Sargun Mehta, who at the moment is busy with Punjabi films, both as lead and producer, might eventually go on to produce a Punjabi web series as well. “But I will need time to work out the creative aspects.”
Here Sargun, who had earlier made a name for herself on TV, with shows like 12/24 Karol Bagh, Phulwa, Kya Huaa Tera Vaada, added, “The web allows us to talk to an audience which stays away from traditional TV. Also, this Netflix-Amazon viewer profile audience is more accepting. Sacred Games would have never worked on TV rating wise, and this would have broken my heart. But on digital, it is winning rave reviews. As an industry, we also need to evolve beyond saas bahu.”
Sargun has no issue with the bold content on Sacred Games, “For, it was needed to justify the rawness of the content. Having said that, there are many web makers who follow the regular TV template but just add kissing, abusing and lovemaking scenes for titillation. This is not my cup of tea.”
“Also, the boldness depicted needs to be culture specific. An Indian man will not smooch his wife goodbye. I would have really cringed if Nawazuddin Siddiqui would have kissed his wife before going to work, in Sacred Games. Yet again, we need to evolve beyond our current state that love does not even reach a kiss. It needs to be shown in the right environment,” she added.
“One of the web shows I liked is Permanent Roommates, which, despite having elements like live-in relationships and pre-marital pregnancies, did not look vulgar, for it followed the normal desi youth’s journey,” stated Sargun.
“As a producer, when I will sit down to work out character graphs, if the edginess is needed, it will be incorporated. This is unlike some, whose only agenda is to fill the canvas with s*x and abuse. For me, the story board is most important.”
Interestingly though, while this better half of well-known film and TV actor Ravi Dubey bats for bold content to watch and possibly make, she will not be able to do the same. “It’s ok if someone else is comfortable in that avatar. Personally, I will feel awkward doing it. My image has also been of a girl next door and not of a babe. I might go one level beyond what I do now, but don’t think that the Sacred Games bold quotient will be up my sleeve.”
Well-said, Sargun!!
