New Delhi: 'The Night Manager Season 2' is about to premiere on June 30 on OTT platform Disney+Hotstar. The Hindi-adaptation of the British show starring Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, Hugh Laurie has been adapted for Indian audiences by filmmaker Sandeep Modi, known for another series 'Aarya'. 'Aarya', starring Sushmita Sen in the lead, was also an adaptation of the Dutch drama series 'Penoza'.


'The Night Manager' ( Hindi) stars Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sobhita Dhuilpala and Tillotama Shome among others. The leading actors will be seen reprising their roles in Part 2 of 'The Night Manager'. 


ABP Live spoke to filmmaker Sandeep Modi, responsible for adapting the British show 'The Night Manager' for Indian audiences, about the adaptations, his influences and experience of working with an ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sobhita Dhuilpala and Tillotama Shome.


Excerpts from the interview




What is the obsession with re-creating and adapting foreign TV shows and films for Indian audiences today?


I don’t think it is not an obsession.I think eventually we have become extremely hungry as a country wanting to see something new everyday . We are, I will say, a spoiled audience. Every day when we turn on the TV or OTT sets, we want to see something new. Even though we may not see a particular new show, we want to see what else is new. We want more options. So, you understand, we are at a place where all OTTs/makers are constantly trying to produce more films, more shows and more of everything. The reason why many platforms are choosing to adapt an international show or a book is because they know how the start will end.


For a good show to develop, it takes between a year to 2-3 years and that may not be the window of time that anyone would be willing invest in and so just for that reason, I think a lot of studios and platforms back and prefer adaptations.


 In an interview, you spoke about cultural adaptations and nuances which make an adapted story richer? But, why not have an original story inspired and taken from the culture you want to represent


My first film was a Marathi film. An absolute original and it did well. It got me enough love and appreciation. But as luck would have it, I was offered an adaptation, ‘Penoza’ ( Sushmita Sen-starrer Aarya was adapted from it) and in this case the adaptation of ‘The Night Manager’ from the book and the show, so it is a case to case scenario. For example: you love Indian food  but are you saying that why are we only having Indian food, why are we not having South Asian cuisine or Italian food. The thing is, there is an appetite for everything and as makers, we are a part of everything.


Besides, the next few things I’m working on, all of them are original.


What was your experience like working with Anil Kapoor, Aditya Kapoor, Tilottama Shome and Sobhita Dhulipala? What makes each of the actors different from each other? Can you tell a little about their process and acting style?


I had a great time working with Anil Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala , Aditya Kapoor and others. Each individual is different and you know there is no one school of performance or how to look at a performance that works. It is like, can you teach acting  in a certain way?


 Everyone drops a different style, a different way and also the experience of working with so many people is quite fulfilling. I think everyone learns and adapts. The energy which each of these actors brought was so different that it made ‘The Night Manager 2’ an exciting experience for me as a director. It was great to see how each one tapped a different well to deliver their performance.


What are your influences? Any favourite directors in Indian cinema besides Vishal Bhardwaj


Lars Von Trier, I love his work;  ‘Manderlay’ and ‘Dogville’ especially. I like the way he looks at life and cinema through his work. I am also a huge Martin Scorsese fan. 


In India, I love Vishal Bhardwaj but there are many many makers I think who I have been fortunate also to assist and learn from t. Austosh Gowarikar, Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra are among my favoruites. And, more than the filmmakers, it's the individual work that stands out so for me. I’m also constantly learning from the yesteryear directors. I love Vijay Anand, and the movie ‘Sholay’. ‘Sholay’ is one of my favorite films. I remember having a cassette player and a tape and I think we had to throw the cassette after some time because I watched the movie so many times.


 What can audiences expect from The Night Manager Season 2.


I think the promise is of a good story. I hope 'The Night Manager 2' is liked by everyone and fulfils that promise. Hopefully, 'The Night Manager 2' turns out to be 2x more exciting and a great adventure for the audiences.