Film Karavan, makers of Netflix's Delhi Crime, talk about new normal for content creation

Shooting for many web series continues to be on hold due to the coronavirus-led lockdown. Even makers of Delhi Crime, the Netflix original based on the 2012 Nirbhaya incident, are waiting to resume production work for the second season of the show.

Film Karavan, which tasted success with the launch of the first season of Delhi Crime, the show which is considered as Netflix’s top 10 most-watched content, has a total of 13 projects right now at different stages.

Talking about the new normal for content production especially for web series, Pooja Kohli Taneja, Founder and Managing Director, Film Karavan, said: “I think there will be pre-sort of early check on the kind of material that we are writing, whether it is even going to work when it comes to production time like large crowds or street scenes. If we are not setting the story in a post-COVID time it's going to be very difficult to remove those masks that would be out on the streets.”

“It will be very difficult to have a crowd scene with a thousand people like we had in Delhi Crime showing the protest at India Gate in these times. Until we have complete control on this situation, we'll have to be very creative to make shoots and stories happen in a post-COVID normal that will exist when we get back to shooting,” she added.

Ask her what is the most important element for a series, she says, “The world is the most important element of a show. This is followed by characters and then the plot. Unlike a film that has the protagonist, the love interest and the antagonist, here it is imperative to create multi-dimensional characters with main arcs as well as sub-story arcs. After all, you need 10 hours to tell a story, therefore you make a show.”

In terms of decrease in production budget, Taneja thinks there will be no drop as in times of COVID-19, web content saw growth and usage, when all else failed to entertain the people who were stuck at home.

What are the latest projects of Film Karavan?

“We are working on Delhi Crime season 2 and 3. In addition to that, we have a bunch of shows that we are currently writing and are in development, ranging from a young dance musical to a period piece that is set in the pre-Independence India with a youth relationship drama. There's a detective show in the pipeline as well,” said Taneja.

She added that they are playing with the art of telling a story in an episodic manner which is something very new to the Indian market.

“Some are books that have been optioned, some are materials which are based on true case files or stories. Some are completely fictionalised, and we also have a mix of writer-directors from India as well as international talent that is working on these,” she added.