‘Adventure was always my dream’: ‘Munjya’ director Aditya Sarpotdar on his web series ‘The Secret of the Shiledars,’ expanding universes, David Lynch, and more

In an exclusive interrogation with SCREEN, Sarpotdar discusses the making of Shiledars, the situation of scaling an ambitious humanities escapade for Indian audiences, and however modern exertion helps bring the past to life. He besides shares insights connected the evolving scenery of Marathi cinema, assemblage expectations, his travel arsenic a director, imagination projects, favourite filmmakers, and more. Read edited excerpts below.

Q: The Secret of the Shiledars trailer looks good. What inspired you to instrumentality it up?

Aditya Sarpotdar: I’ve ever wanted to make an escapade bid oregon film, inspired by Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and The Da Vinci Code. Adventure remains an underexplored genre successful India.

This task stemmed from Pratipashchandra, a well-researched Marathi caller by Dr Prakash Koyade, revolving astir Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Rajmudra. The extent of the taxable made it perfect for a bid alternatively than a film, and with Hotstar connected board, we brought it to life.

Q: How overmuch did films similar Indiana Jones oregon National Treasure power this show? What sets it apart?

Aditya Sarpotdar: While these films acceptable a notation for the genre, I didn’t straight get from them. Shiledars is distinctly Indian. Unlike Western adventures astir mislaid treasures successful overseas lands, our communicative is profoundly rooted successful Maratha history. The Shiledars are depicted arsenic the safekeepers of a treasure linked to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. By intertwining fictional elements with existent humanities events, the amusement remains profoundly relatable and culturally rooted.

Q. Indian budgets can’t lucifer Hollywood’s. How did you standard the amusement portion staying existent to your vision?

Aditya Sarpotdar: That’s a important question. It’s ever a balancing act. When I work the book, I visualized a vast, expansive world. Given adventure’s constricted way grounds successful India, we worked wrong a defined budget, finalising six episodes with Hotstar. We chose cardinal events from the publication and sharpened the narrative. To maximize scale, we changeable successful existent locations similar the Badami Caves and Raigad Fort, utilizing their inherent grandeur. Framing and cinematography enhanced the ocular impact, ensuring the bid looked cinematic contempt fund constraints.

Q. With modern filmmaking tech advancing, which section faced the biggest challenge?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Tech has really made things easier. Lightweight camera rigs, drones, and mobile setups helped america sprout dynamic enactment scenes successful existent locations.

One breathtaking facet was utilizing CGI and 3D exertion to make clues and environments that actors interacted with. We adjacent utilized AI, including Midjourney, to visualize inaccessible locations specified arsenic hidden tunnels and chambers with Maratha symbols. These AI-generated references guided our creation directors successful acceptable creation.

Q: What’s the aboriginal of this show? Do you spot this progressing into much seasons, oregon is it conscionable a one-off season?

Aditya Sarpotdar: I spot it evolving into a genre alternatively than conscionable a azygous show. While I anticipation for a 2nd season, my bigger extremity is to animate much adventure-based storytelling successful India. Our past is filled with untold stories and folklore that tin construe into treasure hunts oregon modern humanities narratives. If this play does well, we person ideas for a bigger, amended sequel.

Q. You’ve explored aggregate genres—thriller, horror-comedy, musical, and present adventure. Which is your forte, and which is the toughest to make?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Adventure is simply a communal thread successful each my films, adjacent erstwhile it’s not the superior genre. My characters are often connected a travel of discovery, similar successful Munjya, wherever the protagonist enters a magical satellite contempt it being a horror-comedy.

Comedy, however, is the toughest. With audiences perpetually consuming humour online, astonishing them is progressively difficult. Making radical laughter is an art.

Q: Horror has been booming worldwide. Why bash you deliberation audiences are drawn to it present much than ever?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Post-pandemic, audiences crave thrilling experiences. Horror delivers that adrenaline rush, adjacent though they cognize it’s fiction.

Also, viewers contiguous request stronger storytelling. Horror works champion erstwhile it blends compelling narratives with folklore oregon modern settings—like Tumbbad. If done well, it’s 1 of the astir engaging genres.

Q: Is fearfulness 1 of your favourite genres?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Absolutely. It’s my favourite to watch, though I haven’t made a axenic fearfulness movie yet. Horror comedies necessitate a balance—it can’t beryllium excessively scary oregon excessively funny. I’d emotion to make a full-fledged fearfulness movie someday.

Q: Was Munjya ever a portion of the Stree universe, oregon was that decided aboriginal on?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Yes. Stree was acceptable successful Madhya Pradesh, Bhediya successful the Northeast, and Munjya brought Maharashtra’s folklore into the mix. The thought was ever to research antithetic determination tales wrong the aforesaid universe. Thankfully, Munjya was good received, allowing america to grow further.

‘Munjya’ movie poster

Q: Now that you’re making Thama, however volition you guarantee that this caller movie stands connected its ain but besides feels similar portion of the universe?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Thama introduces Indian vampires, chiseled from Western concepts, and creates an wholly caller satellite with unsocial creatures and mythology. While it’s a standalone story, it volition subtly link to Stree, Bhediya, and Munjya, with these interconnections unfolding implicit time.

Q: Will determination beryllium immoderate peculiar appearances successful Thama, similar we saw successful Stree 2?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Yes. That’s a surprise!

Q: How bash you spot the improvement of determination cinema and web bid successful India, particularly Marathi content?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Regional cinema is evolving with technology, and young filmmakers are taking much risks. Marathi cinema is exploring divers narratives, but its OTT beingness remains limited. Unlike Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, wherever platforms put successful section content, Marathi struggles owed to Maharashtra’s Hindi-dominated market. I anticipation this changes and Marathi contented gets the level it deserves. Meanwhile, successful films, we’re seeing much variety—historicals, household dramas, comedies, and romances—which is encouraging.

Q: How bash you equilibrium originative imaginativeness with assemblage expectations?

Aditya Sarpotdar: I don’t make based connected assemblage expectations due to the fact that tastes perpetually change. If we knew precisely what the assemblage wanted, each movie would beryllium a hit. Instead, I inquire myself if I’d wage to ticker it—if I would, chances are others volition too. Not each movie tin beryllium universally loved similar Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. I marque contented that resonates with me, trusting there’s an assemblage that feels the same.

Q: Was determination a infinitesimal successful your vocation that made it each worthy choosing this profession?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Every movie feels worthy it successful the end. The process is afloat of uncertainty—will I implicit it? Will it crook retired arsenic envisioned? Since I ever effort thing new, I question whether I tin propulsion it off. But aft astir 2 years of work, erstwhile I ticker the last chopped with my team, that infinitesimal makes it each worthwhile. If I inactive consciousness excited earlier the last dependable mix, I cognize the movie is ready.

Q: What inspired you to go a director, and who are immoderate of your inspirations successful filmmaking?

Aditya Sarpotdar: I grew up astir films. My household has been successful the concern for 4 generations, and I spent overmuch of my puerility astatine Alka Theaters successful Pune. Filmmaking was a earthy way for me. I started with firm videos and ads, got hooked connected directing, and made my archetypal movie astatine 22.
As for influences, Mani Ratnam is simply a favourite successful India, portion globally, I respect Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock. I find inspiration successful immoderate filmmaker whose enactment connects with audiences. The Shawshank Redemption by Frank Darabont remains 1 of the champion films I’ve seen.

A inactive from ‘The Shawshank Redemption’

Q: We precocious mislaid 1 of the champion directors of his time, David Lynch. Do you person thing to accidental astir him

Aditya Sarpotdar: David Lynch was a maestro storyteller. He could bash drama, research acheronian spaces, and make thrillers similar cipher else. We’ve genuinely mislaid a gem. But the bequest he’s near down is immense and massive. His iconic films volition proceed to thatch us. Despite his age, helium made specified modern and precocious films. He ne'er felt similar an outdated filmmaker. I anticipation we get to revisit his movies connected the large surface someday arsenic a tribute.

Q: If you could nonstop a imagination project, what genre oregon communicative would it be?

Aditya Sarpotdar: I haven’t tried the warfare epic genre yet, but I would emotion to. The play you tin physique connected a warfare backdrop oregon battlefield excites me. It could beryllium immoderate period—historical, mythological, oregon contemporary. It could impact the Indian subject oregon adjacent the Mahabharata.

Q: What’s the past bid oregon movie you binge-watched and loved?

Aditya Sarpotdar: The past bid I watched was Black Warrant. I loved it. Actually, I don’t ticker conscionable 1 series; I person this wont of watching 2 bid parallelly—one occurrence from one, past an occurrence from the other.

So I was watching Black Warrant and The Day of the Jackal back-to-back. Both are outstanding and must-watch content. The performances successful some are amazing. I wholly urge them.

Q: If you could picture The Secret of the Shiledars successful 3 words, what would they be?

Aditya Sarpotdar: Entertaining, informative, and out-of-the-box.