
Known for telling compelling stories based on real-life incidents, Neeraj Pandey has proved his mettle with films like A Wednesday, Special 26, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, and Aiyaary. After making a mark with his Special OPS franchise, Neeraj now returns to OTT with Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, which is based on the life of an IPS officer named Amit Lodha, who is known for ‘eliminating’ some of the most notorious criminals in Bihar. Speaking to us about how it all started, Neeraj credits the meeting with Amit, who wrote Bihar Diaries: The Story of How Bihar's Most Dangerous Criminal was Caught, for kickstarting the process.
"I was intrigued by the life of an IITian who chose IPS over IAS. The story of someone who is born and brought up in Rajasthan and gets into Bihar for his first posting. It was a fascinating fish-out-of-water story for us. I realised that this could be made into a story that audiences would relish," Neeraj shares.
Brimming with excitement, the filmmaker talks about how the project germinated from an idea. "We realised that the story had the potential to be a seven-hour narrative. Monika Shergill (Vice President of Content at Netflix) was excited to collaborate with us, and here we are on this call discussing it." Monika, who is also in the conversation with us, steps in to add that she, in fact, chased him because she wanted his voice on their streaming service. "I have been an admirer of Neeraj's craft and his way of storytelling. I wanted him to make a series for us, and coincidently, he was also tossing around this (Khakee) story. So, yes, he was chased… in a nice way," says Monika, with a smile.
Discussing the importance of having a unique selling proposition and an X factor to ensure that such genre-based content stands out, Monika affirms, "Bihar is a complex, yet dynamic state, and policing is not easy. What attracted me was how Neeraj told Khakee: The Bihar Chapter through a policeman's perspective." Seconding it, Neeraj guarantees that the world of Bihar will be a treat for the audiences as the series gives a “fantastic peek into the culture and history of the state”. "That's where director Bhav Dhulia and scriptwriter Uma Shankar, who are natives of Bihar, bring in their expertise. Even some of our cast members belong to the region. Also, shooting in real locations helped maintain the authenticity," Neeraj adds.
Khakee: The Bihar Chapter is the latest entrant in the crime slate of Netflix, which already has titles like Jamtara, Indian Predator, and Sacred Games. Monika feels that the new series stands out because it is a character-driven crime drama that immerses audiences in the social fabric of Bihar. "The series spans a few years, and it shows the growth of a determined cop who is new to the locality and a criminal who did not start off being one. Their journeys are narrated in parallel, and their eventual goals are to eliminate each other. The meeting of these two proves to be a powerful combination that we rarely see," Monika says.
With true crime stories being the flavor du jour of OTT, in many cases, we have observed a lack of documentation being a detriment in bringing these stories from India to life. Fortunately, that wasn't the case for Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, the duo says. "The journey has been well-chronicled. This series is a combination of both the material in the book and all the research that did not make it into it," Neeraj states.
When asked about the possibility of turning this into a cop franchise perhaps—one that steps in and out of several regions in the country—Monika says, "We hope to tell an infinite number of brilliant stories told in the way Khakee is told. For now, I would like the audience to watch this and let us know how it is appreciated. And yes, we are already working with Neeraj on other projects."
At a time when all film content seems to be aiming for pan-Indian appeal, Neeraj too says that Khakee: The Bihar Chapter is a universal story crafted to cut across boundaries. "When it comes to viewing content, the world is becoming smaller, and stories are becoming language and culture-agnostic. That way, Khakee: The Bihar Chapter is a series that can be viewed by anyone, regardless of their age," he says.
As we wrap up the conversation, Neeraj, who seems to thrive in the crime-drama genre, expresses his interest in doing something lighthearted. "I think I have a decent sense of humour, and if a story requires that particular tone, then why not?"
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