Makarand Deshpande: 'The concept of Shoorveer is in itself a unique idea'

Makarand Deshpande (right) and Manish Chaudhari in 'Shoorveer'.

What happens when the best of the Indian Air Force, Navy and Army join forces to take on the country’s enemies? Disney + Hotstar’s military drama series Shoorveer, streaming since July 15, is an action-packed ride with veteran actors Makarand Deshpande, Manish Chaudhari and Arif Zakaria helming the show along with Regina Cassandra, Armaan Ralhan and Aadil Khan, among others.

In an interview, Deshpande and Chaudhari spoke about Shoorveer, how they pick roles, and how storytelling and the roles they're being offered have changed with the rising popularity of streaming platforms. Excerpts:

From all the offers coming your way, what made you say yes to 'Shoorveer'?

Manish: Let me just clarify, and I will not speak for Makarand, but I am not getting as many offers as you probably think I am (laughs).

Makarand: Yeh naa bahot bolta hai (he says no to a lot of offers); he is very choosy (laughs).

Tell us a bit about the character you play?

Makarand: I play the National Security Adviser, which in itself is a new character for me. I have never even been the captain of a cricket team and here, I get to be on such a high post. However, I was a wicketkeeper, so I know how to keep the wickets. Also, there are some roles you enjoy more when you are of a certain age because you have had a lot more life experience, both good and bad. My character has a lot of thinking to do and he is someone who is very knowledgeable. This character is way, way more than what I am as a person. I am a writer, director and actor who can express himself or delve into any matter but when you’re a national security adviser, there are limitations. You have to be cautious. This is the most responsible character I have ever played.

Manish, what makes you say yes to a role?

My own belief in the character I am playing and the story I am going to be part of is key, because if I believe in the story and in the journey of the character, only then will the audience believe it. The audience can take some time off and switch off for a while and come back, but an actor doesn’t get to do that. Your belief systems have to be on point and they have to be very real for you.

Storytelling has reached people’s homes. The OTT revolution in the past three or four years has been amazing. Makarand will agree with me that the kind of varied work that has suddenly started to be offered to us as actors is just astounding. The world has changed and we are just lucky enough to see that change and be a part of it.

Tell us a bit about the prep for the show. Did you have to train physically to look the part?

Manish: I realised that with technology there is so much I can find out with the click of a button. On movies like Rocket Singh - Salesman of The Year and with the web series Powder, there was so much prep I had to do on-ground, but now, I managed to do all my prep within 4-6 weeks just sitting at home. As the opportunity arises, if you’re lucky, you are able to have a chat with personnel who are in charge of things related to national security. But of course, all that is classified. The referencing has to be correct because it’s a military series and we had a military adviser to look at those details for us. Physically, they do a lot of training which has to do with strength and cardiovascular all together. They have to be agile, so that requires a lot of running and pull-ups and push-ups. Since I am always interested in keeping physically fit as an actor, I took to it like fish to water.

This show has a few veteran actors but the rest of the cast is relatively new. Does it put added pressure on you to deliver the goods?

Makarand: I don’t think OTT needs to have popular faces. Of course, actors such as Manoj Bajpayee and Kay Kay Menon have all come on OTT, but some shows are heroes in themselves. I think the concept of Shoorveer is in itself a unique idea.

Manish: I think what larger than life cinema misses out on is that everybody is the hero of their own lives. I think as stories become more and more realistic, it is becoming more and more important that stories are being told about regular people living regular lives. We are suddenly seeing stories from the hinterland and from all parts of the country. That is something larger than life cinema misses out on which the OTT world has started to deliver in a very positive and palatable way.