Taking the right call

Nonika Singh

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Ruchi Narain is calling again… as the Guilty director gets ready for her lush and plush series Karmma Calling, she is waiting with bated breath for audiences’ reaction. “Pata nahi mere din kaise katenge till January 26,” she quips with an infectious smile.

Winning formula

As a woman director, Ruchi Narain is not overtly conscious of women characters. She says, “I write people, not women and that’s why both, men and women, come out strong.” She did not care to alter the original storyline of Revenge, for “Why change a winning formula?”

As the series happens to be an official adaptation of the American drama Revenge, comparisons are a given. But she reasons, “In Oscars there is a special category for adapted screenplays. Adaptation is not translation; it’s an art form in itself.” Precisely why, the title is Karma and not the literal translation Badla.

Indeed, Karmma Calling is a ‘cheeky take’ and not only does it refer to karma as we understand it in the Indian context, but it also happens to be the name of one of its key characters. She shares how the catchy name of the series came from her lead heroine Raveena Tandon. Reasons for casting ‘ravishing’ Raveena as the uber-rich billionaire woman were pretty obvious. “She looks the part, Indian and rooted and also a well-travelled woman of the world. Besides, she packs a punch.”

Being a billionaire

As the series delves into the top layer, nay speck, of society whose lives most of us are not even privy to, she nods, “Indeed, even I had a sideway peep into the ways of billionaires not just in India but across the world, and I feel they have a different set of values and ways of doing things.” Interestingly, the idea to transpose the drama onto the Indian soil came to her many years ago, as she thought the story of the American television series lands well in the Indian milieu.

On whether we are rather judgmental while assessing the rich, she feels, “On the contrary we look up to them.” One of the reasons why she thought the series would find an audience is that it would give them their fair share of ‘guilty pleasure’. To those who may have seen the original, she promises a very desi interpretation. As for the naysayers who are likely to be rather uncharitable while assessing, she says, “Some people are likely to be unkind whatever you may do.”

Prior to Revenge, Ruchi has always done original work. Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, which she wrote for Sudhir Mishra, for instance won her many plaudits. Whether the gifted director Mishra has left any indelible impact on her directorial signature is for others to say. All she knows is that when she later worked with Karan Johar, the maker of extravagance, she found no contradiction. Actually she has known Johar ever since his Kuch Kuch Hota Hai days and he even offered her associate director’s position for the film. But as destiny would have it, she was to work with him much later when Dharmatic, the digital arm of the Dharma Productions, was born.

OTT space

OTT, for which she has also directed a web series, Hundred, she agrees has opened doors for makers like her who do not belong to filmy families. “But a level playing field for women directors,” she insists, “is still a distant dream.” Never mind, she is confident, “We will get there soon.” Indeed, apart from the strong possibility of many seasons of Karmma Calling, her production company R.A.T Films, which she formed with Ashutosh Shah and Taher Shabbir, has many projects in the pipeline.

Working on different subjects comes naturally to this maker whose animation film Hanuman: Da’ Damdaar had Salman Khan giving the voice over. While she would like to be known simply for ‘good and impactful work’, to aspirants, especially outsiders, her advice is simple, “There is no substitute for hard work.” Ruchi has worked through ordeals like her late father’s sickness. She observes, “Don’t get carried away by the red carpet looks; industry is much more than stardom.”

Meanwhile, she is all set to offer you the ultimate slice of glamour, creating which, needless to add, has involved oodles of hard work and dedication.

(Karmma Calling streams on Disney+ Hotstsar from January 26)