IFFI 2021: Netflix’s Aranyak starring Raveena Tandon is first web-series to be premiered at the festival

As OTT (over-the-top) platforms collaborate with the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for the first time, the Netflix web-series Aranyak (2021) became the first to be premiered for the festival audience before its digital premiere in December.

Raveena Tandon stars as a police officer stationed in a mountain town who has to deal with missing tourists, an old myth, and political and personal agendas. The team behind the show, director Vinay Waikul, producers Siddharth Roy Kapur and Rohan Sippy, and Netflix India’s Monika Shergill were all present with Tandon to showcase the first episode yesterday.

They also engaged in a conversation about the making of the show. Aranyak has been produced by Roy Kapur Films and Ramesh Sippy Entertainment.

Tandon spoke about what inspired her to make her digital debut as Kasturi Dogra, a sincere cop who is also a mother and wife. “Kasturi is fierce, independent and a brilliant cop who tries to balance her personal life and work,” the actress said. “Through this character, I want to give the message to our viewers that we see women [on] different fronts, be it women in uniform or women in [the] corporate sector, trying to balance their work and family lives. I know women in our society can rise even higher if [their families] become the wind beneath [their] wings.”

Waikul spoke of why the crime thriller is a tricky genre in which the director has to strike a delicate balance and reveal just the right amount of information. He added that this is his favourite genre.

“In a crime thriller, direction is like a game of chess where both the players are your own creations,” he said. “On the one hand, you have to give the audience enough content to hold their attention and excite them for the next episode; on the other hand, you don’t want them to get ahead of you and start guessing the conclusion.”

Roy Kapur also explained why he decided to come on board the project. “The story was so compelling and unique that I decided to back this web-series," the producer said. "The treatment has been done in a very organic and authentic way. The audience will be treated to a visual delight.”

Rohan Sippy, who is also showrunner for the project, explained why the chose the title: “Aranyak means wild, it inspires curiosity.”

Shergill, who is content chief at Netflix India, spoke about why the streaming platform is backing woman-driven projects. She said, “The representation of women in films has expanded over the years but not fast enough. Netflix has a deep commitment to woman-driven projects. Fifty per cent of Netflix executives are women, we want to break the gender stereotype.”

Aranyak is due to be released on Netflix on 10 December.