‘Special Ops 1.5’ creator Neeraj Pandey: “A great story is a natural magnet”

Kay Kay Menon in 'Special Ops 1.5', streaming on Disney+Hotstar from November 12, 2021 (Image: screen grab)

The first season of Special Ops released in March 2020 to emerge as a hugely popular web series centred around a RAW agent on a 19-year hunt to find the brains behind the Parliament attacks of 2001. Creator Neeraj Pandey always envisioned the series with the potential to unfold over multiple seasons. In the follow-up season, Pandey does not follow the conventional approach of moving forward to season two. Instead, he has created season 1.5, titled Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story, an origin story of RAW agent Himmat Singh, played by Kay Kay Menon, which goes back to 2001 and the formative years of Himmat Singh. The cast includes Gautami Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Parmeet Sethi, Aftab Shivdasani and Aadil Khan.

Also read: 'Special Ops 1.5' review: The story of Himmat Singh keeps you involved

Pandey and Menon shared details of the making of the resolute spy and the making of the new season which premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on November 12, 2021.

Kay Kay, being a part of a series and now a prequel, how committed do you have to be to take on something so long term?

I take it one at a time. Once it is done and dusted, then one can come to the next one. There is no point in thinking of something else when doing one thing. What I am doing at this moment is of the utmost importance. The story, screenplay, etc., is the creator’s lookout. Neeraj also is a very instinctive writer, and his skills are so well-honed that it becomes very easy for the actor.

In season 1.5, you play a younger Himmat Singh. What is your process for finding the note for the younger version of a character you have played before?

That’s where my process comes in as an advantage. My approach to acting is to focus on the person more than the role. For example, he might be a RAW agent, but I am playing Himmat Singh. What I do is to start with a clean slate—without ego or any problems, by negating Kay Kay Menon—and then begin forming that person. When I am playing Mahesh or Suresh, I am not a cop. I am Mahesh or Suresh. That person is more important, and each person is different. It might just be that both their professions are the same. Then bringing the spirit of youth is not very difficult. I have to be able to convey that this person could become the Himmat Singh I have seen before. You do this by keeping intelligence intact because as you grow older, intelligence becomes wisdom, which I hope I have acquired after 27 years in this profession.

Were you surprised by the response to season one?

I have faced both failure and success, and even experienced films not releasing at all, so I have come to a state of equanimity. At the same time I found it quite pleasing that the show was appreciated and that too with the remote in the hand of the viewer. That was the litmus test and passing that is a different thrill altogether. When a film releases in theatres, there are so many other things at play too, such as show timings, screens, etc. Special Ops has become my most popular work, and after watching it, many from the younger generation are now seeing my other work retrospectively. I have received text messages saying, ‘you have great potential’. OTT helps good actors not disappear into oblivion.

'You have potential' is hilarious. So do you think OTT has helped actors like yourself?

OTT has provided a level playing field in the sense that films, whether they are well made or not, are also dependent on the kind of release they get. With OTT, you can accept if something works or not based primarily on the content and performances. With cinema releases, other factors can be used to explain the fate of a film. I am very happy that so many talents like Manoj Bajpayee, Pratik Gandhi and even myself have got a great new opportunity. The psychology of the big screen is completely different as a mass-viewing experience, whereas OTT viewing is very personal. A peaceful coexistence of both mediums is good.

Neeraj, it’s interesting that you have titled this 'Special Ops 1.5'. Why did you decide to make a prequel so early on in the series’ life?

As you said, it’s an interesting idea to do a 1.5 and when we got the response that we did for season one, we thought about how we could take the brand to the next level in a unique manner. Two things happened: one was that we found Himmat’s backstory was that unique angle which gave scope to explore many things. The second was that the visual effects for the period piece, and 2001 looked very good, so we felt we had strong things to work with. As for the timing, I don’t think it’s too early. Rather it is just the right time. By doing this now, we are set up for season two.

Was season 1.5 written before or alongside the first season?

It was written after season one came out. The beauty of the format is that a mini-series allows you to go to spaces depending on reception and curiosity around the characters and their circumstances.

What were the challenges of shooting this season?

There were huge challenges right from mandatory PCR tests, to vaccinations, landing at foreign locations, going through quarantine and more tests and then figuring out what is available in terms of people for crowd scenes with masks. Plus, we required a period setting, which required a different look, and we love shooting in crowds and to mount our scenes on that scale. Credit to the team that we pulled this off. We shot this season in Mumbai, Mauritius and Ukraine (Kiev).

Why do espionage thrillers (you have also directed 'Special 26' and 'Baby') fascinate you?

The uniqueness of the stories. We always find something interesting in the genre, something relevant to the times we are living in. But it’s not just espionage. It could be a sports biopic, which we did on a cricketer still playing for the country (M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story). A great story is a natural magnet.

And finally, why do Kay Kay and Himmat Singh make a good match?

Good acting. Kay Kay delivers the goods and surprises you again. I have known him for 15-16 years now, and the reason we both like to work with each other is because neither of us is complacent and that makes every experience new.