It was only when Kunal Kohli was offered Hiccups & Hookups that he binged on its source material, the popular American show Casual. After breezing through the series, the director was clear that while a few plot points could be retained, Lionsgate Play’s maiden Indian original would be a new universe altogether. “We have added our desi flavour,” says Kohli of the Lara Dutta and Prateik Babbar-starrer. “We added more characters and changed a lot of the story. Writer Indira Bisht and I also decided [on having a new title]. The series had to have a conversational world, but the world has moved to a point where we hardly talk to each other. Dating happens on apps, so that culture evolution had to be reflected.”

Kunal Kohli