Storyteller of masses
HE is frank, forthright and blessed with a sharp sense of humour. While rib-tickling asides pepper his conversations, young director-writer Farhan P Zamma gives an insight into various issues, and not just video piracy, which is the premise around which his currently streaming web series, ‘First Copy’, is based.
As his series digs deep into the era of 1990s when VCRs ruled and pirated copies were a norm, Farhan says, “Our entertainment industry has looked into the stock market scam, the stamp paper scandal and more, but few have cared to explore the biggest scam that once rocked its own world.” Not that the issue has become irrelevant today. “I saw my building watchman watching the pirated ad-free version of my series on his phone,” he chuckles.
Interestingly, while writing and directing the series, Farhan always had his target audience in mind: the working class. As the series streams on MX Player, he has no issues with its ad-driven revenue model. His reasoning, “Common people travelling by trains and buses consuming my series are unlikely to be watching it at one go. Their viewing time is anyway likely to be interrupted.” Of course, he has nothing against binge-watchers or critics whose ratings influence streamers, who call the shots and give a green signal to makers like him.
When the series is headlined by someone like Munawar Faruqui, who made his acting debut with ‘First Copy’, it was not easy to convince OTT platforms. Farhan recalls that though Munawar is popular, the controversies surrounding him did inhibit many OTT platforms. But today, Munawar is receiving praise for his role as Arif Quershi. “When I saw his standup act, I knew I had found my Arif, a hustler full of beans. Now others are echoing the same thoughts.”
On working with newcomers as opposed to seasoned actors like Shabana Azmi, who was part of Farhan’s television series, ‘Amma’, he is candid as usual. “Veteran actors like Shabanaji, Gulshan Grover and Mahesh Manjrekar deliver beyond expectations and are a masterclass in excellence. With raw debutants, however, it’s an altogether different learning curve.”
Incidentally, he has again cast Munawar in ‘Angadia’, a series about the informal courier service in which young men are recruited for all kinds of deliveries, including hawala transactions. Says Farhan, “Since we are living in the digital currency age, I was keen to explore and expose how Angadias work in this realm. The series will throw many surprise elements.” Farhan has done solid ground research and met “real people” for both ‘First Copy’ and ‘Angadia’.
By nature, he is drawn towards the stories of hustlers. In fact, his own struggle reads like a film script. Having lost his father at an early age, he recalls how his director father paid a heavy price for turning a producer. Because of his personal experiences, Farhan had decided not to join the film industry. But as destiny ordained, the storyteller in him could not resist the temptation of being a raconteur of tinsel town.
Farhan, who has several documentaries to his credit, would like to make a feature film, and is keen on an international film rooted in soil. Be it his short film on the makeover of the Kashi Vishwanath temple or his heritage series, he takes pride in declaring, “Hum sab Hindustani hain.” He not only likes to tell stories but also laces them with a significant message.
Crime might be his go-to genre as of now, but it always comes with a caveat and qualifies what is right and what is wrong. “Ultimately, the job of a good director,’ he asserts, “is to be true to his own experiences and to his audiences.” That’s why he may not be able to make a royal extravaganza, but can always capture the spirit of those aspiring to climb all the way up. Just as he is.
Features