'I enjoy telling stories,' says Ashrit Wadhwa

How did you get this opportunity to helm Kode Lag Gaye Ji?

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It happened during the lockdown. I was watching a lot of content and had this idea. And, I called my producer and he said he wanted to do something and overnight we were doing the pre-production for this project. It just happened out of nowhere.

What is so special about this web series?

It’s a very simple story, something very relatable. Like every young couple, our main characters too want to run away as their parents don’t approve of their relationship.

Tell us about working with Samridh Bawa?

It’s the first time I’m working with him. He is a very professional and upright sort of a person. So, when I first met him, I was like pata nahi kaisa rahega kaam karna. Also, ours was a low budget production. The question going on in our heads was would he cooperate? But within 24 hours, he became one of us.

Your father Manish Wadhwa is a famous actor. Did you ever think of becoming an actor?

It never crossed my mind. I was always interested in direction. I enjoy telling stories more than facing the camera.

Do you have any formal training in direction?

I have a bachelor’s degree in filmmaking. What has helped me the most is practical experience.

Who is your inspiration?

I love many directors and there are a lot of projects that inspire me. For example, Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur, Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara etc.

What are the changes you have noticed in the industry over the years?

I think the social media trend is new. When I started assisting, talent was the factor which they used to consider while casting. But now people don’t care about acting, and are more concerned about the follower count one has on Instagram.

What’s your take on OTT as a medium?

OTT works but the content heads of these platforms should get selective. When Netflix and Hotstar started, we used to go ‘wow’ looking at their content. But now everyone is making the same kind of content.