Collaborations often are fodder for innovation and excellence. For creator Sumit Roy, the making of the Disney+ Hotstar series, Showtime, proved to be a testimony to this fact. The series sheds light on the behind the scene functioning of the film industry, the power tussle between insiders and outsiders and volatile nature of fame. Featuring in Showtime—produced by Karan Johar—are Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajeev Khandelwal, and Mouni Roy, among others.

Roy shares that multiple discussions with his fellow writers about their own experiences in the industry gave birth to the primary characters, including producer Raghu Khanna, played by Hashmi. “Raghu is an arrogant producer. He is a prick and a bas#$@*. He is successful and a force of nature. And has a street vibe about it.