Does size matter?

Aiming to translate the sci-fi experience mostly seen in theatres, filmmaker Umesh Bisht on making Gyaarah Gyaarah for OTT

Three years after making his directorial debut on the web with the Sanya Malhotra-starrer coming-of-age film Pagglait (2021), Umesh Bisht is gearing up to release a sci-fi mystic thriller next. No one might have seen it coming, but the filmmaker says he has always wanted to add diverse stories to his repertoire. “Sometimes, safety and security are very boring. They make an artiste stagnant. Maybe Gyaarah Gyaarah will be loved more than Pagglait,” he smiles. 

Umesh Bisht, Guneet Monga Kapoor and Karan Johar

What also piqued Bisht’s interest in Gyaarah Gyaarah was the layer of spirituality in the story. “I like police procedurals. But when you add mysticism to it, it becomes more interesting. It was too tempting an offer to refuse,” he says of the ZEE5 show featuring Raghav Juyal, Kritika Kamra, and Dhairya Karwa in lead roles. The sci-fi genre is conventionally imagined for the big screen, but with Gyaarah Gyaarah, Bisht and his team aim to show that a spectacle is not at the mercy of screen size. “The show covers a large canvas. It has many worlds and visuals that haven’t been seen earlier on streaming platforms. We were aware of what we were getting into and the challenges involved. So, the entire team—from the production designer, DoP, and costume designer to actors—spent months preparing for the series. It was challenging, but never daunting,” he explains. 

Having producers like Guneet Monga Kapoor and Karan Johar boosted his confidence. Bisht previously collaborated with Monga on Pagglait, while this is his maiden work with Johar. Owing to the difference in their brands of cinema, they may seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. But according to the director, they share more similarities than one would assume. “Guneet has tremendous vision and is always looking for new stories. She shows belief in unknown people. I feel projects get built on her faith alone. She is special and spiritually blessed. Karan is also trying to do something new and wants validation in it. There’s a lot of similarity between them. People believe Guneet only makes independent films and Karan [is only associated with] commercial films. He is a visionary and someone who knows the business. At the same time, he also supports films like Kill and Gyaarah Gyaarah. They have a wonderful partnership,” he shares.

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