Chutzpah is about how people connect and disconnect on the internet, says creator Mrighdeep Singh Lamba

After Fukrey (2013) and Fukrey Returns (2017), Mrighdeep Singh Lamba is coming up with a web-series titled Chutzpah. Like his movies, the web-series will revolve around youth, but the show explores the darker side of social media and the challenges of heavy digital dependence.

The web-series stars Varun Sharma, Manjot Singh, Gautam Mehra, Tanya Maniktala, Elnaaz Norouzi and Kshitij Chauhan.

Talking about creating another interesting subject catering to the youth, Lamba said, “While Fukrey was a youth-oriented slice-of-life movie, this is actually a slice of cyber life. While Fukrey revolved around four characters and their journey, Chutzpah talks about five or six different characters and how their paths cross one another.

"We all know how www [the World Wide Web] has taken over our lives. So, in that way, Chutzpah is a story that was waiting to be told. During the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, stories were made on people getting quarantined and staying alone in their houses, but our story is different and talks about the inclusion of the internet in everybody’s lives.”

Chutzpah is written by Amit Babbar and Lamba, who is also a creator of the web-series. Since there was nothing much to do during the lockdown, Lamba was spending most of his time reading scripts and this idea by writer Babbar caught his attention.

"It’s about how people connect and disconnect on the internet," the filmmaker said. "We don’t want to be preachy, but there is an important message that the show ends with. There is obviously fun, entertainment and drama, but it also makes you think. It has a deep-rooted philosophy that cannot be ignored. Fukrey clicked because the characters and situations were real. And it's the same with ‘Chutzpah’ — real and relatable.”

Chutzpah is produced under Dinesh Vijan’s banner Maddock Outsider and directed by Simarpreet Singh who has previously helmed youth-focused web-shows like College Romance (2018) and Brochara (2019). Chutzpah is due to be premiered on SonyLIV on 23 July.